The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to Sierra Leone’s 24^th June 2023 General Elections said the polls took place “generally smoothly and in a largely peaceful atmosphere and eligible voters were able to freely participate in the process … despite some early challenges.”

The challenges identified by the Mission included the late arrival of polling officials and materials resulting in some voters being agitated, leading to the extension of balloting, with the counting and tallying of votes ending late in some polling centers.

“The (ECOWAS) Mission commends the sense of patriotism exhibited by polling staff, the security forces, the general populace, who collectively played their parts in ensuring a peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elections,” Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Head of Mission said in the Preliminary Declaration in Freetown on Monday, 26^th June.

“The Mission, however, expresses regret that major political parties pre-empted the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) by rushing to announce their “victory” in the polls before the official announcement by the ECSL,” the statement said.

The Mission, therefore, appealed “to all stakeholders, particularly the political parties, candidates and their supporters, the security forces and the general citizenry to remain calm and patiently await the announcement of the results by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone.”

It enjoined “candidates and political parties to refrain from making any statements that may lead to a breach of the peace,” reiterating that the ECSL remained the sole institution vested by the constitution with the authority to announce the results of the General Elections.

“The Mission further urges the Electoral Commission to diligently, but urgently, work to ensure the timely release of the results to avoid any tensions,” the statement said, while reminding “the candidates and the political parties of their commitment under the Election Peace Pledge to use only lawful channels in addressing any dispute that may emerge from the conduct of the 2023 general elections.”

The Mission praised “the patience and sense of patriotism so far exhibited by the vast majority of the electorate” and urged “same display of high sense of maturity, whilst awaiting the official announcement of the results by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone,” the statement added.

From the 60% provisional results of the elections released by the ECSL on Monday, incumbent President Julius Maada Bio of the ruling SLPP was leading the other 12 candidates having received 1,067,666 of the votes declared.

His closest rival, Dr Samura Kamara, the main opposition candidate of the APC, was credited with 793,751 votes.

The two candidates, control about 98% of the votes but if no candidate gets the mandatory 55% valid votes in the first round, the two frontrunners will go into a run-off election two weeks after the official release of the first-round results.

Meanwhile, the Heads of International Election Observation Missions from ECOWAS, AU, and Commonwealth, as well as the AU Panel of the Wise and the West African Elders’ Forum, have intensified mediation and preventive diplomacy efforts to ensure post-election peace in Sierra Leone, which has now held five general elections with two peaceful transfers of power after 20 years since the end of its 10-year civil war in 2002.

The heads of missions met with President Bio and Dr Kamara, as well as the ECSL leadership and Coordinator of the Office of National Security, and civil society organizations before and after the elections, echoing the message of peace and conciliation for the consolidation of democracy in Sierra Leone and the entire ECOWAS region.

They also called for an urgent and impartial investigation of the reported presence of security forces at the APC headquarters in Freetown and the alleged death of one of the party members on Sunday, 25^th June 2023 from a life bullet.

The ECOWAS Mission, led by Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas is supported by Deputy Head of Mission Amb. Ansumana Ceesay, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Sierra Leone, Amb. Moussa Harouna, Mr Serigne Ka, Ag Head of ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division, Dr. Onyinye Onwuka, Head of Division, Mediation and Coordination of Regional Political Affairs, and Mr Ebenezer Bruno Asiedu, Head of Division, Democracy and Good Governance.

The AU Mission was headed by former Ethiopian Prime Minister H.E. Hailemariam Desalegne Boshe, while former Nigerian Vice-President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo led the Commonwealth Mission.

Former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, led the West Africa Elders’ Forum, and Justice Effie Owuor, the AU Panel of the Wise.

ECOWAS deployed 15 Long-Term and 80 Short-Term Observers in 15 of Sierra Leone’s 16 electoral districts for the elections.

It also supported the electoral process with five hundred thousand US dollars (US$500,000) after despatching a joint pre-election fact-finding Mission with the AU to the country in April to assess the political environment.

How to Work and Study in the UK and other Commonwealth Countries

• Date: Saturday, July 1st, 2023
• Time: 11 am (GMT+1)
• Venue: CIAPS TV
• Attendance: Virtual

This CIAPS Career Development Event with the theme International Pathway for Medical Professionals is an informative session designed for medical professionals planning to study or work in the UK and other Commonwealth Countries.

It will help medical professionals in their desire to become truly global professionals by giving them insight to what they need to know, do and avoid if they want to work or study in the UK and other Commonwealth Countries.

It has been designed by the CIAPS School of Health and Social Care.

Participants will get the chance to interact with practicing professionals and academics that will provide information on available opportunities and requirements for medical professionals that want to practice in the UK and other Commonwealth Countries.

Venue:  CIAPS TV

Date and Time: Saturday, July 1st, 2023. From 11 am (GMT+1) prompt

The mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group, against the Russian military, highlights one of the challenges of engaging mercenaries or private military contractors of any hue, including thugs, to help a state prosecute its wars and police actions. Prigozhin, a long term ally of the Russian strong man Vladmir Putin, rose to prominence after his mercenaries helped Russia to raise its flag in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in April this year following a long and bloody battle.

