Politics
US Stronger Since 9/11 Attacks –Obama
The United States is stronger while al-Qaeda is on the road to defeat 10 years after the 9/11 attacks on the country, President Barack Obama has said.
Obama was speaking ahead of planned events to mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks on New York, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania, and amid a security crackdown following “specific and credible” threats against New York City and Washington on the eve of the anniversary.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our military personnel and our intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security professionals, there should be no doubt: today, America is stronger and al-Qaeda is on the path to defeat,” Obama said in a weekly radio and internet address on Saturday.
The president also referred to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the former leader of al-Qaeda, asserting that popular protest movements in the Arab world were a testament to the lack of influence al-Qaeda has over the region’s people.
“We’ve forged new partnerships with nations around the world to meet the global challenges that no nation can face alone,” Obama said. “And across the Middle East and North Africa, a new generation of citizens is showing that the future belongs to those that want to build, not destroy.”
Obama spoke as New York police put out a show of force, setting up checkpoints at major traffic intersections and at key locations on the city’s subway system.
Al Jazeera’s Asad Hashim, reporting from the city’s financial district, said the impact of the tight security on Saturday was markedly less than Friday due to the start of the weekend.
The NYPD’s response came after US intelligence reported the existence of specific, credible but uncorroborated threats involving a car or truck bomb plot linked to the anniversary.
The intelligence emanated from a source in the Afghanistan and Pakistan region, who told US officials that three men had been sent to the US with the training and intention of setting up car bombs in the two cities, a senior counterterrorism official told Al Jazeera.
US officials said they had not been able to get another source to confirm the threat or any details, but that security will be ramped up in both cities as the anniversary approaches on Sunday.
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, had earlier indicated that the US believed that al-Qaeda was involved in the threat.
At least two of the suspects are believed to be US citizens, the Associated Press news agency reported.
At a meeting of his senior national security team on Sunday, Obama directed officials to “pursue vigorously all threat information and to ensure a heightened state of vigilance and preparedness” ahead of the anniversary.
US military bases overseas have been placed at the second-highest “bravo” alert level in response to elevated security risk.
The president also said that efforts must not let up in the days and weeks following the anniversary weekend.
Meanwhile, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, US Vice-President Joe Biden and former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton were present at a sombre ceremony honouring the passengers and crew of Flight 93, which crashed in a field after being hijacked on September 11, 2001.
They were accompanied by relatives of the 40 victims of the crash. Speakers at the dedication of the $62m Flight 93 National Memorial also included Gordon Felt, the president of the Families of Flight 93 group. Felt’s brother Edward had been on board the flight, and had telephoned a friend from on board to report that the flight had been hijacked.
A white stone wall, bearing the names of those who struggled with the hijackers on the Boeing 757 airliner during the attack, was unveiled in the rural Pennsylvania field where the plane crashed.
Security was tight at the ceremony, and the US Federal Aviation Administration declared a no-fly zone up to 5,500m over the site, which is about 200km west of Washington, DC, for most of Sunday, when further ceremonies will be held.
Obama visited the Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday with his wife, Michelle, to remember those US soldiers who have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They visited Section 60 of the cemetery, a burial ground for service members killed in those two wars, which have so far claimed more than 6,213 US soldiers’ lives.
The Obamas were due to participate in a service project on Saturday afternoon in the Washington, DC area, ahead of ceremonies on Sunday where the president is scheduled to visit the New York City, Shanksville, and Pentagon sites where hijacked planes crashed 10 years ago.
He will be joined in New York by former President Bush. The memorial at the World Trade Center site in New York City will begin shortly before 8.30am local time, with moments of silence to be observed for each of the times that the four planes crashed, and the two times when the World Trade Center towers fell.
Speakers at the event will read out the names of the almost 3,000 people who were killed in the attacks that day. The ceremony will also mark the opening of two memorial pools at the World Trade Center site, which sits at the former footprints of the two buildings, to the public.
Obama closed the day by speaking at a memorial event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
The Rivers contest is expected to draw heightened attention in the oil-rich state, as political actors position for influence in a district long regarded as strategic to the balance of power in Rivers State.
INEC disclosed that the by-elections will hold concurrently with the Ekiti State governorship election, underscoring what promises to be a politically charged day across several parts of the country.
Beyond Rivers, the electoral body listed other affected constituencies to include Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, Ondo South Senatorial District, and Enugu North Senatorial District.
The vacancies, according to INEC, arose from a combination of deaths, resignation, and other constitutional developments. In Nasarawa, the demise of Senator Godiya Akwashika has left a gap in a district considered a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In Enugu, the passing of Senator Okey Ezea has set the stage for a competitive race in the South-East.
