Election in Sri Lanka took a different dimension on Friday as gunmen opened fire at an election campaign rally in Colombo.
The shooting led to the killing of a woman and at least 12 others.
The Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake missed the sporadic gun shot by a whisker because the gunmen attacked the crowed few minutes after his departure from the venue, according to police report.
Sri lanka is to hold parliamentary elections in August 17.
According to a police spokesman Ruwan gunasekerea: “The gunmen travelled in two vehicles and escaped in teh same vehicles after the shooting spree.
“A woman was killed and 12 wounded persons have been admitted to the Colombo National hospital.”
Reacting to the incident, head of the Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CaFFE) expressed shock at the shooting in Colombo, saying that security were tight and campaign had been mostly peaceful.
The CaFFE also revealed tht there has been tensions and about 55 incidence of clashes since President Maithripala Sirisena fired parliament on June 26 and called general election nearly a year ahead of schedule.
CaFFE said: “We are puzzled by this latest turn of events in Colombo because so far it has been relatively calm and even the level of violence in other areas has been very low”.
Mahinda Deshapriya, Election Commissioner has vowed to enforce poll laws and free and fair election in August.
Meanwhile, Police said they had launched an investigation into the incident and to track down the gunmen behind the attack.
Multiple credible news sources are reporting that President Mahinda Rajapaska has conceded defeat in Sri Lanka’s presidential elections. At the time of going to press provisional results had common opposition candidate, Maithripala Sirisena, in the lead by 52% to 47%. This ends the authoritarian reign of South Asia’s longest-serving ruler.
The bitterly contested election was marred by violence, abuses of state power and fraud – hallmarks of the Rajapaksa regime. In the lead-up to the vote, the Campaign for Free and Fair Election received over 1,200 complaints of election law violations. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence documented over 400 incidents – including armed attacks. The Commonwealth Observer Group reported concerns about military intimidation, particularly in the north of the country. Opposition supporters were harassed and human rights activists threatened. The severed heads of dogs were nailed to the homes of two campaigners.
Now that the elections are over there is a very real risk of reprisals against journalists, human rights activists, and Sirisena supporters. The result has done nothing to reduce this risk. The international community must make it very clear to Rajapaksa and his supporters that any such reprisals will have severe consequences for Sri Lanka’s foreign relations – and for them personally if they have assets abroad or wish to travel there.
Above all, the will of the people must be respected. Thankfully initial reports suggest President Rajapaksa has acceded to the will of the people, but he and his Brother Gotabaya have dug their claws deep into the apparatus of the Sri Lankan state, co-opting the judiciary, the civil service and, above all, the army. Gotabaya in particular has created a comprehensive state-within-a-state with the backing of large sections of the military and extremist groups such as the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS).
Gotabaya may well be tempted to somehow attempt to cling on to power. But he must understand that doing so would be disastrous for both Sri Lanka’s interests and his own. It would mean immediate expulsion from the Commonwealth, which Sri Lanka currently chairs and which represents all its largest trading partners, as well as probable sanctions from some of Sri Lanka’s most influential partners, both within the Commonwealth and beyond. (It would also, surely, oblige the Pope to cancel his visit next week.)
Rajapaksa may have drawn comforting conclusions from the international community’s mixed response to allegations of war crimes. But the suspension of democracy would be viewed very differently throughout the world, and even thus far largely supportive actors such as India, Japan and the world’s major financial institutions would be forced to react. If the Rajapaksa family does not go peacefully, and immediately, Sri Lanka will become a pariah state with few international friends or trading partners. That story could have no happy ending for Mahinda or Gotabaya, or any of their many relatives currently enjoying positions of power and profit.
Meanwhile Sirisena has promised to lead a “compassionate” and inclusive government. He has pledged to crack down on corruption and nepotism, abolish the executive presidency, restore the independence of the judiciary, respect human rights and democracy and safeguard the media.
Many are rightly sceptical. In some ways, he is a more authentic version of Rajapaksa’s populist nationalist persona. He was Defence Minister during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s civil war, and thus must bear at least some share of responsibility for the war crimes committed then. He has ruled out more autonomy for Tamils and said that “no international power will be allowed to ill-treat or touch a single citizen of this country on account of the campaign to defeat terrorism”.
Yet a democratic mandate for him cannot be any more a mandate for impunity than was the previous election victory of Rajapaksa. Only if he makes a firm commitment to dealing with war crimes allegations – with the support of the international community – can he hope to secure a just and lasting peace in Sri Lanka. He would do well to look at the example of the Cote D’Ivoire, among other places, and realise that working with the international community on the question of accountability is the only way to achieve this – perhaps even the only way to ensure that the Rajapaksas do not somehow orchestrate an undemocratic return to power.
