News

Haiti’s Future Uncertain After Brazen Slaying Of President

Published

4 years ago

July 8, 2021

Editor

An already struggling and chaotic Haiti stumbled into an uncertain future Thursday, reeling from the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse followed by a reported gunbattle in which authorities said police killed four suspects in the murder, detained two others and freed three officers being held hostage.

Officials pledged to find all those responsible for the predawn raid on Moïse’s house early Wednesday that left the president shot to death and his wife, Martine Moïse, critically wounded. She was flown to Miami for treatment.

“The pursuit of the mercenaries continues,” Léon Charles, director of Haiti’s National Police, said Wednesday night in announcing the arrests of suspects. “Their fate is fixed: They will fall in the fighting or will be arrested.”

Officials did not provide any details on the suspects, including their ages, names or nationalities, nor did they address a motive or what led police to the suspects. They said only that the attack condemned by Haiti’s main opposition parties and the international community was carried out by “a highly trained and heavily armed group” whose members spoke Spanish or English.

Prime Minister Claude Joseph assumed leadership of Haiti with help of police and the military and decreed a two-week state of siege following Moïse’s killing, which stunned a nation grappling with some of the Western Hemisphere’s highest poverty, violence and political instability.

Inflation and gang violence are spiraling upward as food and fuel becomes scarcer, while 60% of Haitian workers earn less than $2 a day. The increasingly dire situation comes as Haiti is still trying to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 following a history of dictatorship and political upheaval.

Those in Haiti and family and friends living abroad wondered what is next.

“There is this void now, and they are scared about what will happen to their loved ones,” said Marlene Bastien, executive director of Family Action Network Movement, a group that helps people in Miami’s Little Haiti community.

She said it was important for the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to take a much more active role in supporting attempts at national dialogue in Haiti with the aim of holding free, fair and credible elections.

Bastien said she also wants to see participation of the extensive Haitian diaspora: “No more band-aids. The Haitian people have been crying and suffering for too long.”

Haiti had grown increasingly unstable under Moïse, who had been ruling by decree for more than a year and faced violent protests as critics accused him of trying to amass more power while the opposition demanded he step down.

According to Haiti’s constitution, Moïse should be replaced by the president of Haiti’s Supreme Court, but the chief justice died in recent days from COVID-19, leaving open the question of who might rightfully succeed to the office.

Joseph, meanwhile, was supposed to be replaced by Ariel Henry, who had been named prime minister by Moïse a day before the assassination.

Henry told The Associated Press in a brief interview that he is the prime minister, calling it an exceptional and confusing situation. In another interview with Radio Zenith, he said there was no fight between him and Joseph: “I only disagree with the fact that people have taken hasty decisions … when the moment demands a little more serenity and maturity.”

Moïse had faced large protests in recent months that turned violent as opposition leaders and their supporters rejected his plans to hold a constitutional referendum with proposals that would strengthen the presidency.

Hours after the assassination, public transportation and street vendors remained largely scarce, an unusual sight for the normally bustling streets of Port-au-Prince. Gunfire rang out intermittently across the city, a grim reminder of the growing power of gangs that displaced more than 14,700 people last month alone as they torched and ransacked homes in a fight over territory.

Robert Fatton, a Haitian politics expert at the University of Virginia, said gangs were a force to contend with and it isn’t certain Haiti’s security forces can enforce a state of siege.

“It’s a really explosive situation,” he said, adding that foreign intervention with a U.N.-type military presence is a possibility. “Whether Claude Joseph manages to stay in power is a huge question. It will be very difficult to do so if he doesn’t create a government of national unity.”

Joseph told The Associated Press that he supports an international investigation into the assassination and believes elections scheduled for later this year should be held as he promised to work with Moïse’s allies and opponents alike.

“Everything is under control,” he said.

(AP)

News

DSS Arraigns Sowore Over Anti-Tinubu Post

Published

2 hours ago

September 30, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government is set to arraign human rights activist Omoyele Sowore on a five-count charge for allegedly posting false statements about President Bola Tinubu intended to cause a breakdown of law and order, court papers show.

Sowore was sighted at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ahead of the arraignment.

The suit dated 16th September,2025, was lodged after Sowore allegedly refused to delete the controversial posts about the President.

The Sahara Reporters publisher was accused of using his official X handle to make the post, “This criminal @ official PBAT Actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”

The alleged offending post, said to be contrary to Section 24(2) (b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024, was said to have been made on August 25 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

The charges were brought on behalf of the DSS and the Federal Government by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, alongside four other counsel to the DSS –M.E. Ernest, U.B. Bulla, Dr. C.S. Eze, and E.G. Orubor.

Social media companies X Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. are listed as co-defendants.

Confirming the legal action in a Facebook post last week, Sowore wrote, “The State Security Service, alias @OfficialDSSNG today filed a 5-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against ‘X’ (formerly Twitter Facebook, and myself. They claimed that because I called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu a criminal, I have somehow committed a set of ‘novel’ offences they invented and spread across five counts.

“It’s hard to believe there’s anyone sensible left in these offices that should be making Nigeria work. Regardless, I will be present whenever this case is assigned for trial. #RevolutionNow.”

Recall that the human rights activist and African Action Congress candidate in the 2023 election vowed not to delete the controversial tweet, despite a request from the DSS to X demanding its removal.

Restating his stance, Sowore wrote, “This morning, X (formerly Twitter) officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my Tweet on Tinubu. One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X.”

News

Lagos Opens Portal For Teaching Job Applications

Published

2 hours ago

September 30, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board has opened its official application portal for teaching positions across the state.

In a statement signed on Monday by the Executive Chairman of LASUBEB, the board said the recruitment exercise, approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, targets qualified candidates willing to contribute to the delivery of quality education in Lagos State.

The statement partly read, “This is a unique opportunity for NCE holders, B.A (Ed), B.Sc (Ed), B.Ed, HND+PGDE, BA+PGDE, and B.Sc+PGDE graduates to build a career in teaching and contribute meaningfully to qualitative service delivery in the State.”

According to the commission, applicants are required to submit applications strictly online via https://subebjobs.lagosstate.gov.ng.

The statement warned that physical submissions would not be entertained and stressed that the board has not authorised anyone to collect money for the exercise, which is completely free.

It stated that the documents for application include, O’ Level Certificate (WAEC, NECO, NABTEB), Degree Certificate or NCE Certificate, and NYSC Discharge or Exemption Certificate, as applicable.

The board also noted that notifications or statements of results issued beyond two years would not be accepted.

“LASUBEB has not engaged or authorised any individual or group to collect money for this exercise. The application is absolutely free.

“Closing Date: The portal will close on 14th October, 2025,” the statement concluded.

News

FG Approves New NYSC Mandatory Regulations

Published

4 hours ago

September 30, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved the compliance with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) a mandatory requirement for mobilisation into or exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The provides that, effective from Oct. 6, no Nigerian graduate – whether from a Nigerian university, polytechnic, college of education, or an overseas institution would be mobilised for or exempted from NYSC without proof of NERD compliance.

This directive was contained in a circular issued to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on Sunday in Abuja.

The directive does not, however, affect serving Corps members or those enrolled before the enforcement date.

Akume said that the compliance directive was to convey the approval for the adjustment of “NYSC mobilisation criteria in accordance with the President’s regulation requiring proof of NERD Policy compliance for all prospective Corps members, regardless of where they were educated.”