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US Longest Serving Congress Member Dies At 92

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John Dingell, a gruff Michigan Democrat who entered the US House of Representatives in 1955 to finish his late father’s term and became a legislative heavyweight and longest-serving member of Congress, died on Thursday. He was 92.

The former lawmaker’s wife, Debbie Dingell, who was elected to succeed him, was with him when he died peacefully at home in Michigan, her office said.

“He was a lion of the US Congress and a loving son, father, husband, grandfather, and friend,” Debbie Dingell’s office said.

“He will be remembered for his decades of public service to the people of Southeast Michigan, his razor sharp wit, and a lifetime of dedication to improving the lives of all who walk this earth.”

The Detroit News reported that he was in hospice care after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he had decided not to treat.

Dingell served 59 years in the House before retiring in 2015 because, as he said to a Michigan business group at the time, he could no longer “live up to my own personal standard” for serving in Congress.

Dingell served as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee for 16 years, where he pushed major legislation, including the breakup of telecommunications firm AT&T, cable deregulation, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air Act.

He also played an important role in passing the legislation leading to Medicare, the health insurance program for elderly Americans, in 1965, and the Affordable Care Act in 2010, popularly known as Obamacare.

Dingell did not win all of his legislative fights. He opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was approved in 1993.

In his later years as a legislator, Dingell navigated Capitol Hill in a motorised scooter bearing a vanity plate emblazoned with the words “THE DEAN,” the title for the longest-serving member of the House.

Well after leaving Congress, he remained popular, deploying his wit in posts on Twitter.

Three former presidents – Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama – expressed their condolences for the long-serving lawmaker.

“Hillary and I mourn the passing of John Dingell, one of the finest public servants in American history,” Clinton, a Democrat, said in a statement.

“For nearly 60 years, John represented the people of Michigan with honour, integrity, great good humour, and unequalled ability to get good legislation passed.”

Bush, a Republican, said he was fortunate to speak to Dingell shortly before he died.

“I thanked him for his service to our country and being an example to those who have followed him into the public arena,” Bush said in a statement.

Obama, a Democrat, lauded Dingell for his steady, determined efforts over a long career to bring change.

“John led the charge on so much of the progress we take for granted today,” Obama said in a statement, adding that American lives are better for his lifetime of service.

Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow wrote in a post on Twitter: “We have been incredibly lucky to have you and will miss you dearly.”

On Wednesday, Dingell’s wife said on Twitter that she skipped Tuesday’s State of the Union address in Washington to be with him as his health declined.

On Wednesday, Dingell dictated a tweet for his wife to write: “I want to thank you all for your incredibly kind words and prayers. You’re not done with me just yet.”

 

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Foreign News

EKWEREMADU : DABIRI-EREWA PLEADS FOR COMPASSION

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AJAGBE ADEYEMl TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has joined others in pleading with the UK government to show leniency with former Nigeria Deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu awaiting the verdict of the court on organ harvesting.

In a statement by Abdur-Rahman Balogun Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of NIDCOM in Abuja, she pleaded with the court to show compassion and sympathy in this case

” I join men and women of goodwill to plead for clemency for Sen. Ike Ekweremadu , if only even considering the psychological trauma, Sonia , the daughter, would be going through knowing that her parents are in jail because they tried to save her from a health condition she had no control over”, Dabiri-Erewa pleaded.

Dabiri-Erewa who reiterated her pleas, implored the UK government to temper justice with mercy, admitted that “mistakes have been made , and lessons learnt”.

The NIDCOM boss posited that though there is no ignorance before the law, Ekweremadu and his wife acted under natural instincts of parents to save an ailing daughter, and not for commercial purposes

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Foreign News

DABIRI-EREWA BAGS YET ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL HONOR

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Shri Gangandharanian Balasubramanian has honored Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), for her excellent contributions to Nigeria Diaspora especially women in the area of rescue and rehabilitation, supporting democracy and legislative reforms by enabling laws in favour of freedom and non-violence.

The Indian High Commissioner stated this when He conferred the Honor on the NIDCOM Boss in Abuja, during the celebration of some Nigerian Women Achievers and the launch of Indian Women Association, Abuja Chapter.

Balasubramanian added that every woman is an achiever in all aspects of their lives and this year ‘s celebration is to recognize few wonderful achievers both in India and Nigeria. He is certain that this tradition will continue as an annual event in the years to come.

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa expressed her gratitude to the Indian High Commission for honoring her amongst the very few Nigerian Women. She added that NiDCOM will continue to strengthen ties between Nigerian-Indian Diaspora and the Global Diaspora.

The NiDCOM boss highlighted the contributory roles of women to National Development. According to her, “ as a woman, one has to work three times harder, because your mistakes are more noticeable but as a woman I am grateful for men who support and recognize the efforts of women who are blazing the trail across all sectors of the economy”.

She concluded that the Indian Diaspora is a powerful force to its National Development and promise to do same with the Nigerian Diaspora to fast track Nigeria’s technological advancement.

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Foreign News

Chizoba: FG Will Demand Full Investigation into Her Death in Ethiopian Prison- Dabiri-Erewa

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia will demand full investigation into the circumstances that led to the death.of a Nigerian, Chizoba Favor Eze ,in Ethiopian Prison.

Reacting to the reported death of Chizobia Eze, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/ CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) said the Commission is in contact with the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia and the
circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident will be thoroughly looked into.

She expressed concern over the reported conditions of some Nigerians, serving various jail terms in Ethiopia, most of whom were drug related.

She also said the Nigerian Mission in Ethiopia has proposed an MOU from the Nigerian Correctional Service on transfer of sentenced persons to Nigeria with the Ethiopian authorities to complete their respective jail terms in Nigeria, and are awaiting a response from Ethiopia , adding that though Ethiopia had granted an amnesty to Nigerian Prisoners in 2019 , a number of them still found their way back to the country and allegedly still committed the same drug related crimes and were re- arrested.

The NIDCOM boss sent her deepest condolences to the family of Chizoba,
who was said to have died in Kaliti Prison , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  on sunday March 12, 2023 following an alleged physical aggression.

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