The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, will now represent President Bola Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas, not Vice President Kashim Shettima, as announced earlier.

“Vice President Kashim Shettima who was originally scheduled to represent the President was unable to make the trip following a technical fault with his aircraft, forcing him to make a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet,” the Presidency revealed in a statement signed Monday evening by the Shettima’s Spokesperson, Mr. Stanley Nkwocha.

The statement is titled ‘Minister of Foreign Affairs To Now Represent President Tinubu at US-Africa Summit.’

Nkwocha said the Vice President who has since returned to Abuja “will carry on with other national duties.”

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The high-profile summit, taking place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, will bring together political and business leaders from across Africa, the United States, and other regions.

Hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa, it features high-level dialogues, networking sessions, and plenaries.

African leaders expected at the summit are Presidents Joseph Boakai of Liberia; Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi; Joao Lourenço Angola; Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi of the Republic of Botswana; José Maria Neves of Cabo Verde and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Nthomeng Majara.

The US-Africa Business Summit aims to foster economic cooperation and explore investment opportunities between the United States and African countries.

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Besides the summit plenary, the Foreign Minister is expected to speak at the Roundtable on African Infrastructure Investment with a focus on impact and returns.

He is also scheduled to speak on a high-level panel on agribusiness, focusing on transiting “from food insecurity to thriving agribusinesses”.

Additionally, Tuggar will speak at a plenary session on Navigating Africa’s Energy Future as well as chair a session dedicated to promoting the ‘invest in Nigeria’ initiative.

He is also expected to attend other meetings and engagements on the sideline of the summit, the statement read.

Tuggar is expected back in the country at the end of his engagements in the US.

Dr Udoh Oberaifo, the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the forthcoming election in Edo State, has condemned the suspension of three members of the state house of assembly by the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku.

The Speaker had on Monday suspended the three lawmakers over an alleged plot to impeach.

The three suspended lawmakers are: Mr Donald Okogbe( PDP Akoko-Edo 11) Bright Iyamu(PDP Orihonmwon South) and Adeh Isibor, (Esan North East 1)

Reacting to the incident in Benin, Oberaifo described the suspension of the three lawmakers as illegal and unconstitutional.

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He stated that the speaker lacks the legal power and right to suspend a lawmaker democratically elected by the people.

“So what will now happen to the lawmaking, representation and the constituents of this suspended members,” he asked.

He noted that the “tyranny of the speaker” clearly infringes on the rights of the good people of Edo, the suspended members and their constituents.

” Our courts have consistently held that disciplinary powers of legislative houses like Edo State House of Assembly do not extend to reckless suspension.

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” The court of appeal in BAUCHI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY & ORS v. GUYABA agreed with the trial court in holding that the suspension of a then house of assembly member, Hon. Gubaya for three months was illegal.

“Recently, the court also took a similar view in case of Akinribido v Ondo State House of Assembly.

” The point I wish to state here is that the clear malicious suspension of this members of Edo House of Assembly for whatever reasons by the speaker, is laughable, unjustifiable, illegal and clearly unconstitutional.

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“It clearly shows the directionless lawmaking powers; offside decision making of the PDP-led house of assembly, and lack of respect for democratic institutions, “ he said.

Oberaifo, therefore, called for the recall of the suspended members in line with clear court precedents in similar matters.

According to him, the above shows that Edo people can no longer continue with the status quo of the PDP governance and law making in the state.

He urged the people to reject the PDP in the forthcoming governorship elections and vote the candidate of the AAC as a better alternative and for credible governance.

Two minors and three others have been arrested by operatives of the Edo State Police Command for allegedly stripping one Christabel Akhigbe naked over alleged phone theft.

They were said to have made a video of her nakedness and uploaded it on social media.

The suspects, Blessing Lucky 15, Jennifer Eboigbe 30, Iziegbe Ogbodu 39, Naomi Ekhonetomwan 17, and Lucky Endurance 16 were arrested for indecent assault and cyber stalking on a female.

The state Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adeboye, who paraded the suspects at the command headquarters in Benin, the state capital, said the suspects accused the victim of stealing an android phone belonging to one Lucky and called her to return the said phone.

Adeboye said after Christabel had returned the phone to the owner, they lured her into Blessing Lucky’s mother’s house, beat and stripped her naked and threatened to put pepper in her private parts.

He added that the suspects made a video of the scene which has gone viral on social media.

Adeboye said that on receiving the report, police operatives arrested the suspects who confessed to the crime.

He added that they will soon be charged in court.

The CP said, “The Edo Police Command have arrested five females for stripping a woman for allegedly stealing an android phone. They then made a video of the victims while naked and posted it online.

“They have now become suspects in a case they should have been the complaints.”

While warning the citizens not to take laws into their own hands, noting that those who should have been the complainants have turned themselves into suspects in the case.

He said the police would cooperate with human rights organisations to make sure that the suspects pay for the crime.

“I will advise residents not to take law into their own hands and to report cases of this nature to the police,” he said.

One of the suspects, Eboigbe, said she is ashamed of what they did to the victim.

She said, “My daughter came to tell me that her phone was stolen and after some days, we retrieved the phone from the person who stole the phone. The girl begged me that they shouldn’t beat her, but despite her plea, they went ahead to strip her naked.

“I am ashamed of what they did because I am a mother.”