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What Nigerians Should Know About Trump’s Order On American Birthright Citizenship

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Among the executive orders President Donald Trump signed just hours after taking office as the 47th President of the United States of America, USA, was the one directing government agencies to stop issuing citizenship documentation for babies born in the US to parents without legal status.

Immigration advocacy groups have already gone to court. It is expected that more lawsuits will follow, given the controversial nature of the orders.

Meanwhile, there is need to understand the workings of the American citizenship by birth, and then what Trump’s executive order means.

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The 14th Amendment
Passed by Congress June 13, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people.

A major provision of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to “All persons born or naturalized in the United States,” thereby granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people.

READ ALSO: ‘Please Let Us In’: Trump Crackdown Leaves Migrants In Tears

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Note that it was adopted in 1868 after the Civil War to clarify the status of formerly enslaved people.

However, it has long been read as giving citizenship to nearly all babies born on US soil.

This has seen many Nigerians, who have the means, preferring to give birth to babies in the US, as it makes them citizens with full rights as Americans.

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Trump’s executive order
With Trump’s executive order, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” taking effect from February 20, there is need to understand it workings.

*There will be no more passports, citizenship certificates, and other documents to children born in the US to mothers who are in the country illegally, or are temporary visa holders.

READ ALSO: FULL TEXT: Inaugural Speech Of Donald Trump, 47th. President Of America

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*Also, if their fathers are not citizens or legal permanent residents, the children cannot be American citizens.

*It means for a child born in the US to be an American citizen, at least one parent must be a US citizen or green card holder – that is, a legal (permanent) resident.

* The order is expected to take effect in 30 days.

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Advocacy group sue Trump

However, a coalition of civil rights and civil liberties groups have sued President Trump over the new executive order on American birthright citizenship.

The lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, State Democracy Defenders Fund and Asian Law Caucus on behalf of immigrant support organisations.

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They contend that their members would have children ineligible for citizenship under the order.

READ ALSO: US Oil Imports From Nigeria To Drop As Trump Plans Energy Emergency Order

It threatens children and their families “with a lifetime of exclusion from society and fear of deportation from the only country they have ever known.

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“But that is illegal. The Constitution and Congress — not President Trump — dictate who is entitled to full membership in American society,” the advocates wrote in the complaint.

They filed it late Monday in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire just after Trump took oath of office.

The case is New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support v. Trump, 25-cv-38, US District Court, District of New Hampshire.

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As Nigerians wait for how Trump’s executive order will pan out against the backdrop of dissenting voices, maybe the one-month window is “miracle time”.

Complete list of Trump’s executive orders

READ ALSO: US Oil Imports From Nigeria To Drop As Trump Plans Energy Emergency Order

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1. President Trump revoked 78 executive actions, executive orders, presidential memoranda, and other directives from the Joe Biden administration.

2. Regulatory freeze that prevents bureaucrats from issuing new regulations.

3. A freeze on all federal hiring, with exceptions for the military and certain other categories.

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4. Federal workers to return to full-time, in-person work; no more post-Covid 19 remote work stayle.

5. Directive to all federal departments and agencies on the cost of living crisis.

6. Withdraws the US from the Paris Climate Agreement and informing the United Nations, UN, through an official letter.

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7. Directed restoration of freedom of speech and prevent any future government censorship of free speech.

8. End to weaponisation of government agencies against political opponents.

9. Another executive order by Trump withdrew America from WHO.

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Japan Scraps ‘Africa Hometown’ Project After Visa Confusion

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The Japan International Cooperation Agency has cancelled its ‘JICA Africa Hometown’ initiative, citing “misunderstandings and confusion” over the programme.

JICA announced the withdrawal in a statement on its website on Thursday, weeks after reports claimed Japan would create a special visa category for Nigerians who wished to relocate to Kisarazu, a city designated as “hometown” to Nigerians and other Africans under the scheme.

On August 26, the Japanese government denied the visa plan after the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, issued a statement relaying that Japan would introduce a “special visa category” for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who want to move to Kisarazu to live and work.

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Clarifying its position, JICA said the use of the term “hometown” and the idea of “designating” Japanese municipalities as such led to “misunderstandings and confusion within Japan, placing an excessive burden on the four municipalities.”

READ ALSO:Two Japanese Boxers Die From Brain Injuries At Same Event

The statement read, “Originally, under this initiative, it was envisioned that exchange programs would be coordinated and implemented among the Japanese local governments, relevant African countries, and JICA. The specific details were to be determined later.

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“However, JICA believes that the very nature of this initiative—namely, the term “hometown” and the fact that JICA would ‘designate’ Japanese local Governments as “hometowns”—led to misunderstandings and confusion within Japan, placing an excessive burden on the four municipalities. JICA sincerely apologizes to the municipalities involved for causing such situation.

“JICA takes this situation seriously. After consulting with all parties involved, JICA has decided to withdraw the “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative.”

The initiative was launched in August during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development with the goal of promoting exchanges between four Japanese municipalities and four African countries through cultural and educational programmes.

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READ ALSO:Japan City Mulls Two-hour Daily Smartphone Limit

JICA, however, stressed that it had never undertaken initiatives to promote immigration and has “no plans to do so in the future,” adding that it would continue supporting other forms of international exchange.

In August, confusion arose after the State House announced that Japan had designated Kisarazu city as the “hometown” for Nigerians and would introduce a special visa category for young, skilled Nigerians wishing to live and work there.

