Public opinion supports impeachment inquiry against Trump, says U.S House Speaker, Pelosi

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday (Saturday)  that public opinion is now on the side of an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump following the release of new information about his conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski

Pelosi this week announced her support for an investigation after the surfacing of a whistleblower complaint that said Trump appeared to solicit a political favour from Ukraine’s president aimed at helping him be re-elected next year.

Pelosi for months took a cautious approach in weighing the calls of other Democratic House members to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump, which grew louder after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified on July 24 about his probe of Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 election.  

“In the public, the tide has completely changed; it could change now - who knows - but right now after seeing the complaint and the IG (Inspector General) report and the cavalier attitude the administration had towards it, the American people are coming to a different decision,” Pelosi said at a journalism event hosted by the Texas Tribune news website.

She added that her resistance to holding an impeachment inquiry quickly evolved from urging that fellow Democrats remain cautious of the political fallout ahead of next year’s elections to full steam ahead as details emerged of Trump’s dealings with Ukraine’s leader.

“A president of the United States would withhold military assistance paid for by taxpayers to shake down the leader of another country unless he did him a political favor - that is so, so clear,” Pelosi said.

In a July 25 telephone call between Trump and Zelenskiy, the U.S. leader asked his counterpart to launch an investigation of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.

Both Bidens have denied any wrongdoing.

Trump has blasted the impeachment inquiry, arguing that he did nothing wrong and accusing Democrats of launching a politically motivated “witch hunt.”

Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives are investigating concerns that Trump’s actions have jeopardized national security and the integrity of U.S. elections.

The impeachment inquiry has cast a new pall over Trump’s presidency just months after he emerged from the shadow cast by Mueller’s investigation.

“If the facts are persuasive to the American people, they may be to some Republicans,” Pelosi said during the event.

Pelosi would not forecast how long it may take for the House to complete any possible impeachment proceedings against Trump.

“It will take as long as the Intelligence Committee needs to follow all the facts,” she said.

Several Democratic presidential candidates attended the three-day event in Austin, including Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Representative Beto O’Rourke, Senator Amy Klobuchar and former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, all of whom agreed with Pelosi that the campaign to push Trump from office must focus on policies and not impeachment.

While some polls have shown Americans are split on supporting impeachment, Castro, who served under former President Barack Obama, said he thinks the public will increasingly back the inquiry.

“Like in Watergate, after more evidence gets out there ... you’ll see more people of different political stripes start to support it,” Castro said at the event, referring to moves in 1974 to impeach former President Richard Nixon.

Nixon resigned before impeachment proceedings were launched.

 

@Reuters. 

Nigeria bans group from feeding terrorists such as Boko Haram

Nigeria’s army has ordered for the closure of the offices of non-profit Action Against Hunger, accusing it on Thursday of aiding terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State.

The international aid agency said it was ordered to close its main office in Maiduguri, Borno state, on Wednesday.

Colonel Ado Isa, the deputy director of army public relations, said Action Against Hunger was warned several times that it was “aiding and abetting terrorists” by supplying food and drugs.

“Consequently, the AAH has been declared persona (non) grata,” Isa said.

The humanitarian group, which focuses on providing water, food and healthcare, particularly in areas plagued by conflict and famine, called on “competent authorities” to let it continue its work.

“This decision, without notice and without any explanation, jeopardizes the assistance Action Against Hunger provides to the most vulnerable people in Borno State and halts, with immediate effect, the assistance Action Against Hunger provides to millions of people in Maiduguri, Monguno, and Damasak,” the group said in a statement.

In July, an Action Against Hunger staff member and five others traveling with her were kidnapped by Islamic State’s West Africa branch.

In total, around 30,000 people have been killed, and more than two million forced to flee their homes, in the decade-long insurgency led by Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) split from Boko Haram in 2016.

The United Nations has said that 7.1 million people still need humanitarian assistance in the region.

Coup Attempt Foils in Ghana

Ghana’s information ministry on Monday said security operatives had foiled a coup plot, and arrested the masterminds.

In a brief statement Ghana’s government said the plot that was targeting the presidency, had “the ultimate aim of destabilising the country”.Twitter Ads info and privacy

The statement added that government had monitored activities of the plotters for 15 months, culminating in the arrest of three plotters and seizure of weapons last Friday.

What was being plotted

According to the Ghanaian government, a group known as Take Action Ghana (TAG), was working to recruit and radicalise a base of young people against the political authorities, under the guise of “nation-building”.

The government statement said it had arrested the group’s leaders, identified as Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, Ezor Kafui and Bright Allan Debrah Ofosu.

The government claims the group was plotting with serving military officials procure weapons, take over key installations and secure funding, with an aim of taking over government.

What was recovered

During the seizure, overnment says it was able to recover a stash of weapons including, six pistols, three smoke grenades, 22 IEDs, two AK47 magazines, computer equipment and one long knife.

