International

World Leaders Congratulate Charles III, AND Wife, Camilla

Published

3 years ago

May 7, 2023

519 Views

Leaders in the United States and Europe sent congratulations to Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla on their coronation on Saturday, while China called for “cooperation” and “peace”.

Among the world leaders are:

US President Joe Biden, whose country was represented at the lavish ceremony in London by First Lady Jill Biden, paid tribute to the “enduring friendship between the US and the UK”.

He tweeted that the countries’ relationship was “a source of strength for both our peoples” and that he was “proud” his wife could be there for the “historic occasion”.

In an interview aired Friday, he said he would meet Charles, 74, in July to talk in particular about environmental issues.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the UK to work for “a stable and mutually beneficial… relationship” with his country after recent strains in their relations.

“China and Britain, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should take a long-term and strategic view to jointly promote the historical trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation,” he said.

Britain’s King Charles III wearing the Imperial state Crown, and Britain’s Queen Camilla wearing a modified version of Queen Mary’s Crown chat on the Buckingham Palace balcony while viewing the Royal Air Force fly-past in central London on May 6, 2023, after their coronations. – The set-piece coronation is the first in Britain in 70 years, and only the second in history to be televised. Charles will be the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at the central London church since King William I in 1066. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

The head of the European Union’s executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, called the coronation “a testament to the enduring strength of the British monarchy”.

“A symbol of stability and continuity,” von der Leyen tweeted, alongside a picture of her at the pageant-filled ceremony in Westminster Abbey.

EU Council President Charles Michel said the members of the 27-nation bloc, which the UK voted to leave in 2016, “appreciate the king’s vast experience to promote understanding and respect” and “his tireless efforts to promote the sustainability of our planet”.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is in Kenya for a visit, also welcomed the newly crowned monarch’s interest in tackling climate change.

“(It) is very important that he is someone who is committed to a close cooperation between Great Britain and the European Union, and who also has his own personal agenda to advance climate protection,” Scholz said.

“That will also help us.”

– ‘Friends of France’ –
French President Emmanuel Macron, who also attended the London ceremony, sent his “congratulations” to Charles and Camilla, calling them “friends of France”.

“Proud to be with you on this historic day,” he tweeted.

– ‘Best wishes’ from Rome –
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose country was represented at the coronation by President Sergio Mattarella, sent her “best wishes to King Charles III, to Queen Camilla and the entire British people”.

In a message on social media, she noted the symbolism of the Italian craftsmanship involved in the rare mosaic floor of Westminster Abbey.

She said the ancient “Cosmati pavement” on which the Coronation Chair was placed was “masterfully created” and “there to amaze the world and to recall the historic and fruitful cooperation between Italy and the UK, which we are certain… will further strengthen with King Charles III”.

– Friend of Greece –
The foreign ministry in Greece, where Charles’s father Prince Philip was born in 1921 on the island of Corfu, tweeted in English to “warmly congratulate HM King Charles III, a proven friend of Greece, in his Coronation day”.

It wished him “success in his duties” and said it was “looking forward to continuing excellent cooperation and further deepening bilateral historic relations”.

AFP

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International

President Tinubu Approves 65 Ambassadors for Postings [Full List]

President Tinubu has directed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should immediately commence the induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and High Commissioners.

Published

16 hours ago

March 6, 2026

OCHEFA

27 Views

• President Bola Tinubu. Credit: X

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the postings of 31 career and 34 non-career ambassadors to various countries and the United Nations.

The Senate confirmed the ambassadors-designate last December.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President(Information and Strategy), confirmed the postings, on Friday.

