Boakai Sworn In As Liberian President 

Joseph Boakai has been sworn in Monday as Liberia’s president after his election victory over former football star George Weah, with the challenge of tackling poverty and corruption. The 79-year-old narrowly beat former Ballon d’Or winner Weah in November’s run-off poll with 50.64 percent of the votes to 49.36 percent. The inauguration ceremony in parliament was attended by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Boakai has 40 years of political experience already behind him. He was vice-president from 2006 to 2018 under Liberia’s first woman president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, before being soundly beaten by Weah in the 2017 election. November’s poll in the West African country was peaceful in a region that has seen a succession of military coups in recent years in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger. But the small nation of five million has been plagued with corruption, high levels of poverty and a weak justice system, after years of civil war and an Ebola outbreak. Impunity related to crimes committed during those civil wars is another unresolved issue.

Natasha Akpoti Sworn In As Kogi Central Senator

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, oversaw the swearing-in of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the new senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District during a plenary session held on Thursday.  The oath of office was administered by the Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Chinedu Akubueze, at 11:41am. Following the oath, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan had a handshake with the Senate President, who presented her with a copy of the Senate Standing Rules.  She was then escorted to her seat by the sergeant at arms after exchanging pleasantries with her colleagues. This development comes after the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s victory as the duly elected candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial Election held on February 25th earlier this year.  The appeal filed by Senator Abubakar Ohere, representing the All Progressives Congress, was dismissed by the appellate court, citing a lack of merit. This decision follows the earlier ruling by the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal in September, which nullified Ohere’s victory and declared Akpoti-Uduaghan as the rightful winner of the February senatorial poll.  Despite Ohere’s appeal to the Court of Appeal seeking redress, the court has upheld Akpoti-Uduaghan as the legitimate winner of the election.