Monday 17 April 2017

US Vice President Pence visits DMZ amid high tensions with North Korea


Vice President Pence to visit DMZ
  • US Vice President Mike Pence is on a tour of Asia
  • He arrived in South Korea amid heightened tensions on the peninsula
(CNN)US Vice President Mike Pence has visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone Monday, a day after the embarrassing failure of a North Korean missile test which the US and South Korea said exploded on launch.
Pence stood within 60 meters (200 feet) of the North Korean border, saying that all US options regarding the issue were still on the table.
    His visit followed an impressive parade Saturday to mark the "Day of the Sun," the most important day in the North Korean calendar, when Pyongyang showed off an array of new missiles and launchers.
    Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have ratcheted up in recent weeks, amid tit-for-tat saber-rattling from the US and North Korea.
    On Sunday, US National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster said the problem with North Korea "is coming to a head. And so it's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully."
    Last month during a visit to South Korea, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington's policy of "strategic patience" with Pyongyang had ended.
    A submarine-launched ballistic missile is displayed during the parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
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    A soldier stands guard at the Kim Il Sung Square.
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    Korean citizens spell out "Day of the Sun" in Kim Il Sung Square.
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    University students carry the national flag and two bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
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    Helmeted servicemen march during the parade.
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    Korean People's Army soldiers march on Kim Il-Sung square.
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    North Korean men and women dressed to represent doctors and other medical workers during the parade.
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    Members of the Korean People's Army ride on mobile missile launchers.
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    North Korean men beat drums as they parade across the square.
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    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves during a military parade on Saturday, April 15, in Pyongyang to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
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    Soldiers in tanks take part in the military parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
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    North Korean soldiers carry flags and a photo of late leader Kim Il Sung as they march across Kim Il Sung Square.
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    Female North Korean soldiers march during the parade.
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    Missiles are paraded across Kim Il Sung Square.
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    A rocket-themed float makes its way through Kim Il-Sung square.
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    Soldiers salute while the national anthem is played during the parade.
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    Women wearing traditional Korean dress wave flowers and shout slogans as they pass North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
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    A submarine-launched ballistic missile is displayed during the parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    9 of 17
    A soldier stands guard at the Kim Il Sung Square.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    10 of 17
    Korean citizens spell out "Day of the Sun" in Kim Il Sung Square.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    11 of 17
    University students carry the national flag and two bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    12 of 17
    Helmeted servicemen march during the parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    13 of 17
    Korean People's Army soldiers march on Kim Il-Sung square.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    14 of 17
    North Korean men and women dressed to represent doctors and other medical workers during the parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    15 of 17
    Members of the Korean People's Army ride on mobile missile launchers.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    16 of 17
    North Korean men beat drums as they parade across the square.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    17 of 17
    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves during a military parade on Saturday, April 15, in Pyongyang to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    1 of 17
    Soldiers in tanks take part in the military parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    2 of 17
    North Korean soldiers carry flags and a photo of late leader Kim Il Sung as they march across Kim Il Sung Square.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    3 of 17
    Female North Korean soldiers march during the parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    4 of 17
    Missiles are paraded across Kim Il Sung Square.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    5 of 17
    A rocket-themed float makes its way through Kim Il-Sung square.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    6 of 17
    Soldiers salute while the national anthem is played during the parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    7 of 17
    Women wearing traditional Korean dress wave flowers and shout slogans as they pass North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
    Show Caption
    8 of 17
    A submarine-launched ballistic missile is displayed during the parade.
    Photos: North Korea Day of the Sun parade
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    02 nk parade kim jong un
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    24 nk parade

    'Humbling'

    Earlier Monday, Pence visited with US troops at Camp Bonifas, just south of the DMZ.
    During a briefing with Gen. Vincent Brooks, head of US Forces Korea, Pence said the alliance between Americans and South Koreans "is historic" and "a testament to the unshakeable bond between our people."
    Pence said the visit was "particularly humbling for me" as his father fought in the Korean War.
    "We're grateful to all those who each and every day stand in the gap for freedom here at the DMZ, and it's a great honor to be with all of our forces and with the leadership represented here," he said.
    Analyst reacts to failed NK missile launch 04:30