The Sri Lanka Campaign calls on world leaders to help Sri Lanka correct its course. This must include strong action at the UN this March, as well as bilateral policies geared towards accountability and human rights.
We must do our utmost to support Sri Lankan activists who have worked tirelessly, and at great risk, in pursuit of truth and justice. We must stand with the people of Sri Lanka who have voted and now must be heard.
Sirisena has been given a mandate to build a sustainable peace. He must recognise that this depends on justice and accountability.
The political scene changed yesterday (Thursday) as the opposition candidate, a former Health Minister on the ruling party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) who decamped to New Democratic Front and contested against the president, Mahinda Rajapakse, is currently leading the poll.
Sri Lanka Presidential Election
Rajapaksa was confident winning the election after he was assured by his Royal Astrologer, Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena, to conduct an early election, saying “he has such auspicious time and so much power in his planetary position that he cannot be defeated in an election”
Unknown to the President that the people of Sri Lanka would vote against him, no one believed that President Rajapaksa would have a very strong opposition let alone been defeated as he has counted on his five years ago victory against the Tamil Tigers that launched an attack on the country for 30 years.
Sirisena was one of the close allies to President Rajapaska and one of the most powerful men in his government. He suddenly defected in November after being wooed by the NDF.
A night before Sirisena dumped his close political friend, Rajapaksa, he had eaten “Hoppers, rice pancakes” with him where they may have discussed political issues without knowing his next moves.
The President, after learning of his close allies defection said ” he eats hoppers in the night and then stabs you in the back in the morning”. Sirisena responded saying ” I felt sorry for the President during the meal but i couldn’t remain with a leader who had plundered the country, government and natural wealth”
According to reports, there are mixed feelings in Sri Lanka as the citizens woke up to the news of a new president. Information gathered by NAIJA CENTER NEWS revealed that the President left his official homes early this morning to an unknown destination. There is high apprehension in the heart of many citizens of what may happen to the winner of the election.
Many citizens said they are yet to take to jubilation until Sirisena is sworn into office, referring to the last election coducted in 2010 where the opposition candidate was suddenly arrested over a crime he was said to have committed years before the election.
According to the Guardian, Rajapaksa had sought early polls. but this may have been an acknowledgement of his growing unpopularity more than a statement of strength. The wave of support from the Sinhala majority that bore him to power has ebbed as the benefits of economic growth have failed to reach the poor, especially in rural areas. Corruption and apparent nepotism played a role.
An adamant refusal to move on reconciliation with the Tamil minority and growing sectarian violence denied him votes among other constituencies.
But Maithripala Sirisena,a surprise candidate and victor, marks only a break in terms of personality. He’s close to Rajapaksa ideologically and culturally, if much less flamboyant. And this alone may ease transition.
The Rajapaksa clan though are tenacious and effective politicians. They may be calculating that a tactical retreat is in order. There are parliamentary elections coming, the opposition alliance is ideologically hugely diverse and has nothing to hold it together beyond the aim of removing the incumbent. that’s now done.
A prolonged period of political chaos would open the way for a Rajapaksa comeback in the mid, if not the short, term.
Many who spoke with NAIJA CENTER NEWS said they voted against Mahinda due to high rate of corruption in his government , others said “It’s time for him to step down as he has placed his brothers and children in different vital positions, turning Sri Lanka government into a family affair”
Sri Lanka’s main Muslim party has quit the government and pledged support to the opposition in a move seen as the biggest setback yet to President Mahinda Rajapakse’s re-election bid, Al Jazeera reports.
The Sri Lankan Muslim Congress leader, Rauf Hakeem, also announced his own resignation as justice minister and said he would now work for the victory of Maithripala Sirisena, the opposition candidate, in the January 8 election.
Hakeem said they left the government because of widening rifts over a 2010 law that lifted the two-term limit on the presidency and gave Rajapaksa wide powers over the police, the judiciary and the civil service.
“Good governance is the main issue for us,” Hakeem told reporters. “We are guilty of compliance [in voting for the 2010 statute], but now we want to redress the situation.”
Ameer Faaiz, a leading member of the party that represents minority Muslims in predominantly Buddhist country, cited the Rajapaksa administration’s “intolerance toward religious minorities” and disagreement with his style of rule.
Rajapaksa’s government had come under heavy criticism in recent years for backing extremist Buddhist groups and turning a blind eye on the recent anti-Muslim violence.
There was no immediate comment from the government on the resignations, but a ruling party source told the AFP news agency that the defection of the Muslim party was the biggest blow to their campaign.