NON CAREER AMBASSADORS / HIGH COMMISSIONERS

1. SENATOR GRACE BENT: LOME-TOGO
2. SEN. ITA ENANG: SOUTH AFRICA
3. IKPEAZU VICTOR: SPAIN
4. NKECHI LINDA UFOCHUKWU: TEL-AVIV, ISRAEL
5. MAHMUD YAKUBU: QATAR
6. PAUL OGA ADIKWU: THE VATICAN CITY HOLY SEE
7. VICE ADMIRAL IBOK-ETE EKWE IBAS: THE PHILIPPINES
8. MR. RENO OMOKRI: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
9. HON. (ENGR.) ABASI BRAIMAH (FMHR): BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
11. MRS. ERELU ANGELA ADEBAYO: PORTUGAL
12. BARR. OLUMILUA OLUWAYIMIKA AYOTUNWA: TOKYO, JAPAN
13. RT. HON. UGWUANYI IFEANYI LAWRENCE: ATHENS, GREECE
15. BARR. CHIOMA PRISCILLA OHAKIM: WARSAW, POLAND
16. AMINU DALHATU: UNITED KINGDOM, UK
17. LT. GEN ABDULRAHMAN BELLO
18 DAMBAZAU: BEIJING, CHINA
19 .HON. TASIU MUSA MAIGARI: GAMBIA
20. OLUFEMI PEDRO: AUSTRALIA
21. BARR. MUHAMMED UBANDOMA ALIYU: ARGENTINA
22. LATEEF KAYODE ARE: USA
23. AMB. JOSEPH SOLA IJI: RUSSIA
24. SEN. JIMOH IBRAHIM: UN PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE
25. FEMI FANI KAYODE: GERMANY
26. PROF. ISAAK FOLORUNSO ADEWOLE. OTTAWA, CANADA
27. AJIMOBI FATIMA FLORENCE (F): AUSTRIA
28. MRS. LOLA AKANDE (F): SWEDEN
29. AYODELE OKE: FRANCE
30.YAKUBU N. GAMBO: SAUDI ARABIA
31. SENATOR PROF. NORA LADI DADUUT: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
32. BARR. ONUEZE CHUKWUJIKA JOE OKOCHA SAN: DUBLIN
33. DR. KULU HARUNA ABUBAKAR: TUNIS, TUNISIA
34. RT. HON. JERRY SAMUEL MANWE: PORT OF SPAIN, T&T

CAREER AMBASSADORS / HIGH COMMISSIONERS

AMB. NWABIOLA EZENWA CHUKWUMEKA: COTE D’IV/OIRE
BESTO MAIMUNA IBRAHIM: NIAMEY-NIGER
MONICA OKWUCHUKWU ENEBECHI: SAO TOME, STP
AMB. MOHAMMED MAHMUD LELE: ALGIERS-ALGERIA
ENDONI SYNDOPH PAEBI: OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO
AHMED MOHAMMED MONGUNO: CAIRO EGYPT
AMB.JANE ADAMS (NEE OKON) MICHAEL (F): KINGSTON-JAMAICA
AMB. CLARK-OMERU ALEXANDRA (F): LUSAKA-ZAMBIA
CHIMA GEOGGREY LIOMA DAVID: BAMAKO-MALI
AMB. ODUMAH YVONNE EHINOSEN: MALABO –E/GUINEA
AMB WASA SEGUN IGE: BEIRUT, LEBANON
RUBEN ABIMBOLA SAMUEL (F): ROME, ITALY
AMB.ONAGA OGECHUKWU KINGSLEY: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
AMB.MAGAJI UMAR: KINSASHA, DR CONGO
AMB.MUHAMMAD SAIDU DAHIRU: NEW DELHI-INDIA
AMB. ABDUSSALAM HABU ZAYYAD: DAKAR-SENEGAL
AMB SHEHU ILU BARDE: ACCRA GHANA
AMB.AMINU NASIR: ETHIOPIA
ABUBAKAR MUSA MUSA: N’DJAMENA, CHAD
AMB. HAIDARA MOHAMMED IDRIS: THE HAGUE-NETHERLANDS
AMB.BAKO ADAMU UMAR: RABAT-MOROCCO
AMB. SULU GAMBARI OLATUNJI AHMED: MALAYSIA
AMB.ROMATA MOHAMMED OMOBOLANLE (F): TANZANIA
AMB. SHAGA JOHN SHAMAH: BOTSWANA
SALAU, HAMZA MOHAMMED: TEHRAN, IRAN
AMB.IBRAHIM DANLAMI: KENYA
IBRAHIM ADEOLA MOPELOLA (F): COTONOU-BENIN
AMB.AYENI ADEBAYO EMMANUEL: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
AMB.AKANDE WAHAB ADEKOLA: BERNE-SWITZERLAND
AMB. AREWA (NEE ADEDOKUN) ESTHER (F): WINDHOEK-NAMIBIA
AMB.GERGADI JOSEPH JOHN: LIBREVILLE-GABON
AMB. LUTHER OGBOMODE AYO-KALATA (F): SIERRA LEONE
DANLADI YAKUBU NYAKU : KHARTOUM-SUDAN
BELLO DOGON-DAJI HALIRU: BANGKOK, THAILAND

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already received agrément from the United Kingdom for the High Commissioner-designate, Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu. Similarly, France has sent the agrément for Ambassador Ayo Oke.

The Ministry has also conveyed the nominations of the other 62 designated envoys to all the countries concerned, including a request for their agréments in line with standard diplomatic practice.

President Tinubu has directed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should immediately commence the induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and High Commissioners.

