'NOT MY KING'' - In UK, Thousands Protest Against The Monarchy

Protesters Are Demanding An Elected Head Of State, Say The Royal Family Has No Place In A Modern Constitutional Democracy And Is Staggeringly Expensive To Maintain.

LONDON — Just a mile away from London’s Westminster Abbey where King Charles III is preparing to be crowned, thousands of his subjects protested against the monarchy — and at least seven people were detained by police.

“A significant police operation is underway in central London,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement Saturday. “The individuals have been held on suspicion of breaching the peace.”

Among those reportedly detained was Graham Smith, leader of the anti-monarchy group Republic, during protests at London’s Trafalgar Square. London’s Metropolitan Police would not confirm his detention but images on Twitter showed Smith being led to a police van. Ahead of his detention Smith told The Washington Post in an interview that for many Britons, Queen Elizabeth II “was the monarchy and the monarchy was the queen.” But Charles, he added, “hasn’t inherited any of that” — and his accession to the throne could mark a turning point for the anti-monarchy movement.

“Things are changing already,” Smith said. “People are no longer worried about criticizing, challenging and speaking up about being a republican.”

King Charles has faced many protesters at his public engagements. Hecklers disrupted public events organized for the proclamation of his accession to the throne and last year he had eggs thrown at him not once but twice, in York and in Luton. Polls show king Charles is less popular than this mother or even his sister, Princess Anne, his eldest son, Prince William, or daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales. His wife Camilla is even less popular — many Britons blame her for breaking up Charles’s previous marriage with the widely beloved Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/06/republic-protests-king-charles-coronation/

SEVERAL ANTI-MONARCHY PROTESTER ARRESTED

Several anti-monarchy protesters have been arrested in central London ahead of the coronation of King Charles III, their group has said, as the Metropolitan Police force faces scrutiny for its approach toward demonstrators at the historic event.

Thousands gathered in central London on Saturday to celebrate the once-in-a-generation event. But it also drew demonstrators, with protesters wearing yellow T-shirts booing and shouting "Not My King" throughout the morning.

Republic, Britain's largest anti-monarchy group, told CNN that police -- without providing any reason -- arrested the organizers of Saturday's anti-monarchy protest.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/05/06/uk/king-charles-anti-monarchy-protest-arrests-ckc-gbr-intl/index.html

Photo credit: 
Sebastien Bozon - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Gareth Fuller/Pool via REUTERS
Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Piroschka van de Wouw -WPA Pool/Gettyimage

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JAMB: Between The Conservative North & The Chest-Beating South - Reno Omokri

A lot of Southerners do not understand the North. Both Northern Christians and Muslims are guided by conservative religions and cultures, which teach them to be modest from an early age. Google it. Northerners have scored the highest in both JAMB and WAEC/NECO, but they tend to be humble even in victory.

In 2018, the highest scorer in JAMB's UTME was a young man named Galadima from Borno. He scored 364. Interestingly, he did not post his score on social media. He was outed by the press.

Last year (2022), a girl from Sokoto, named Mariam scored the highest result in the NECO exams. And she remained camera-shy. 

If not that Forbes exposed him, I doubt that many Nigerians would have known that Aliko Dangote is the richest Black person on Earth. Such is their modesty. But if he were to come from elsewhere and have even 1% of his current wealth, he would have declared himself King of Money. 

Do not use your lifestyle to judge Northerners. In birth, life, and death, they tend to be modest. The showoff life is not for them. 

That sort of lifestyle has its benefits. It also has its drawbacks. Too often, it leads to unhealthy rivalry, which pushes youths to go into crime and perversion to get money so that they can also show off, so that people will not come on social media and laugh at them for not boasting of their achievements like their peers. 

#TableShaker

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1654746980906684416

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Soldier Spotted Fanning Corp Member Who Slept Off During NYSC Lecture

funny scene played out at a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp when a soldier caught a corps member sleeping during lectures. In a video posted on TikTok, the corps member appeared to be tired and slept off inside the lecture hall.

The soldier walked to where the corps member was sitting and used his cap to fan him in a hilarious way. As he fanned him, the corps member continued to sleep while his colleagues laughed uncontrollably. Although the soldier did not immediately punish the corps member, people who have seen the video commented that the young man might do a frog jump later.