Muslims, the second largest minority in the island after Hindu Tamils, account for about 10 percent of the electorate and could emerge as king-makers in January’s presidential election if the majority Sinhalese are split down the middle.
Both Rajapaksa and Sirisena are members of the majority Sinhala Buddhist community.
Hakeem has become the second Muslim minister to quit Rajapaksa’s government after industry and commerce minister Rishad Bathiudeen resigned.
The Sri Lankan Minister of Disaster Management, Mahinda Amaraweera, on Monday said the country had called off search operations for bodies of those killed in a landslide in the central part of the country.
The death toll in the October 29 disaster is officially listed at 34, but the military, which conducted recovery operations, found only 14 bodies at the site at Meeriyabedda, Koslanda, east of Colombo.
Amaraweera said that the others are believed to be buried in the landslide.
“Some 58 families evacuated from the area would be housed in an abandoned tea factory for three months.
“After that, new houses will be built for them by the state,” Amaraweera said.
Report says some 330 persons were living in the affected area, but at the time of the landslide some 75 children had left for school and most others had gone to work on the tea plantation.
COLOMBO – Nigerians living in Sri Lanka have expressed disappointment over the refusal of the Nigerian Embassy to celebrate Nigerian Independence.
S. U Ahmed, Nigerian Ambassador to Sri Lanka
They said independence day is one of the days Nigerians come together and proudly represent themselves as ambassadors of the nation, particularly those out of the country.
Despite the several complains from Nigerians against the former Ambassador, F. A Rotimi who retired early this year, he never missed the celebration and a get together for all Nigerians living in the country.
Meanwhile, the Head of Chancery, Boco while speaking with NAIJA CENTER NEWS on phone yesterday concerning the issue, stressed that the embassy decided not to celebrate Independence due to the insecurity and regular reports of deaths in Nigeria, particularly the northern parts of the country.
An attempt to convince him by our correspondent since some aggrieved Nigerians visited our office, yielded negative response as the embassy insisted that nothing would change what was already decided.
It could be recalled that even the President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan celebrated Nigeria 100 years during the period the kidnapped of the more than 200 Chibok girls were causing the country great embarrassment.
The Nigerian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, S. U Ahmed has lambasted the Sri Lankan government over the continuous ill treatment its government is melting on Nigerians on a daily basis.
S.U. Ahmed said the government is stigmatizing and labelling Nigerians over the Ebola virus, and also generalizing all Nigerians as criminals.
S. U Ahmed, Nigerian Ambassador to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka government over the weeks had suspended visa on arrival for Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone over the Ebola virus but made it clear that any visitor who come into the country during this period would go through the normal medical test before entering.
A family of seven including a little baby who came to Sri Lanka to attend a wedding ceremony of their brother were held at the airport for about 18 hours. They were completely isolated from others without even allowing them to use the washroom in the realization that they were Nigerians.
According to the Nigerian ambassador who spoke with a Sri Lankan newspaper correspondent, expressed his disappointment over the way and manner Nigerians were treated.
He said the family that was quarantined without being screened at the Bandaranaike International Airport went through all kinds of medical test as laid down by the Sri Lanka government before they were stamped visa in Nigeria but were still detained and deported at the airport after 18 hours.
“They were isolated from the rest at the airport, is it due to their colour, race or ebola? he inquired.
“Why not quarantine all the passengers in that plane? Did they all not use the same toilet? But the other passenger were cleared while this wedding party was detained and deported.
“Even though there is an ebola scare in the Africa region, no country, not the US or the UK, has thus far deported even one Nigerian citizen. Only Sri Lanka has
“I have asked for an explanation from the MEA about the detention and deportation of the Nigerians who came for thwe wedding and there is no response till today. What is left for me is to assume matters. This is the level of diplomacy being practiced and it’s very unpleasant” He lamented.
The ambassador also communicated the President’s disappointment on the way the Sri Lanka government is treating Nigerians. He said “President Jonathan is not happy about Nigerians being prfoiled and stigmatized in this manner
Certainly no one will feel happy if your people are not treated well. We are not offended but we want Sri Lanka to be cautious and humane.
S. U Ahmed so complained that he had written to Ministry of External Affair (MEA) through a letter requesting information on Nigerians who are presently in Sri Lankan prison but till date, he has not even received a letter of acknowledgement.
A witness who spoke with NAIJA CENTER NEWS over the incident said that the embassy had to call on some Nigerians who they could reach to attend the wedding of the Nigerian whom his family were not allowed to entered Nigeria.
Another Nigerian who is a student had earlier disclosed to NAIJA CENTER NEWS that he was embarassed by the behaviour of some Sri Lankans when he visited a certain hospital in Colombo.
The moment they realized he was a Nigerian, they kept screaming ebola! ebola! while everyone moving far away from him as he walked.