    Show of force

    At a major military parade to mark the "Day of the Sun" Saturday, Pyongyang showed off a bevy of new missiles and launchers.
    Pyongyang showed off two new intercontinental ballistic missile-sized canisters as well as displaying its submarine-launched ballistic missile and a land-based version of the same for the first time, according to analysts.
    The regime followed that -- according to US and South Korean officials -- with an attempted missile test Sunday from the eastern port of Sinpo. That was the site of a ballistic missile test earlier this month in which the projectile fell into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
    If Sunday's missile launch leads to a nuclear test or an ICBM launch, there would be "a powerful punishing measure that North Korean authority can't endure," South Korean officials said.
    US officials told CNN they did not believe the missile had intercontinental capabilities, and blew up almost immediately after launch.
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    No Vacancy for Senior Advocates at S’Court

    Hon. Justice W.S. Nkanu Onnoghen
    Perspective
    As the debate on whether to appoint Senior Advocates of Nigeria justices of the Supreme Court‎ rages on, a member of the Bar, Kayode Ajulo argues that it will be unfair to judges to make such appointments
    The Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN), as the highest court in Nigeria and in its current form was shaped by the Supreme Court Act of 1990 and by Chapter VII of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
    Under the extant laws, the Supreme Court has both original and appellate jurisdictions, has the sole authority and jurisdiction to entertain appeals from Courts of Appeal, having appellate jurisdiction over all lower federal courts and highest state courts. Decisions rendered by the court are binding on all courts in Nigeria except the Supreme Court itself.
    The Supreme Court is composed of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and such number of justices not more than 21, appointed by the President on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, (NJC) and subject to confirmation by the Senate. Justices of the Supreme Court must be qualified to practise law in Nigeria, and must have been so qualified for a period not less than fifteen years. Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria have a mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
    In the recent past, particularly since the advent of democratic rule, appointments into the highest bench in Nigeria have by convention been restricted to serving judges from the Courts  of Appeal across the federation.
    Under the military, however, a couple of appointments to the Supreme Court were made directly from the Bar, the first being Justice Teslim Elias, an academic who was appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria by Gen. Yakubu Gowon in 1972, having been Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at various times since 1960.
    Another lawyer so appointed was Justice Augustine Nnamani (SAN), who was nominated by Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo to the Supreme Court in 1979 from his position as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. He was at the Supreme Court for 11 years.
    Recently, however, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice  Walter Onnoghen had asked the Bar to  nominate lawyers for appointment as Supreme Court Justices. The NBA has nominated nine lawyers, among whom are six Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
    This request has generated mooted reactions, sprouted covert ripples with members of the learned profession and ideologues outside its tent lending their voices and comparing stances on the contentious issue. The ranks of the trade,  both Bar and Bench have gauged the decision and given points of the law and viewpoints as practitioners and stakeholders.
    I agree  with Wale Babalakin, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and other senior jurists that such a decision by the CJN with utmost respect to the incumbent is not without flaws and is indeed fraught with danger.
    Other thinkers outside the profession similarly faulted the idea on the proposed appointment of SANs and other lawyers to the Supreme Court Bench. Part of the criticisms is that this decision is the granting of that apogee of privilege to the NBA, a seemingly divided house, who in all likelihood will in turn serve distinctions to the undeserving on a golden platter. 
    As a matter of fact, Senior Advocates who are found fit for the specific positions can be appointed to the lower courts for and can therefrom be elevated as time and performance advance. The positions at the Supreme Court should be, undebatably, for very exceptional people.  The legal system should be configured in a manner that affords only distinguished lawyers to aspire to such height of judicial appointments, as doing this will ensure sanity and justice. 
    To surreptitiously make the NBA a middleman is to do a disservice to the noble quest of finding God-like men who would be vested with the power to play God in the affairs of men.