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FG Begins Aso Villa Renovation Ahead Of Tinubu’s Inauguration

Ahead of the swearing-in of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu on May 29, the State House Management has begun renovating and refurbishing sections of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Saturday PUNCH observed on Friday that the concrete perimeter fence encompassing the President’s office, official residence, the Council Chamber, press gallery, as well as other administrative offices were being overlaid with new white and green paints.

One of our correspondents observed on Thursday the delivery of new furniture to the green room adjoining the Council Chamber.

Months earlier, the management had carried out a routine upgrade of card readers and installed barricades in areas, which were once freeways.

A senior State House official, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said the maintenance was part of the tasks carried out by the Presidential Transition Council chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

On February 14, 2023, the Federal Government inaugurated the 22-member Presidential Transition Council ahead of the handover to the incoming government.

The committee comprises Cabinet Affairs, General Service Affairs, Economic and Political Affairs, Office of the SGF and State House permanent secretaries, as well as the National Security Adviser, among others.

In April, the President-elect nominated 14 more persons to join the transition council.

The official said, “The changes and upgrades we are doing are part of broader maintenance works. Some are routine, while others, like the painting, are done when the Villa is to host a new occupant.

“These follow the directives of the transition committee, which the SGF is in charge of. The card readers have since been changed. Those are just routine maintenance done when the old ones have passed their active life.

“Repainting is required because, over the years, the State House wildlife accommodates monkeys that roam free and stain these white walls. The bats we have here also deposit their droppings on the walls.”

Asked for the total amount earmarked for the works, the official said, “We don’t go outside the budget allocated to the State House, but the transition committee is shouldering any special cost.”

Since 2016, N3.05bn has been earmarked for “maintenance services” at the State House. These include maintenance of office furniture, office buildings and residential quarters, among others.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who took to his Twitter page on Friday, posted a photo where a man was seen painting the external wall of the Villa with white and green paints.

He noted that the painting was being done in order to welcome the incoming President.

Shehu wrote under the picture, “Painter at work. Villa wearing a new look for the incoming President.”

In June 2015, Buhari finally moved into the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, almost three weeks after his inauguration.

He could not move into his official residence immediately after inauguration because renovation works were still going on at the Villa.

Before moving into Aso Rock, Buhari had shuttled between the Defence House in Maitama and his personal residence in the Asokoro district.

In August 2017, Buhari, who resumed duties after a 103-day medical vacation abroad, operated from his official residence until the completion of the renovation of his office.

Shehu, had said the President’s office needed renovation because of its devastation by rodents during Buhari’s long period of absence, adding that rodents had caused a lot of damage to the furniture and air conditioning units.

His predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, had in May 2015 relocated to the Glass House in the sprawling Aso Presidential Villa to allow for its renovation prior to Buhari’s swearing in.

Shortly after the announcement of that year’s presidential election result, Jonathan and his wife, Patience, had moved their personal belongings out of the official residence to their Otuoke, Bayelsa State residence.

Just like his predecessors, Tinubu is expected to have input in the furniture that will be installed in his official residence and office as well as the paint colours, which will be done to his taste, but the minor repairs will be done on some parts of the house, while cleaning and repainting of the entire residence with white paint will be done.

In the 2023 Appropriation Act, a total of [b]N148,168,464,339 was allocated for the Presidency. Out of this, N14,808,479,660 was allocated to the State House headquarters, a sum of N3,441,177,028 was budgeted for State House operation of the President, while N1,555, 447, 054 was allocated on the State House operations for the Vice-President.

A total of N10,108,606,550 was budgeted for projects in the State House headquarters from which a sum of N19, 382, 375 was allocated for the purchase of sporting equipment for the State House Sports Club, while N14, 773, 412 was budgeted for procurement of equipment for the central gymnasium renovation.

For the renovation works on eight blocks of 16 two-bedroom flats at the State House security quarters, N 132,303,624 was set aside, while N87,255,745 was budgeted for the provision of the Electronic Document Management System.

A sum of N150,000,000 was also set aside for the replacement of telecommunications infrastructure at the villa; N25,023,505 for the upgrade of the State House library, and N7,562,000 for digital medical references for the library.[/b]

Rehabilitation of animal enclosure/procurement of vet lab equipment took N35,251,776, while the sum of N130,076,825 was allocated for the conversion/upgrade of the villa ranch and construction of wildlife conservation capture.