Sri Lanka government had few months back reported in one of the leading newspaper that the government were on a clampdown on Nigerians. The government acquired a new machine to check the validity of passport and visa and used a Nigerian passport seized by the immigration for advert without informing the original owner who was at the time, in the deportation camp, nor was any Nigerian representative consulted.
(COLOMBO) In a fight to curb the spread of the dreaded Ebola Virus, the Sri Lanka government has suspended on-arrival visa for the four affected countries.
Ebola
The decision was in connection with the request made by the ministry of health to prevent the spread of the virus to the island.
There has been apprehension following the death of a woman suspected to be caused by Ebola Virus. Though the result of the woman is yet to return from India, but authorities claimed that she had symptoms of Ebola.
Information gathered by this NAIJA CENTER NEWS (NCN) revealed that the suspected woman died of doctor’s prescription error contrary to the speculation that she died of Ebola.
The countries affected by Sri Lanka law are Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
The law does not stop anyone willing to travel to the country from applying through the country embassy.
Nigeria is visa free to Sri Lanka, meaning, visitors are stamped on arrival. But with this new suspension, Nigerians free entry to the country has been stopped till further notice.
The decision to suspend the four country may not be unconnected to the fear from the announcement by the World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier this week giving the total confirmed number of Ebola cases to 2,473 including 221 new cases in the four aforementioned countries.
The WHO states that majority of Ebola cases are a result of human-to-human transmission and failure to apply appropriate infection prevention and control measures in home care, some clinical settings and burial rituals. The virus is spread through direct contact with blood, urine, saliva and other bodily fluids from an infected person. Endi
There is great apprehension in Sri Lanka over the death of an unknown individual who, according to report, developed signs of Ebola.
The incident has led to a proper investigation by the Health Ministry. The carrier died at the Rikillagaskada base Hospital in Anuradapora.
According to the State Media Department, the symptoms could also be associated with rat fever, adding that a further investigation through series of blood samples would verify the cause of the death.
Investigation revealed that the victim had spent some time in India. Though India has not recorded any case of Ebola, but a Nigerian woman who was travelling to India died In United Arab Emirate (UAE) after developing symptoms of the virus.
Sources revealed that the woman was travelling to India to treat herself of cancer related problem but could not make it to her destination before she gave up the ghost.
Sequel to the recent case in Sri Lanka, the Director of the Minister of Health has warned Divisional Health Officers to take all necessary precautions.
Ebola has been recorded in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Guinea.
Sri Lankan police have arrested key suspects accused of fuelling religious riots and looting, as minority Muslims expressed fears of more unrest ahead of Ramadan, officials said.
Police said a total of eight people directly linked to the June 15 anti-Muslim riots were arrested this week and that they recovered gems and jewellery looted from two shops that were targeted during the violence.
“With the help of CCTV footage and the recently established (police) intelligence network we arrested the suspects along with the stolen goods”, senior superintendent Athula Weerasinghe said on Saturday.
The violence, which erupted in the coastal resort of Alutgama, spilled over into the neighbouring international tourist resorts of Beruwala and Bentota.
Weerasinghe said jewellery worth more than $11,500 was recovered.
Officials estimate the riot damage at 200 million rupees. Four people were killed and 80 wounded in what were the worst religious riots in recent decades.
Sri Lanka’s media as well as rights groups have accused the police of failing to prevent Buddhist mobs from attacking Muslims, who constitute 10 percent of the country’s 20 million population.
Police, however, said investigations showed there was a strong criminal element that fuelled religious tensions. Earlier, police had arrested 55 suspects including both Buddhists as well as Muslims, but the eight arrested this week are the first to be held for looting and directly involved in attacking shops.
The announcement of the latest arrests came as the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL), an umbrella group of 48 Muslim organisations, petitioned police chief N K Illangakoon expressing fears of more violence against their minority community during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
“We are concerned that the root causes to the problems related to the attacks on the Muslim community and other minorities has not been addressed and appropriate action taken to enforce justice”, the MCSL said.
MCSL president N M Ameen told the AFP news agency they would mark Ramadan in a low key fashion because of the fear of more hate attacks.
The Buddhists monk last year attacked a church in a suburb of Colombo, destroying properties worth millions of rupees. Their reasons were not far from the fact that the Christians were converting their members and declared war against the minority religion.
The Pastor of the church who barely escaped death lamented while addressing pressmen that they set religious books on fire, including his bibles, turned his office apart and destroyed his windows.
Facebook shutdown
Last week, Muslim-owned businesses shut down in Sri Lanka’s capital to protest against deadly riots by Buddhists.
