Ivory Coast Votes On New Constitution As Opposition Boycotts

Voters in Ivory Coast cast their ballots in a referendum on Sunday to decide whether to approve a new constitution that President Alassane Ouattara argues will guarantee peace in the wake of years of political turmoil.

Under Ouattara, Ivory Coast has made an impressive recovery since a 2011 civil war capped a decade-long crisis. The International Monetary Fund projects it will be Africa’s fastest growing economy this year.

Despite five years of peace, however, Ivorians remain deeply divided along political and ethnic fault lines. And both they and the investors who are now flooding in, crave the stability that will allow the world’s top cocoa grower to cement its status as the continent’s rising star.

“It’s an opportunity but also a duty,” Ouattara said after voting in the commercial capital Abidjan. “Turning the page on the crisis born of the constitution of 2000 is essential for the future of our nation.”

Opposition parties have called for a boycott of the vote, arguing that the new text was designed to further entrench Ouattara’s political coalition. So, while the “yes” vote is heavily favored, voter participation will be key to determining whether the text has the widespread backing.

By midday, turnout in Abidjan was visibly lower than during last year’s presidential election when 54.6 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.

Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said incidents of suspected opposition supporters using violence to impede the vote had been recorded in around 100 polling stations in Abidjan and western Ivory Coast. But he said they would not affect the results.

The current constitution, drafted under military rule after a 1999 coup, was at the heart of Ivory Coast’s prolonged unrest.

In its most controversial clause, it says presidential candidates’ parents must both be natural-born Ivorians – a deliberate swipe at northerners, many of whom, like Ouattara, have family ties that straddle the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali.

The new constitution scraps that rule, which was used to disqualify Ouattara from a poll in 2000, and now only one parent must be Ivorian. It also creates a post of vice president and a senate. The president says all these new measures will guarantee more political stability.

However, the new text also allows future changes to the constitution to go ahead without a referendum and with just a two thirds majority in parliament – a body now heavily dominated by Ouattara’s allies – a fact that has raised concern among some rights groups.

Some civil society groups and diplomats, meanwhile, have criticized the process of drafting the text and submitting it to a plebiscite as rushed and lacking transparency. Voters have had just two and a half weeks to review the 184-article charted

BENUE GOVT. FLAGS OFF INTERNATIONAL CARGO AIRPORT

 The Benue State government and its joint venture partners under the Public Private Partnership, has flagged off the 38 Billion Naira Benue international cargo airport on a 6,000-hectre land along the Makurdi-Lafia road.
Governor Samuel Ortom while speaking on the economic viability of the project conceived by former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, said, the 38 billion Naira investment by the Nigerian/Chinese consortium on the airport project and other service, would change the economy significantly.

On its part, the consortium financing the project, which is now under the supervision of the Ministry of Aviation, is seeking security for men and infrastructure, as the governor perform the ground-breaking ceremony.

This 6,000 hectres of land along Makurdi-Lafia road, will host the Benue international cargo airport that will operate from the existing Makurdi Airport.

However, the project was stalled in 2014 when the management of the Nigerian Air Force Tactical Air Command refused to share the airport facilities with the proposed cargo airport project expansion.

The project, which is on a ‘build, operate and transfer agreement’ for a period of 25 years, is being flag off to accommodate cargos from Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states.

While explaining the delay in the take-off of the project, Governor Ortom gave credit to his former colleague and Aviation Minister, Oduah, outlining the benefits of the project.

Already, the contractors handling the Benue International Cargo Airport project have mobilised to the 6,000 hectres site, with a promise to deliver the project for commissioning in five years.

Buhari Celebrates Africa’s First Female Newscaster, Anike Agbaje-Williams At 80

President Muhammadu Buhari is celebrating legendary newscaster, presenter and first African female to appear on television, Mrs Anike Agbaje-Williams, on her 80th birthday.

In a statement on Saturday, President Buhari joined Williams’ family, friends and the media profession, in celebrating the broadcaster who ruled the industry for more than 30 years.

Known for her sonorous voice, Anike Agbaje-Williams started out early with the first television station in Africa in 1959, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV).

As one of the pioneer African television broadcasters, better known as ‘‘Africa’s First Lady of the Tube’’, the President believes the veteran journalist worked hard to inform, educate and entertain her listeners, and to also sustain the legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo who established the WNTV as a ‘‘surrogate teacher’’.

The President commended the quintessential courage and persistent spirit of Williams who constantly pushed herself to improve on her God-given talent until she reached the pinnacle of her career, carting home many awards even after retirement.

President Buhari prayed that the almighty God would grant Williams longer life, good health and more strength in her newfound love of singing in the choir after retirement

Aisha Buhari Says Leaders Must Fulfil Promises

The wife of Nigeria’s President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has stressed the need for leaders to keep to their campaign promises, as she flagged off the distribution of relief items for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benisheikh, a liberated town in Borno State.

Mrs Buhari told some group of journalist that the distribution of the relief materials to the IDPs was a fulfilment of a promise she made.

Some of the items distributed were nutritional food supplements and some food items collected by the “Get Involved”’ programme, a component of her pet project tagged “Future Assured”’.

Benisheikh is one of the liberated towns in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State where IDPs have already returned to pick up their lives from where they left off.

Mrs Buhari’s programme is a campaign for well-meaning Nigerians to support victims of over six years Boko Haram insurgency and the vulnerable in the northeast.

The relief materials by Mrs Aisha buhari were given to over 300 women representing their families.
Aisha Buhari was recently criticised for her comments on the composition of her husband’s appointments, insisted that leaders must keep to their promises.

“We thank almighty Allah for the opportunity to start fulfilling the promises we have made that’s the essence of having a leader. When you promise you make sure that you fulfil your promise and that is what we are all after and that is what I am after in particular.

'i am after the success of my husband’s administration, and he can’t do it alone except with the help of the governors, their wives and all members of our progressive party', she stated.

“I am here today to flag-off the distribution of food items donated by well-meaning Nigerians from south, west, east and north. I thank our donors on behalf of Borno people and the entire northeast people of Nigeria,” Mrs Buhari told beneficiaries of the relief materials.

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima says contributions are welcome from all quarters to fasten the resettlement process among IDPs.

He says the gathering was made possible by the remarkable progress in the counter-insurgency war.

At least 350 families represented by the women benefited from Mrs Buhari’s intervention in Benisheikh.

FALZ AND SIMI 'LOVE UP' IN NEW EP 'CHEMISTRY'.

Music stars, Falz and Simi, who were both nominated in the best breakthrough act category at the recently concluded MTV Africa Music Award, have released a joint EP titled 'chemistry'.
 the two musical artist have come a long way in music industry, always doing their best to stay fresh in the game.
I must comment that the release of the seven track project on thursday,was preceded by several 'pre-wedding' themed photographs, which caused a frenzy on social media, as many wondered whether they would long standing speculations of a romance between them.
However, one may say that this came as a birthday gift from falz to fans as the long-awaited EP collaboration with simi was also released on the singers birthday.
 songs on the extended play include 'foreign','cinderella','show you pepper','enough is enough' and many others.