A total of N16,077,800 was approved for the purchase of plant nursery equipment for the production of local flowers for routine floral arrangement, irrigation and upgrade of helipad grass field, and N35,725,000 for systemic collection and assessment of data about projects and programmes to aid the management to make decisions. But a sum of N1,904,388,461 was also budgeted for the phased replacement of vehicles and spares during the year.

On annual routine maintenance of mechanical/ electrical installations of the villa, a sum of N7,200,045,297 was budgeted to be spent, and N99,656,180 on the purchase of various office equipment for the admin, finance and accounts, works, ICT, procurement, PRS and audit departments.

A sum of N251,084,550 was also budgeted for the purchase of tyres for bulletproof vehicles, plain cars, CCU vehicles, platforms trucks, SUVs, ambulances and other utility and operational vehicles.

The Presidency had proposed N5.23bn for the general rehabilitation and repair of fixed assets in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in the 2022 Appropriation Bill.

A total of N5,176,045,297 was budgeted for the rehabilitation/repair of office buildings, while N55,056,446 was earmarked for residential buildings.

In the 2021 proposal, N4,854,381,299 was set aside for the annual routine maintenance of mechanical/electrical installations in the Villa.

The construction of the presidential wing in the State House Medical Centre was expected to gulp N21,974,763,310.

Following the creation of the Federal Capital Territory in 1976, the Akinola Aguda House (formally christened on October 1, 1983) was originally conceived as a presidential lodge and guesthouse complex – comprising a temporary official residence for the President as well as guesthouses for visiting Heads of State – during the presidency of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, according to information on the State House website.

In October 1982 the Aguda House hosted the first ever formal cabinet meeting held outside Lagos, only days after Abuja hosted Nigeria’s Independence anniversary celebration for the first time.

In 1985, the construction of a new presidential residence commenced and in 1991, the Aso Rock Presidential Villa was completed and former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, became the first Head of State to occupy it, moving in on December 12, 1991.

Upon completion of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa the Aguda House became the Vice-Presidential Complex, and has remained so till date — apart from the period between 1999 and 2007 when the Vice-President lived in a residence that was later transferred to the judiciary as official quarters for the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

In 2010, construction of a new vice-presidential residence commenced. The residence has yet to be completed; the Buhari administration has said it is not a priority, and that Vice-President Osinbajo will continue to live in Aguda House.

Today, the Presidential Complex, located in the Three Arms Zone of the Federal Capital Territory, consists of the main presidential villa (office and residence of the President, and offices of the Vice-President and wife of the President), the State House Conference Centre, State House annexe, and the Akinola Aguda House.

Tinubu’s camp reacts
A source in the camp of the President-elect told one of our correspondents that it was the prerogative of Tinubu to decide how he wants the renovation.

He, however, could not confirm if Tinubu was already making input into the renovation.

The source stated, “That should be the duty of the permanent secretary in the State House. I have no knowledge if the renovation has started or if the President-elect is being carried along to ensure it meets his taste.

“But by and large, the new President will determine what he wants in place. They won’t change anything for him without his knowledge. That also depends on what he wants.”

https://punchng.com/fg-begins-aso-villa-renovation-ahead-tinubus-inauguration/

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This Will Be My Last Official Engagement, Buhari Bids Farewell To King Charles

President Muhammadu Buhari bid farewell to His Majesty, King Charles III, on Friday, saying his current trip to the UK would be his last official…

President Muhammadu Buhari bid farewell to His Majesty, King Charles III, on Friday, saying his current trip to the UK would be his last official engagement with the monarch.

The President stated this while addressing his colleagues at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit as part of the major events leading to the coronation of the monarch as King of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Commonwealth.

At the event with the theme: “The Commonwealth as a body and the role of the Youth”, Buhari thanked other world leaders, expressing joy at shared aspirations and values within the period he related with them.

“As I come before you today, I am also mindful that this would be my last official engagement with His Majesty The King and some of you as I leave office on 29 May 2023. I, therefore, feel both humble and grateful for this extraordinary and significantly important moment.”