Muslims as well as a majority of moderate Buddhists have pressed for action against the Buddhist Force, or BBS, group which is seen as enjoying patronage of senior government figures.
In earlier reports on Friday, Buddhist activists accused of involvement in communal violence said that accounts of their group’s members on social media site Facebook had been blocked.
“My account is blocked,” Buddhist Force spokesman Dilantha Vithanage told Reuters by telephone. “I can’t access my account. I last visited my account on June 25 and the accounts of others have also been blocked.”
A Facebook spokesman in London declined to comment on any action taken by the company in Sri Lanka and referred Reuters to its terms of service.
The religious war between a group of Buddhist and Muslims in Sri Lanka has escalated as a Muslim owned fashion store, No Limit, located in Panadura, a suburb of Colombo has been burned down today.
The Nolimit fashion network newly established a multi-storey fashion store in Panadura which has been an attraction in the city.
According to a resident, the shop has been damaged after being set on fire by the angry Buddhists.
The security in the area has been tightened due to the incident.
Many Muslims shop has been targeted since the beginning of this outburst, particularly Nolimit. Sources said that the network has been targeted for its refusal to allow Buddhists visit the shops during festive seasons to buy clothes.
The Buddhist extremists had earlier made seveval attempts to discourage customers from buying clothes from the shop as they threw rotten eggs on the buyers and distributed the disgusting photos on social media as a warning.
A special police team led by DIG Anura Senanayake is currently conducting investigation into the incident.
The problem between Muslims, Christians and the Buddhist extremists started awhile ago when the Buddhists took to the street to protest against the minority Muslims and Christians religion whom they say are converting their members.
Days ago, the Buddhists led by some monks attacked a surburb of Colombo with guns and other dangerous weapons, leaving 3 residents of the Muslims dominated area dead.
Sri Lankans indigenes who ended a terrorist war from the Tamil Tigers that lasted for 30 years are scared as this problem, if not properly checked, may degenerate to a bigger attacks
The Sri Lankan government has said they are working very hard to bring everlasting peace, Since the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa promised the last time that those who went destroying and attacking the Muslims will be brought to book, there have been more attacks on the minority religions.
COLOMBO, June 17, 2014 (AFP) – More deadly violence flared in a Sri Lankan coastal resort where Buddhist hardliners set shops and homes alight for a second night running in defiance of a curfew, police and residents said Tuesday.
Amid mounting international concern over the unrest, residents of a town which has borne the brunt said a security guard was killed in an attack outside a Muslim-owned farm, raising the overall toll to four.
“More than a dozen houses and shops have been burnt overnight,” a police source told AFP from the mainly Muslim town of Alutgama after another night of mob violence by followers of the extremist Buddhist Force.
Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to help police put a lid on the violence. Although the unrest on Monday was not as widespread as the previous night, it came despite the announcement of an indefinite curfew.
Residents said that several vehicles had also been set alight in Alutgama although there were no reports of fresh violence in the neighbouring town of Beruwala where property was also set on fire on Sunday.
Police said that the curfew would remain in force although residents would be given a four hour window to stock up on provisions till noon (0630 GMT).
The authorities say nearly 80 people have so far been seriously injured in clashes while many more have suffered minor injuries. Dozens of homes, shops and mosques have been partially or completely destroyed.
The most senior Muslim member of President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government threatened Monday to resign at the decision to allow militant Buddhists to rally in the flashpoint region on Sunday.
The fighting erupted after a prominent Buddhist monk threatened to obliterate the predominantly Muslim towns in the majority Buddhist nation.
The UN human rights chief Navi Pillay expressed concern that the riots could spread to other areas and demanded that Colombo immediately bring the perpetrators of Sunday’s attacks to justice.
“The government must urgently do everything it can to arrest this violence, curb the incitement and hate speech which is driving it, and protect all religious minorities,” Pillay said in a statement.
The United States, which has led international condemnation of Sri Lanka’s human rights record, had also urged Colombo to end the violence.
It could be recalled that in the month of June, 2013, a group of Buddhists monk who identified themselves Buddhists Nationalist Groups, invaded a church in Hikadduwa, a suburb of Colombo, destroying properties valued millions of rupees, another group of Buddhists was also identified as the anti Muslim group attacked a Muslims community burning houses and properties on sight.
A high powered military delegation from Sri-Lanka on Tuesday held an exclusive brainstorming session on counter terrorism campaign with the military high command at the Defence Headquarters.
Led by the Sri-Lanka’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Jagath Jayasuriya, the delegation also had the country’s Chief of Army, Chief of Naval Staff as well as Chief of National Intelligence and other high ranking officers, all of whom made presentations relating their country’s experience in handling terrorists’ insurgency in the Asian country.