    There is no gain saying the fact that NBA as it were,  is politicised and polarised,  a situation that has given birth to perennial wrangling and disharmony within its ranks. For a professional tent with  a history of discordant tunes, it cannot,  expectedly,  be healthy to expect it to bring forth fine fruits that are free from shades of injections.  
    There is no denying the truism that such free appointments, if made, inherently  carries the potentiality of enthroning demagoguery.  I agree with analysts who hold the standpoint that lawyers who are appointed straight to the Supreme Court should be those with extra ordinary accomplishments, and who are of exceptional intellect. 
    Appointments of this extremely pivotal essence should not be made an easy take to tepid advocates because it would kill the morale  of brilliant judges at the lower bench. Conversely, it is disingenuous that the judges who have been made to give up their right to practice advocacy after leaving office should be made to compete for the high offices of their calling with those who have attained the peak of their careers in the same profession from which they have been perpetually excluded by virtue of their appointments to the Bench.
    Besides, the fact that one is a good lawyer does not automatically mean that one will be exceptional when appointed into such office as  a Supreme Court Judge. 
    While it is true that there have been appointments from the Bar to the highest court in the land and those appointees have proven to be legal geniuses, the fact that there were two success stories does not provide a platform wide enough for the current CJN to stand upon to seek to make a convention of an anomaly.
    As noted, I believe that the caliber of men who should make claim to a direct appointment to the Supreme Court of any country should be men with the rarest of fibre, not a case of awarding positions which has a high prospect to demotivate hard work and discourage diligence. There should be thorough professional performances and a testimonial of talents to merit a loftier rung. It should not be a gift to long runners when distinction is palpably lacking. 
    While some might argue that those gifted with the guts of the trade, those with exceptional skills be recommended for a few appointments to the Courts of Appeal where, upon deeds of distinctions, they may be given an accelerated promotion to the Supreme Court, I am of the view that a person who has distinguished himself by attaining the rank of Senior Advocate should maintain his enviable course. He should lend himself as a friend of the court and a statesman in the legal profession, a shining light  in the Temple of Justice.
    What one cannot deny in the perspectives so far rendered is the fact that they swept up fundamental points that are of dire import on the learned profession. Positions of such pivotal height in the business of justice administration should be earned by distinctions and stellar accomplishments, and should not be served to the laps of the lackeys of individuals who are privileged to call the shots. 
    Having posit above, a decision I believe,  would soon be taken, albeit in good wisdom. Even as whichever decision taken is in the interest of Justice and the best methods of its application, decisions that have such magnitude of consequence in the future should be weighed against its width of worth and colossal imports. NBA, an umbrella body of Nigerian lawyers, who in this instance, had the honour of naming the highest jurists, should in future plug the loopholes that it creates by venting varieties where homogeneity of goal should take primacy, so that the nation’s law department can begin to get it right again, under my Lord Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen.
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    Nigerians should be patience with APC - Saraki says


    Senate President Bukola Saraki urged Nigerians to have confidence in the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in the country.
    He assured that government was working hard to overcome the current challenged bedevilling the nation.
    Saraki also called on the citizens to be optimistic and stay focused.
    He enjoined Nigerians to continue to live in peace and uphold the unity of the country.
    Senator Saraki spoke with reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital after his turbaning as Baba Adini of Ansarul Islam Society of Nigeria.
    On his Easter message he said: “My message is for us to live in peace and unity. I know that we will continue to make sacrifice, and we should be hopeful that the country will get better.”
    ” We should be hopeful that we will attain our promises with time. We just have to stay focused and determined and should not get distracted. I’m sure at the end of the day, we will get there.
    “But the most important thing is that there must be unity and peace, and we must be able to come together and support government to be able to do our best. People should not give up. They should be rest assured that all is going to be well.”
    Dr Saraki also made a case for the provision of funds in the constitution for the execution of constituency projects by lawmakers across the country.
    He said such provision would allow the lawmakers to impact on the lives of their constituents.
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