Ghanaians react

News of the coup plot has been met with mixed reactions as some Ghanaians doubted the capacity of the arrested individuals could pull off such a mission, and others condemned any non-democratic means of changing government.

Ghana’s president Nana Afuko-Addo was elected in 2016, and will be seeking a second term next year.

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US: House Democrats begins President Trump's impeachment investigation

(Reuters)Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plunge into a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump on Wednesday,(today) a move that could dramatically change the 2020 presidential race.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had for months resisted calls inside her party for Trump’s impeachment, announced her decision after meeting with members of her party on Tuesday.

In a brief, nationally televised statement, Pelosi accused Trump of seeking Ukraine’s help to smear Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election.

She described the Republican president’s behavior as a “betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security and betrayal of the integrity of our elections.”

Trump fired back quickly on Twitter, calling the inquiry “Witch Hunt garbage.”

Even if the Democratic-controlled House ultimately voted to impeach Trump, it is unlikely to lead to his removal from office. Republicans hold a slim majority in the Senate, where an impeachment ruling would need a two-thirds majority to pass.

But the process could damage the president’s image as he vies for re-election, with only about 45% of Americans approving of his performance as president, especially if damaging information comes out during public hearings.

It could also boost Trump if Americans believe Democrats are unfairly targeting the president.

The S&P 500 closed down 0.84% on Tuesday, hurt partly by the anticipation of Pelosi’s announcement, and Asian shares were weaker on Wednesday because of the possibility of political uncertainty in the world’s largest economy. The dollar nursed losses against most major currencies.

Pelosi’s change of heart followed reports that Trump had pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a July 25 telephone call to investigate Biden, the former U.S. vice president, and his son Hunter, who had worked for a company drilling for gas in Ukraine.

Trump has admitted that he discussed Biden and his son in the call, but denied putting any pressure on the Ukrainian leader despite his administration’s withholding of nearly $400 million in military aid approved for Kiev by Congress.

Support from House members for impeachment has surged in recent days, fueled by anger over the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with a law requiring the release of a whistleblower’s complaint over the discussions with Ukraine.

Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth said that when Pelosi mentioned her phone call with Trump today, she said Trump had told her that “he’d like to figure this out,” and Pelosi responded to Trump by saying, “Tell your people to obey the law.”

The U.S. Senate voted unanimously on Tuesday, with no objections from Trump’s fellow Republicans, for a resolution calling for the whistleblower’s report to be sent to Congress.

The House is due to vote on a similar non-binding resolution on Wednesday.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announces the House of Representatives will launch a formal inquiry to investigate whether to impeach U.S. President Donald Trump following a closed House Democratic caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueREPUBLICAN SUPPORT

The White House had refused to hand over the whistleblower’s complaint to Congress but an administration official said late on Tuesday it was now preparing to release it by the end of the week and would most likely allow the whistleblower to meet with congressional investigators.

Trump’s approval among Republicans remains strong. A Sept. 16-20 Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 82% of registered Republicans approved of his job performance.

Kevin McCarthy, the party’s leader in the House, accused Democrats of seeking to overturn the 2016 election. “This is all about politics. Not about facts,” he said.

Pelosi had considered creating a select committee to lead the impeachment inquiry, but instead opted to rely on the House Judiciary, Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and other committees already conducting probes of the Trump administration.

Those investigations will continue and committee leaders will decide whether to hold public hearings.

Separately, Trump announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he would release a transcript of his telephone call with Zelenskiy.House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said his panel was communicating with an attorney representing the whistleblower and that the individual would like to testify this week.

There will be a burst of hearings this week but lawmakers then leave Washington for two weeks and will not return until after the Oct. 14 Columbus Day holiday.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Richard Cowan and David Morgan in Washington and Steve Holland at the United Nations; editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan

OPC NATIONAL COORDINATOR COMMENDS YORUBA MONARCHS... Berates division amongst Afenifere

Monarchs in Yoruba land have been commended their coming together in the defence of the race in the face of safety and security threats.

The commendation was given by the National Coordinator of Oodua People's Congress (OPC), Comrade Odunayo Ogunmoye at the weekend after the inauguration of the new national executive council members by the Worldwide President of the Congress, Prince Osibote Oodua in Lagos.

Comrade Odunayo urged the Obas and other Royal fothers to continue to forge ahead with unity of purpose in the defence of the interest of the race at home and in the diaspora.

In defending the race, he admonished them not to play politics with their esteemed position and speak with one voice, unlike members of Afenifere who are neck deep in politics and betrayed the cause of the race.

Comrade Odunayo said:" This is  why we call them 'Afenifapo'  for self aggrandizement and not for the positive development of the Yoruba race".

 He said it was a shame that the once united and vibrant Afenifere could  descend and get divided into factions due to politics.