Opening the session of presentations that featured in the visit, the Sri-Lankan CDS said the delegation considered it a good opportunity to share their experience noting that the situation in the country share a lot of similarity with what obtained in Sri-Lanka when it faced the problem of terrorism.
Extensive security briefs were then delivered by the Sri Lankan Chief of Defence Staff and other Service Chiefs from the Sri-Lankan Military to explain the concepts and strategies adopted by their military in the fight against terrorism.
The Sri-Lankan officers gave the details on how their country practiced what they referred to as “total security”, which involved the translation of all the nation’s assets into military power to counter the scourge of terrorism. They suggested that the military needed to enjoy the support of the entire country in its efforts to counter terrorism. The series of presentation was followed by an extensive interactive session between officers of both countries.
In his closing remarks at the session, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh commended the visiting CDS and his delegation for identifying with the Nigerian Armed Forces in its efforts at ending insecurity in the country. He assured the delegation that the Nigerian Military is seriously considering the counter insurgency experience of the Sri-Lankan Military with a view to identifying those areas that could be operationally beneficial to Nigeria in its battle to defeat terrorism.
Air Chief Marshal Badeh reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian military to protecting the territorial integrity of the nation.
It will be recalled that Sri-Lanka is acclaimed as having achieved the reputation of effectively defeating terrorism in its territory.
In this interview, the Nigerian ambassador to Sri Lanka, S. U Ahmed explains to NAIJA CENTER NEWS correspondent how to check the excess of Boko Haram and his view about corruption in Nigeria.
Excerpt:
How long have you been in the foreign service?
I joined the service in 1982.
Which posts have you occupied since you started?
You know the way mission is, it is not about occupying posts, if you are in a mission, you can handle political, economic and many others. I have been on the political, consular, head of chancery, information officer. Your head of mission can decide which session you can handle. I can say i have gone through all the offices, and i was char·gé d’af·faires in Gabon before i moved to Ghana. I have been the deputy head of mission in South Korea before coming to Sri Lanka.
What’s the different between Sri Lanka and your last place?
I don’t think it is a matter of comparison, when you want to compare South Korea and Sri Lanka, i don’t think they match. Whether you want to compare in terms of development and infrastructure, the two you can’t compare them. It is not a question of preference to me; it is a question of how far your relationship has been in a particular country. I believe that Nigeria relate well with both countries. There have been no any adverse diplomatic relations between South Korea and Nigeria, and then Sri Lanka and Nigeria, so for, they are both good.
How did you become an Ambassador?
It is not a question of how, to become an ambassador is the prerogative of the President, he decides on the recommendation of the ministry of foreign affair. Once you are recommended and the President feels you are capable, and then of course, he can give his accent by sending your name to the National Assembly for them to clear you. So when it comes to ambassadorial appointment, it is purely the prerogative of the President.
What was your first job in the ministry like?
When i was first appointed in 1980 headquarter in Lagos. For some of us who came from the north, we faced a lot of challenges. Then there were problem of accommodation, especially as a young officer who just came in, there was no accommodation unlike now.
But government was supposed to provide accommodation.
Well but then, there were other senior officers; people were also coming back from post at the time we joined. The preference was for them. There was a time they used to give loan-some. They will tell you, take N3000, look for accommodation for yourself. At times, we still face problems because that money, except you go to the suburb of Lagos, then to come into Lagos, distance and Molue you have to take to Lagos were challenges. So It was a challenge to us because in the North, we were not used to have all the city filled with people, struggling, at times you find us waiting by the road side, trying to see if you can get Molue that will not involve you struggling inside, eventually, we end up getting to the office late.
As an ambassador, how will you describe your role?
My role is to protect the interest of Nigeria. That is the key role i am here for, and to ensure that Nigerians are protected. Everything i do, it must been such a way that it must be beneficial to Nigeria.
What is the common misconception about your job?
There are misconceptions. Some people think if you are a diplomat, everybody thinks everything is available to you. It is not so. Everything is not available to you, financially, we have constraint. Sometimes, money is not forth coming, if the money hasn’t come and you have not paid your staff, how do you explain it to them. Even you will not have salary and other things like fueling vehicle, and other things the mission made available to you. Back home, people might say that Ambassadors are paid $3000, they will quickly convert it to Naira, calculate and tell you that this man is collecting almost 500,000 naira. You must think that the officer is outside and he is not spending naira.
Talking about delay in salary because sometimes ago, Nigerian embassy in different locations complained of their money not paid in months.
