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Johnson told to drive out ‘dinosaur mentality’ from Tory party after race row

dinosaur mentality

Johnson told to drive out ‘dinosaur mentality’ from Tory party after race row

Boris Johnson has been urged to drive out a “dinosaur mentality” from the Conservative party amid warnings that an MP mixing up two ministers of Asian heritage was “not an isolated incident”.

James Gray confused his Tory colleagues Nadhim Zahawi and Sajid Javid at a charity reception in parliament last month, allegedly saying “they all look the same to me,” it emerged on Tuesday.

It was the second time in less than a month that Javid, the health secretary, was mistaken for another minister of Asian heritage. He was confused with Alok Sharma, the Cop26 president, at Conservative party conference in Manchester. A fellow delegate commented on him being driven in a gas-guzzling car despite supposedly being in charge of the climate summit, it is understood.

On Tuesday, Gray, the MP for North Wiltshire, was called in for a meeting with the chief whip and reminded of the standards expected of him. St John Ambulance, which appointed Gray as a commander last year, stripped him of the role after the alleged racist remark made at an event held in honour of its volunteers in September.

Gray, who was hosting its reception, tried to introduce Javid but incorrectly called Zahawi, the education secretary, up to the front. When the mistake was pointed out, the MP was said by a witness quoted in the Daily Mail to have told the audience: “They all look the same to me.” The witness added that Zahawi pulled Gray to one side for a private conversation afterwards.

Gray denied making that specific remark, telling the BBC he thought he might have said “I mixed you up” and adding it was a “very silly non-story”. In a statement to the Daily Mail on Monday night Gray insisted he had said the ministers “look very alike” and that he was “sorry if I got you two mixed up”. He added that the two were close friends of his and that “the notion this is some sort of racist remark is ridiculous”. His office did not respond to requests for further comment.

A spokesperson for St John Ambulance said it “does not tolerate racism in any way, shape or form”, adding: “We spoke with James Gray following the event about our values as an open, inclusive and progressive charity.”

The revelation about Gray’s comment prompted criticism from Sajjad Karim, a Tory former MEP. “He should have apologised immediately,” he said. “It’s certainly demonstrative of the huge journey the Conservative party needs to go on when it comes to the issue of diversity and – dare I say it – levelling up internally.”

Karim told the Guardian it was “not an isolated incident at all” and that he had lost count of the number of times other minority ethnic Conservatives had recounted being confused with someone else or he had experienced it personally, including being mistaken for the innovation secretary, Syed Kamall.

He said it was symptomatic of a “dinosaur mentality” and signalled his concern at the seemingly soft action taken against Gray. Karim said Gray should at the very least apologise and undergo diversity training, adding: “It is a clear signal that such behaviour and flippant reactions by perpetrators are still regarded as the order of the day. Back to the 50s, 60s and 70s, it is.”

A Tory anti-racist activist, who asked not to be named, called Gray’s remark “unpleasant and sloppy” and said comments like his would not have been accepted under past Conservative leaders but “in the post-2016 era, we seem to have to accept mediocrity”. Nick Lowles, chief executive of Hope Not Hate, said it was a “sign of an endemic inability and lack of political will to tackle racism”.

A Conservative party spokesperson said: “These comments were misjudged. We do not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.”

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Oyebanji appoints Justice Ogunmoye as Acting Ekiti Chief Judge

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has appointed Hon. Justice Lekan Adekanye Ogunmoye as Acting Chief Judge of the State.

This is in furtherance of the powers conferred on the Governor by Section 271 (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The appointment of Hon Justice Ogunmoye takes effect from November 5, 2024.

He replaces the former Chief Judge, Hon Justice John Oyewole Adeyeye, who passed on November 4, 2024.

Born on November 6, 1963, Hon. Justice Ogunmoye was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987, and was appointed a judge on April 1, 2010.

Governor Oyebanji wishes the new Acting Chief Judge a successful tenure.

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International

US Presidential election: Trump At 266 Votes, Harris At 195: US Media

Republican former president Donald Trump closed in on a new term in the White House early Wednesday, just needing a handful of electoral votes to defeat Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

US media have thus far projected that Trump has won in more than half of the 50 US states, including three key battlegrounds Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, two of which voted Democratic in the last election.

That gives him 266 electoral votes, just shy of the 270 needed to win the presidency. Fox News has already called the race in Trump’s favor.

Harris has so far captured 195 electoral votes, including big prizes California and New York — as well as the US capital Washington.

The magic number to win the presidency is 270. Observers expect the hotly contested race for the White House to come down to a handful of key battleground states.

The following is a list of the states won by each candidate and the corresponding number of electoral votes, based on the projections of US media including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC/NBC News, ABC and CBS.

TRUMP (266) –

Alabama (9)

Arkansas (6)

Florida (30)

Georgia (16)

Idaho (4)

Indiana (11)

Iowa (6)

Kansas (6)

Kentucky (8)

Louisiana (8)

Mississippi (6)

Missouri (10)

Montana (4)

Nebraska (4 – split)

North Carolina (16)

North Dakota (3)

Ohio (17)

Oklahoma (7)

Pennsylvania (19)

South Carolina (9)

South Dakota (3)

Tennessee (11)

Texas (40)

Utah (6)

West Virginia (4)

Wyoming (3)

– HARRIS (195) –

California (54)

Colorado (10)

Connecticut (7)

Delaware (3)

District of Columbia (3)

Hawaii (4)

Illinois (19)

Maryland (10)

Massachusetts (11)

Nebraska (1 – split)

New Mexico (5)

New York (28)

Oregon (8)

Rhode Island (4)

Vermont (3)

Virginia (13)

Washington (12)
(AFP)

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APC hails arrest of Ex-Delta Gov, Okowa by EFCC

The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed the recent arrest of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, describing it as a step in the right direction in the fight against corruption in the country.

The APC, in a statement issued shortly after the news broke, emphasized that Okowa’s arrest signals a strong commitment by the current administration to address long-standing issues of financial mismanagement and corruption at both the state and national levels.

Okowa, who served as the Governor of Delta State from 2015 to 2023, was apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds during his tenure.

The charges reportedly relate to a series of financial dealings involving state funds and other questionable contracts awarded during his administration.

In the statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Valentine Onojeghuo Esq., and made available to newsmen in the state capital, Asaba, the Delta APC commended the Federal Government for its decisive action and urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to continue its thorough investigation into the financial activities of other past state governors and public officials.

The party emphasized that this move reflects a larger national agenda to clamp down on corruption, promote transparency, and ensure that public funds are used for the benefit of ordinary citizens rather than for personal enrichment.

“We in the APC wholeheartedly welcome the news of the arrest of the former governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who presided over one of the worst cases of financial recklessness and mismanagement on a monumental scale during his eight-year administration.

“His corrupt practices saw the diversion of humongous state funds for personal enrichment, establishing a bank, and financing his doomed presidential ambition, as well as the manipulative imposition of his puppet godson as governor against the wishes of the people of Delta State who desperately wanted change.”

The APC noted that the arrest serves as a warning to all public office holders, stressing that the era of impunity is over. “No one, regardless of their position or political affiliation, is above the law,” the statement read.

“The fight against corruption must be unwavering and thorough, and we are glad to see the administration taking bold steps in this direction.”

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