He noted that while other ethnic groups in the country like Arewa, O'haneze Ndigbo and many others remained focused and undivided, asking:" Why is Afenifere, who called themselves the voice of Yoruba race disgracing themselves ? This is not to cast aspersion on members of the group, but to say the truth as it is".

Comrade Odunayo reminiscensce that when late Abraham Adesanya and Pa Adekunle Ajasin were alive, Afenifere was united and spoke with one voice and urged the present Afenifere to come together like the founding fathers and speak with one voice and also shun politics.

He noted that in 2015, a faction of Afenifere supported ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and kept quiet about what they benefited nor their mission and that Goodluck and his party won in Ekiti State due to the division and the influence of Ago Fayose on a faction of Afenifere.

In 2019, he added they were further divided with a faction supporting Atiku Abubakar and the other siding with President Buhari and forgetting that are not politicians.

To further showcase the deep seated division amongst the Afenifere, he said recently Professor Akintoye was proclaimed the leader of Yoruba, three days after, the other faction disagreed with the choice. 

It was the united Afenifere spoke with one voice some years ago which gave "birth" to NADECO, OPC and AD, even if some powerful people connived and hijacked the AD and infiltrated OPC.

Comrade Odunayo concluded: " See how Yoruba Monarchs are cooperating to fight for the cause of the race. A word is enough for the wise".

OPC President, Prince Osibote inaugurate a new 24-Member National Executive Council

Story by Latest Lawal-

The President of Oodua People's Congress (OPC), Prince Osibote O'odua has constituted a new 24-member National Executive Council to administer the organization.

In addition, all the States Executive Council and all the Local Government

Councils have equally been dissolved.

Prince Osibote made this known at a briefing of selected members of OPC from the Southwest and the North.

He listed the new National Executives headed by him as President as follows:

Alhaji Abdulsalam Ambali-National Leader; Comrade Odunayo Ogunmoye- National Coordinator; Alhaji Lateef Lawal- National Secretary General; Alhaji Mudashiru Adeniji-" Eni Olorunda"- National Organising; Comrade Ademola Balogun (aka Arojah) General Officer Commanding (GOC); Alhaji Kazeem Lawal- Public Relations Officer; Comrade Olojongbodu Waheed-National Treasurer and Kazeem Aiyemojuba- Second General Secretary.

Others are: Comrade Kamoru Olamoyegun; Shehu Tijani- Head of Protocol; Comrade Mutiu Adegboye- National Monitoring Commander; Adebayo Olanrewaju- Auditor General; Ajagunna Adeshina- Chief Whip; Ajayi Oludare- Assistant Treasurer; Comrade Sunday Fatula- Special Adviser on Mobilisation; Mrs Taiwo Adeaga- National Welfare; Mrs Sherifat Lawal- National Women Leader and Mrs Oluremi Omotayo- Second Welfare.

The OPC President, Prince Osibote also appointed four National Governing Council Members. They are Comrade Ariyo Abdulrafiu, Comrade Oseni Sikiru Alabi, Alhaja Musimatu Musa and Mrs Toyin Surutu while Comrade Ishaq Olorunkemi is the Northern Region Coordinator.

While addressing the new executives and members present at the Century Hotel, Okota in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government area, Lagos, Prince Osibote said the inauguration of the new national executive officers of OPC " marks a watershed in the annals of the great platform for the Yoruba nationality in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. It denotes a new chapter in the copious and rich past of a race with famed nobility, service and wisdom ".

He added :" Accordingly, this inauguration comes with a very huge responsibility on the shoulders of all of us and an obligation to exhibit the minimum standard of behavior and conduct of the typical Yoruba in all circumstances and places". 

Prince Osibote further charged the new executives to: " As a people known for patriotism, discipline, bravery and honesty, it behoves on each and every one of us to lead by example, as well as showcase the zeal of enterprise and hard work that complement the virtuous character of the Yoruba".

" Because we are an ethnic nationality with an immense sense of history, other ethnic groups, nationalities and race look on to the Yoruba for pacesetting and progressive agenda. So, we have been handed over the banner of sustaining the spirit behind the acknowledging the Yoruba as the number one in progressive ideas and ideals. Note that the OPC was establish based on that vision. We owe the human race the enormous duty of protecting and upholding strongly that vision"

" In as much as I want to congratulate all of us for having the rare privilege to lead the Yoruba as pathfinders now, you must realize that there are thousands of others, who are eminently qualified, competent and pious that serve in similar capacities. You are torchbearers. You must show the way".

Prince Osibote further charged them to see themselves ad having the privilege and honour to be counted and selected to lead at this period in the chequered history of the OPC, adding:" You must therefore carve a nich for yourself individually and collectively as having served diligently, conscientiously and faithfully our great people of Yorubaland when you were given the rare opportunity.

He concluded: " I implore you to display integrity; be men and women of honour. We should not be carried away by the spur of the moment. We should not deviate or allowed to be distracted by scoundrels from the vision of the founding father of the OPC, Dr Frederick Fasehun".