Business

BPP Saves FG N1.1trn Public Sector Procurements

While speaking on beneficial ownership, the BPP DG harped on the need to ensure transparency and to, among others, weed out those he called same and multiple bidders.

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

OCHEFA

39 Views

Photo: Director -General of BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, during a courtesy call on the Registrar-General/CEO of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, March 5, 2026.

The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) revealed that in the last 12 months, it saved 1.1 trillion for the government in view of its implementation of a robust price intelligence mechanisms.

The Director General of the BPP, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, disclosed this today during a courtesy call on the Registrar-General/CEO of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, to strengthen collaboration in order to support the present administration’s agenda for a trillion-dollar economy.

Dr. Adebowale recalled the long-standing collaboration between the two agencies which dates back to 2008 and therefore applauded the reforms being implemented by the Commission.

Adebowale remarked that the two agencies have a critical role to play in the efforts being made to realize a trillion dollar economy.

While speaking on beneficial ownership, the BPP DG harped on the need to ensure transparency and to, among others, weed out those he called same and multiple bidders.

While highlighting BPP’s reforms, Adebowale stressed the need for robust enforcement measures to ensure compliance and accountability by professional bodies whose executives often overstay their tenure of office in contravention of the code of corporate governance.

In his remarks, the Registrar-General highlighted CAC’s reform initiatives which are in tandem with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, especially Item 7 that harps on digitization and innovation.

The CAC boss, who enjoined the BPP to utilize the Commission’s globally acclaimed Beneficial Ownership Register to enhance their operations, also asked for collaboration on capacity development between the two agencies.

International

How Iran chooses its supreme leader, and who could be next?

Under Iran’s constitution, the supreme leader is appointed by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body elected by the public every eight years.

Published

5 days ago

March 2, 2026

OCHEFA

54 Views

Key Contenders: Hassan Khomeini; Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Alireza Arafi.Credit: CNBC

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death following joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes has thrust Iran’s leadership into the urgent process of selecting a new supreme leader.

CNBC reports that under Iran’s constitution, the supreme leader is appointed by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body elected by the public every eight years.

Candidates for the Assembly are first vetted by the Guardian Council, tightly controlling who can run.

When the position becomes vacant, the Assembly convenes to deliberate and select a successor.

The decision requires a simple majority vote.In the interim, a provisional three-member leadership council assumes the supreme leader’s duties until a replacement is formally appointed.

In the interim, a provisional three-member leadership council assumes the supreme leader’s duties until a replacement is formally appointed.

On Sunday, local media reported that the temporary council comprises President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, who serves as the Guardian Council’s representative.

The council’s authority is strictly transitional, while the Assembly of Experts retains sole constitutional power to choose Iran’s next supreme leader.

On Polymarket, traders are pricing Mohseni-Ejei as the narrow frontrunner at roughly 18%. Other top contenders include Arafi and Iranian cleric Hassan Khomeini.

The “Position abolished” outcome is trading close behind, suggesting that while markets still lean toward an individual successor, there is meaningful speculation around a potential structural change to the office itself.

Here are some key contenders:

1. Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei
.

Mohseni-Ejei has been the Chief Justice of Iran since July 2021, overseeing the country’s judiciary and supervising legal policy across the Islamic Republic. Before that, he served as prosecutor-general from 2009 to 2014, was first deputy head and spokesperson of the judiciary from 2014 until 2021, and earlier held national security roles, including minister of intelligence from 2005 until 2009.

He has also been a longtime member of the Expediency Discernment Council, a key advisory body to Iran’s leadership, and his career has spanned senior positions in both the judicial and security apparatus.

2. Hassan Khomeini

Khomeini is the grandson of Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, could theoretically serve as a bridge between the revolutionary system and reform-minded constituencies, said the Council on Foreign Relations.

CFR suggested that elevating someone like him might help preserve the core structure of the Islamic Republic, ease Iran’s international isolation, and address popular dissatisfaction at home.

3. Alireza Arafi

Arafi is a senior Iranian cleric and influential figure within the Islamic Republic’s religious and political hierarchy.

He has risen through the clerical establishment with a series of key appointments, including director of Iran’s seminaries, Friday Prayer leader in Qom, and member of both the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts, the body constitutionally tasked with selecting the supreme leader.

Arafi’s roles in shaping theological education and vetting political candidates have made him a central fixture in Iran’s clerical power structure.

What’s next?

Under Article 111 of Iran’s constitution, the death or incapacity of the supreme leader immediately triggers the formation of a temporary leadership council to exercise his powers until a successor is chosen.The constitution does not set a strict deadline for the Assembly of Experts to appoint a new leader, but it states that the Assembly must act “in the shortest possible time.”