Well, like now, the budget has just been signed. Unless the budget is signed on time, sometimes you have this little problem here and there. If the budget is signed on time, and then monies are released, you don’t have these problems. Sometimes, delay in signing of the budge creates little problem. Back home,when budget is not signed, how to access money to send to the mission becomes a problem. Somehow the ministry of foreign affair and the finance ministry do agree sometimes to make money available pending when the budget is concluded.
What kind of relationship is Nigeria embassy willing to build with Sri Lanka government?
Well, for now, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, you know we have a long standing relationship. It is not just now; this mission was covered by our high commission in India. For a long time, we have been in a diplomatic relationship with Sri Lanka and don’t forget, Sri Lankans for long have been in Nigeria, many of them were teachers in 1970s. When you look at it now, those people who are in government now, those who schooled in 1970s who are now in the ranks of directors, most of them had been taught by Sri Lankans, so we have a lot in common in terms of cooperation. We cooperate in international forums. They vote for us, we vote for them.
But there was a situation where Nigeria voted against Sri Lanka during the human right violation.
Well, from what i know, we have always been for Sri Lanka now. Our relation is cordial. During CHOGM, there was an MOU that was signed on strategic partnership. So we are now trying to see how we can meet with the officials here and then to see whether we can start inaugural meeting, and look at those areas where we have common interests. There are areas of course, recently, we have been in touch with the ministry of youth development here, and the minister indicated that we want to go into skill and youth development. Those kinds of areas, like skill acquisition, student exchange program and so on. When we meet, we will see how it will go.
What’s your opinion about corruption in Nigeria?
I don’t think corruption is Nigeria phenomenon. Corruption is everywhere in the world. People think Nigeria is corrupt; i don’t think it that way. The world corruption is not Nigeria language; it came from somewhere, right? People will tell you today, Nigerians are corrupt. Go to some other places and see, there are places or countries where somebody earns 500 dollars in a month, but what you see, the type of life he lives, he lives like a king, such country, people are not being seen as corrupt, where did he get the extra?
The last research they did, it was observed that Nigeria is the fifth most corrupt in the world.
Those who said Nigeria is corrupt, they aid the same corruption. Why do i say so? If you believe Nigerians are corrupt, for instance they take money out of the country to buy properties when they know that the source of the money is corrupt, if you allowed them to invest in your country, to buy properties in your country, you too are aiding. If for example, someone is loading money into a bank outside and that country refused to take action, then that country is aiding.
People will tell you that Nigerians are 419s, people who claimed they are being cheated are also corrupt people because how can you tell me that my father or my grandfather left some amount of money somewhere, then send you email and you just fall for it, and you want to share out of the money, how?
Sometimes i look at it as a way of trying to rubbish our nation; you know Nigeria is growing in terms of population and economy development, so some people are not happy. The idea is to tag you as corrupt at all times, and this image of corruption is what i don’t like because everybody is corrupt; no one is free from corruption.
In terms of corruption, I don’t think there are other countries fighting corruption better than Nigeria. There are many organization set up to fight corruption. So if somebody is caught, it is normal that he faces the consequences.
What do you have to say about the problem of Boko Haram in the north?
Well, Boko Haram, for me, there are many reasons that have been given for Boko Haram, some look at it in terms of poverty and others, but as far as I am concerned, my experience, when I was growing up and in primary school, my father was a Christian religious teacher in my school, there was also an Islamic teacher, when it gets to the time for Christian religious class, we all attend, we were all together, because everyone also attend Islamic class. The two religious teachers were friends. So to me, most of the clerics who teach, I think they have deviated from the correct teaching. When you deviate from a particular message, then of course, you corrupt the mind of those who listen. Most of these teachings start from the youth, and so once you learn something from youth, it is difficult to change. I think that there is need to check some of these religious teachers. They inculcate this hatred in the mind of these youth. I think it’s a wrong message through the cleric that is bringing this problem.
The leadership of the two religions should come together. We have to unite against this evil that has come to us because it is not only affecting the Christians, it is affecting everybody. You can be on the street, if they throw a bomb, it affects everybody. Look at what happened in Jos and Nyanya, it didn’t identify Christians or Muslims, it killed everybody. That’s why the government has been preaching unity, we have to unite on this because it is destroying individual relationship we used to have. These days you find out that even during celebration, some Christians would want to serve their neighbours food, their neighbours would reject, the same thing happened to the Muslims. This doesn’t happen before; I think we have to be united. It has nothing to do with religion; my take is that, the instructors are not doing the right thing.
There is a common problem associated with Nigerian embassies all over the world. Nigerians complain about the way they are being treated by the embassies, how do you intend to make a difference?