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However, the Japanese government quickly dismissed the claim.

READ ALSO:Japan’s Petabit: What To Know About Internet Speed That Can Download 67 Million Songs In A second

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan clarified that while the JICA Africa Hometown initiative aimed to promote cultural and developmental exchanges between selected African countries and four Japanese cities, it did not involve immigration benefits or special visas.

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The clarification came after Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Japan, Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, and Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, publicly received a certificate naming the city the “hometown” of Nigerians, further fuelling reports of migration opportunities.

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17 African Countries Back Electricity Reforms—World Bank

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The World Bank said seventeen African governments have committed to reforms and actionable plans to expand electricity access as part of Mission 300, an ambitious partnership led by the lender and the African Development Bank Group that aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

The lender said in a statement on Wednesday that governments from Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, and Togo endorsed National Energy Compacts at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum.

The Bank described the compacts as policy blueprints intended to guide public spending, drive reforms, and attract private investment, while serving as a model for the rest of the world.

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Nigeria was not part of the latest group; it had joined earlier this year alongside Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia. Collectively, those countries pledged more than 400 policy actions to strengthen utilities, reduce investor risk, and remove bottlenecks.

READ ALSO:World Bank Appoints Africa’s Richest Man, Dangote

Electricity is the bedrock of jobs, opportunity, and economic growth.

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“That’s why Mission 300 is more than a target; it is forging enduring reforms that slash costs, strengthen utilities, and draw in private investment,” World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said.

Since the launch of Mission 300, 30 million people have already been connected, with more than 100 million in the pipeline.

African Development Bank Group President Dr Sidi Ould Tah said, “Reliable, affordable power is the fastest multiplier for small and medium enterprises, agro-processing, digital work, and industrial value-addition.
“Give a young entrepreneur power, and you’ve given them a paycheck,” he added.

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READ ALSO:FBI Places $10,000 Bounty On Nigerian Wanted For Bank Fraud

National Energy Compacts are at the core of Mission 300, developed and endorsed by governments with technical support from development partners. Tailored to each country’s context, these practical blueprints integrate three core tracks: infrastructure, financing, and policy.

The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group are working with partners, including the Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Sustainable Energy for All, and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program trust fund, to align efforts in support of powering Africa. Many development partners and development finance institutions are also supporting Mission 300 projects through co-financing and technical assistance.

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President of Botswana, Duma Boko, said, “This National Compact is our shared pledge to ensure accessible, reliable and affordable energy as a basic human need, to transform our economy and create jobs, and to electrify our journey to an inclusive high-income country.”

President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya, said, “The government of the Republic of Cameroon is committed, through its Energy Compact, to a determined transition towards renewable energies, promoting inclusive universal access and sustainable development based on partnerships and ambitious reforms to build a low-carbon future.”

READ ALSO:Police Restores Peace After Bomb Explosion Rocks Imo Community

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President of the Union of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, noted, “The Comoros Energy Compact is a call for collective action to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030, to ensure the country’s emergence in dignity, equity, and shared progress.”

President of Ethiopia, Taye Atske Selassie, noted, “Our National Energy Compact exemplifies Ethiopia’s unwavering dedication to ensuring universal, affordable, and sustainable energy access for all.

“By unlocking our vast renewable resources and strengthening regional interconnections, we aim to foster inclusive growth domestically and propel Africa’s collective momentum toward ending energy poverty. Together, we are committed to building a resilient, equitable, and sustainable energy future for generations to come.”

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FBI Places $10,000 Bounty On Nigerian Wanted For Bank Fraud

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a Nigerian, Olumide Adebiyi Adediran, wanted in the United States for multiple fraud offences.

According to a statement on the FBI’s website on Wednesday, Adediran faces charges of bank fraud, identity document fraud and credit card fraud in connection with alleged crimes committed in Illinois as far back as 2001.

The 56-year-old, who also goes by several aliases including Kevin Olumide Adediran, Eric O. Williams, Maxo Alexandre, Olumide Adkins, and Edward N. Anderson, is accused of attempting to cash fraudulent checks and using stolen identities of US citizens to open bank and credit accounts.

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According to the FBI, Adediran fled the Central District of Illinois in December 2001, shortly before his trial was due to begin.

READ ALSO:FBI Releases Video Of Charlie Kirk’s Shooter, Recovers Weapons Near Scene [WATCH]

A federal arrest warrant was subsequently issued on January 2, 2002, for violation of the conditions of release.

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The statement read, “Olumide Adebiyi Adediran is wanted for Violation of Conditions of Release. In August of 2001, Adediran allegedly entered a bank in Champaign, Illinois, and attempted to retrieve funds from a deposited fraudulent check.

“He also allegedly used stolen information of United States citizens to open bank and charge accounts. Adediran fled the Central District of Illinois at the end of December 2001, shortly before his trial in the Central District of Illinois was set to begin on federal charges of Bank Fraud, Identification Document Fraud, and Credit Card Fraud.

READ ALSO:FBI Arrests Soldier Accused Of Selling US Army Intel To China

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“On January 2, 2002, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Adediran in the United States District Court, Central District of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, after he was charged with Violation of Conditions of Release.”

The FBI noted that Adediran has ties to South Florida and remains on its wanted list.

He is described as being 5’11” tall, weighing 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

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The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Olumide Adebiyi Adediran,” the agency stated.

The FBI urged anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact its offices in the United States or the nearest American embassy or consulate.

 

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