“Over the years, I have worked cordially with the leaders of Commonwealth to achieve the values and principles of the Commonwealth which are shared by its members – the aspirations of the Commonwealth family which include positioning it to be a strong and respected voice in the world and improving the lives of all its citizens are being vigorously pursued,” he said.

He said the country learnt lessons in the conduct of the 2023 general elections which would make subsequent polls even better.

Buhari expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria considering the turnout of voters and the generally peaceful atmosphere under which it took place.

According to the President, “these elections saw a remarkable turnout of voters and proof that Nigeria’s democracy is maturing. Despite some pockets of violence, we have demonstrated that a government can be elected peacefully and fairly.

“Lessons have been learnt and moving forward, we hope to perform even better. Based on this, I am delighted to note that we have taken another step towards deepening our democracy with peaceful, transparent and credible outcomes. Though we are aware that challenges still exist, we are committed to working towards a greater participation of all Nigerians in the democratic process, including those in the diaspora.”

While thanking the Commonwealth for sending a team to witness the conduct of the elections, he noted that the elections were generally free and fair, and the mood of the Nation after the announcement of the winners so far shows that democracy in Nigeria is maturing and can only get better.

President Buhari highlighted the key role Nigerian youths played during the elections as well as in support of national development, attributing a great part of this youth participation in the General Elections to the assent of ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Bill signed into law by his Administration in 2018.

He announced that Nigeria would also host the Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit for African Region, with the theme, ‘Making Change Happen’ in Abuja from May 9-11, this year.

https://dailytrust.com/this-will-be-my-last-official-engagement-buhari-bids-farewell-to-king-charles/

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King Charles May Pardon Ekweremadu – Kayode Ajulo (Lawyer)

On the occasion of the new British monarch coronation ceremony slated for tomorrow (Saturday), King Charles III may pardon embattled former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, a legal practitioner Kayode Ajulo, has said. 

Ajulo stated this in an interview on Channels Television on Friday. 

He said, “There must be a way out’ King Charles’ coronation is an opportunity for a pardon request.

There is a thin line between organ harvesting and donation. The UK Modern Slavery Act rarely weighs the intent of the action,” he added.

Recall that a UK court, on Friday, sentenced Ekweremadu to nine years and eight months in jail for plotting to harvest a man’s kidney for his sick daughter.

Ekweremadu’s wife Beatrice was handed four years, six months sentence while Obinna Obeta, a medical doctor got a 10 years’ sentence for the same offence.

The trio of Ekweremadu, Beatrice and Obeta were convicted of conspiracy to arrange the travel of a young Nigerian man who was identified as David Nwamini to Britain in order to exploit him for his kidney.

The organ was needed for Ekweremadu’s sick daughter, Sonia.

Their trial lasted for six weeks and conviction at the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court, is expected today.

The Prosecutor, Hugh Davies told the jury that the behaviour of Ekweremadu showed “entitlement, dishonesty and hypocrisy.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/05/organ-harvest-king-charles-may-pardon-ekweremadu-lawyer/

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Georgina Onuoha Reacts To Sentencing Of The Ekweremadus And Their Doctor

Serves them right"- Georgina Onuoha reacts to sentencing of the Ekweremadus and their doctor for organ trafficking


Actress Georgina Onuoha has reacted to reports of the sentencing of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice and their doctor, Obinna Obeta.


Concerning the sentencing, Georgina it serves them right.

She wrote;

‘

’And let the choir say Amen. Serves them right. Do not take advantage of anyone because you are in abplace of power. Dear Nigerian doctors, nurses and caregivers, do not sacrifice your licenses for anyone let alone Nigerian politicians who deliberately neglect our health care system back home but can rush overseas to be treated by the same Nigerians clinicians they treat poorly back home. 

As for the ex senator I hope they can extend his imprisonment.
This same man was given millions if not billions to build hospitals back home in his state, he embezzled it. As for their daughter, I wish her well and good health. If she was better advised I’m sure she would have made a different choice. If you
speak up and ask for help, I’m sure someone somewhere would have helped her out. Best of luck young woman and I pray God send you help and healing.''

https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2023/5/serves-them-right-georgina-onuoha-reacts-to-sentencing-of-the-ekweremadus-and-their-doctor-for-organ-trafficking-2.html

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