Well, I don’t know of other missions, for me, the missions I have gone to, there have been no complain. Since I came here, we have not received anything here. If there are complains, we will address it. Sometimes, you may find some of these accusations maybe, a Nigerian national may find, like me and you, if our personal relationship is not cordial, it becomes a source of saying that the whole mission, and the officers are bad. Missions operate differently; here we are, if there is anything is not going normal, we will correct it. I believe most missions strive to do their best, some Nigerians are not patient. Some missions have greater numbers of Nigerians, and when you have that, you look at the numbers of officers, and if they can’t cope, Nigerians would not be patient.
Some Nigerians have resorted to reporting themselves to Sri Lanka immigration officers.
I am hearing this for the first time because we have not gotten such information. If that type of information comes to us, we will try and find out who they are. It happens in some places, there are some Nigerians who are desperate, when they have no jobs, they become informant.
Nigeria has more than 15,000 prisoners all over the world, how many Nigerians are in Sri Lanka prison?
Those that we have here, if we have any at all, they are people who are maybe, illegally staying, that is if there is. As far as I know, we don’t have any. We have not gotten any record of Nigerians in the prison. Recently we have sent a letter to foreign office trying to know if there are any Nigerians in detention or in prison, but as far as I know, consular officer can testify, we don’t have any recorded prisoners, if there are, we have not been formally informed.
What kind of message do you have for Nigerians here?
They should be law abiding, and they have to be good ambassador for their country Nigeria. You can’t come to a country and break their law; you will have to face the consequence. For us here, we don’t have problem, but once we found out that you are a problem are arrested, it doesn’t stop us from recommending that you should be deported to Nigeria because we don’t want any of such problem here. But if you are a Nigerian, you have a genuine problem, report to us, we will do everything to solve it because that is one of the reasons I am here.
The new Nigeria Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. S. U. Ahmed, has told Nigeria community on Friday that the embassy will only assist genuine, and law abiding Nigerians in Sri Lanka.
S. U. Ahmed
He disclosed this at a gathering of Nigerians organized by the embassy at Sri Lanka foundation, Colombo, to formally introduce himself to Nigerians.
Mr. Ahmed said that Nigerians should respect the law of any country wherever they are, and be ready to face the law if broken.
He said “We are going to cooperate with you in as much as you cooperate with us. This is not our country and it is imperative that you respect the law of the country wherever you are. But while you engage in the breaking of law, certainly, you will face the law.
“The embassy will only be there to make sure you have fair hearing in the court. If you go into crime, you are on your own. The embassy will visit you in detention camp. The embassy is ready to defend Nigerians who are within the law and face the law if you are not within.
“None of my officers will be called to go to any police detention centre that a Nigerian has involved in one crime or the other, especially financial crime.”
Reminding Nigerians that they are the leaders of tomorrow, he said “The future of Nigeria belongs to you. You are here today and thinking you are young, within the next 15 years, you will realized you are making law for the country.
Addressing the issue of terrorism in Nigeria, Mr. Ahmed assured Nigerians that President Jonathan and the security agents are doing everything within their power to eradicate insurgency in Nigeria. He assured Nigerians that within the next few weeks, things might turn around as the insurgents are currently on the run.
He further advised Nigerians to dwell on area that unite the nation instead of dwelling on the alternatives. He added that Nigerians should be good ambassadors of the country in order to build good image for the nation.
Nigeria’s new ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. S. U. Ahmed, presented his credentials to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
Ambassador Ahmed and Sri Lanka President
Other Diplomats who also presented their credentials along with Amb. Ahmed are: Mr. Berhard Wrabetz (Austria), Ms. Darja Bavdaz Kuret (Ambassador of Slovenia), Mr. Rauli Suikkanen (Ambassador of Finland) Ms. Aashna W. R. Kanhai (Ambassador of Surinam), Al Sheikh Jumah Bin Hamdan Bin Hassan Al Malek Al-Shehi (Ambassador of Oman)
Ambassador Ahmed later in the evening, invited other ambassadors to Taj hotel at Galle Face for dinner.
Below are the pictures:
Amb. S.U. Ahmed
Amb. Ahmed, Hamidu Ibrahim (embassy staff), Mr. Afeisume
Amb. Ahmed and NCN publisher, Ekhator Ehi
Amb. Ahmed and German Amb. Dr. Jurgen Morhard
Embassy staff
Invitees, Aderunke and Clara
Mrs. Ahmed and Mrs. Afeisume
Mr. Samuel Afeisume, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
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The Nolimit fashion network newly established a multi-storey fashion store in Panadura which has been an attraction in the city.
Led by the Sri-Lanka’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Jagath Jayasuriya, the delegation also had the country’s Chief of Army, Chief of Naval Staff as well as Chief of National Intelligence and other high ranking officers, all of whom made presentations relating their country’s experience in handling terrorists’ insurgency in the Asian country.