Similarly, the Ondo South seat became vacant following the resignation of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who now serves as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, while the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa seat in Kano opened up after the death of Hon. Muhammad Danjuma Hassan.
Analysts say the Rivers South-East by-election, in particular, could reshape political alignments in the state, as parties jostle to fill the void left by Sen. Mpigi and consolidate their foothold ahead of future electoral contests.
Stakeholder from Bayelsa East Senatorial District, on Monday, endorsed the incumbent Senator representing them to run for a second term.
Leading the stakeholders, the former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Special Adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Political Affairs (iii), Dr Iti Orugbani, said the reason for the endorsement was based on the federal lawmaker’s trajectory of good deeds and massive execution of projects across communities of the Senatorial district.
Dr Orugbani highlighted some of the projects to include landing jetties, telecommunication masts and town halls amongst others, noting that Sen. Agadaga’s performance has exceeded those of others who hitherto represented the oil rich area.
Bayelsa East Senatorial District comprises Ogbia, Brass and Nembe Local Government Areas of the State.
The Governor’s aide who called on the State’s Eastern political enclave to respect the 2022 new zoning agreement, which guaranteed second term for Senators from the District, stressed the need for political tolerance and peace in the forthcoming 2027 polls.
“In 2022 the leaders and stakeholders across party lines from Bayelsa East held a meeting and altered the old single term for Senators from the district’s agreement and signed that begining from 2023 any Senator emerging from the district must serve for a minimum of two terms.
“In 2023, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, then an incumbent Senator representing the Senatorial district under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was given a second term ticket by the party. Though he lost to the PDP.
“Now that the entire state is now APC and the District has an APC Senator in the person of Benson Agadaga from Ogbia LGA, why not also give him a second tenure?
“The stakeholders in 2022 changed the old political agreement because they saw that it wasn’t beneficial to the district any longer. And so, because it was Ogbia Local Government Area that started the old zoning arrangement by producing the first Senator in 1999, I want to plead that let Ogbia also begin the new two terms zoning agreement”, he said.
Also speaking, the duo of woman leader of a support group, ‘Agadema Women’, Mrs. Owadaba Jokori and the Information Officer of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Central Zone, Comrade Ikio, stated that the incumbent Senator has done well for the district in the past three years that he has been in office.
They lauded the federal lawmaker for his infrastructure projects, especially the construction of landing jetties in select communities of the three local government areas of the district, commending stakeholders for supporting the lawmaker in his second term bid.
In his remarks, Senator Agadaga thanked the stakeholders for the confidence reposed in him and the endorsements he has received lately from constituents and admirers across political parties.
The lawmaker noted that within the past three years that he has been Senator, he has delivered dividends of democracy to his constituents across the Senatorial District, emphasizing that the call for him to be senator from the Brass Senatorial District came to him as a surprise, noting that he accepted the clarion call when the clamour became so loud.
“I was Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, when various groups from the zone came calling on me to contest the 2023 Senatorial polls.
“Ever since winning the elections as a senator, I’ve continued to deliver on my mandate in both representation, lawmaking, oversight, project execution and support for constituents when called upon. And I shall continue to do more if elected for a second term”, the Senator said.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set May 15 as deadline for definite hearing in a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The judge on Monday shifted the hearing date following the absence of the plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, and his lawyer in court without any information.
Apart from the absence of the plaintiff, who is a legal practitioner, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, who are 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter, were also not in court.
Following the absence of the plaintiff and the two defendants, Chris Uche, SAN, representing Dr Jonathan, applied to the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.
Having joined issues with each other, Mr Uche said, the suit is liable for dismissal with a N5 million cost to be awarded against the plaintiff and payable to Dr Jonathan.
He argued that from all indications, the plaintiff has abandoned the suit and ran away upon sighting the preliminary objections raised against the suit, adding that the court is a busy place and not for unserious matters.
Justice Lifu, however, noted that there was no evidence of service of hearing notice on INEC and AGF to appear in court for the suit, adding that lack of service of hearing notice is fundamental.
The judge said rather than striking out the suit, he prefers to bend backward to accommodate the plaintiff and the two defendants for the last time.
While adjourning the matter to May 15, Justice Lifu ordered that hearing notice be served on the plaintiff and the 2nd and 3rd defendants who were not in court on Monday.
The plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, had filed the case seeking an order to restrain Dr Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as an aspirant for the 2027 election.
He is also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Dr Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
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