Emboldened by its successes, Prigozhin began to accuse Russia’s top military chiefs of being responsible for the failures and setbacks in the Ukrainian conflict. The feud reached new heights on Saturday, June 24 2023, when Prigozhin alleged that a Wagner camp in Ukraine had been attacked “from the rear” by Russia’s military. The Russian Defense Ministry denied the accusation.

Prigozhin then claimed his fighters had crossed from the occupied eastern Ukraine into the Russian border city of Rostov-On-Don and that they would fight anyone who tried to stop them. They later began an audacious march to Moscow, capital of Russia, before suddenly turning back – arguing that it did not want to see the spilling of Russian blood. Wagner, is understood to have fought in Syria, the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Sudan, and Mozambique.

How does Asari Dokubo come into this?

Asari Dokubo, an ex-militant and leader of the defunct Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, has been in the news recently. A loquacious and attention-seeking supporter of President Tinubu during the campaigns, he visited the Presidential Villa recently and not only had a photo Op with the President, but was also given a rare and ill-advised privilege of hosting a press conference at the State House behind Nigeria’s Coat of Arms. In that press conference Dokubo took on the Nigerian military and accused their high command of being behind oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region. He also claimed that his “men” and not the Nigerian military were responsible for securing the Abuja-Kaduna road and other hot spots in the country. As he put it: “There is a full-scale war going on and the blackmail of the Nigerian state by the Nigerian military is shameful. They said they do not have enough armament and people listen to this false narrative. They are lying. They are liars. I repeat they are liars because I am a participant…

“I am a participant in this war. I fight on the side of the government of the Nigerian state in Plateau, Niger, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Rivers. And in Abuja today, you are travelling to Kaduna on this road. It is not the army that makes it possible for you to travel to Abuja or travel to Kaduna, and vice versa. It is my men, employed by the government of the Nigerian state, stationed in Niger.”

If the above claims are true, it means that Asari Dokubo either runs a private military company which the government engages or is a thug in control of armed militia engaged by, or working in conjunction with some elements in the government. Whichever is the case here brings up the whole discussion about the state engagement of private military contractors of any hue in the provision of security:

Modern private military companies (PMCs) have evolved from their origins from a group of ex Special Air Service (SAS) unit of the British Army who in 1965 founded WatchGuard International. There was a dramatic growth in the number and size of PMCs at the end of the Cold War with the exodus of some six million military personnel from Western militaries. Some of the better known PMCs include Blackwater and Vinnell Corporation (USA), G4S and Keeni-Meeny Services (United Kingdom), Lordan-Levdan (Israel), Executive Outcomes (South Africa) and Wagner Group (Russia). Though there was a United Nations Mercenary Convention in 1989 banning the use of mercenaries, which came into force on 20 October 2001, (as of August 2021, the convention had been ratified by 37 states, and signed but not ratified by 9 states), several countries continue to use different forms of PMCs, whose duties could differ depending on who hires them.

Supporters of PMCs often argue that it is cost effective, especially in a situation where the local security agencies are stretched. The argument is that once a contract is awarded to the PMC, the government does not have to worry about stuffs like feeding the fighters, clothing them or providing medical care as the PMC would be responsible for all those. While we do not have details of any government contract with Asari Dokubo or any other military or paramilitary contractor, we have not heard them complaining of being under-equipped as we regularly hear from our soldiers. In fact, while Tompolo’s N48bn oil pipeline surveillance contract has been credited with increase in oil production in Niger Delta by tackling oil bunkering, Asari Dokubo is claiming credit for the relative safety on some hitherto dangerous Nigerian roads “at a fraction of what the military spends.”

One of the criticisms of PMCs is that there are issues of oversight in their operations and of control and subordination to authorities. We see this insubordination to formal authorities playing out in the Wagner conflict with Russian military leadership and in the recent attacks on the Nigerian military by Asari Dokubo. What is shocking is the rather tepid response to Dokubo’s attacks on the military and the state turning a blind eye even when he was brandishing an AK47 and threatening an ethnic group. This raises the question of the nature of Asari Dokubo’s contract with the Nigerian state, (if such exists) and whether like Yevgeny Prigozhin he is already growing too big for Nigeria’s political and military leadership.

Given Asari Dokubo’s loquaciousness and antecedents as a violence entrepreneur, including shifty alliances, promotion of provincialism and recently Igbophobia, his warm embrace by President Tinubu compounds his (Tinubu’s) image problems and negates his recent efforts to distance Tinubu the President from the Tinubu of Boudillon. During the campaigns Dokubo claimed that when he was in prison Tinubu paid his children’s school fees, bought him his first car and even gave him a house. While we do not know the nature of the cord that binds them together, there is no doubt that a chummy relationship with such a character will make it more difficult for Tinubu to successfully re-invent himself as a statesman – as he seems to be striving to do since he became President.

It is generally unreliable, if not dangerous, for a state to depend on non-state actors for the provision of security. The modern State, according to the German sociologist Max Weber, “is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.” The outsourcing of aspects of security to PMCs questions this monopoly – as we have seen from the outbursts of both Prigozhin and Dokubo against Russia’s and Nigeria’s conventional militaries respectively. It should be borne in mind that in situations of armed conflict, the return to public order can be achieved only if the state’s legitimacy is restored and not if PMCs claim that they restored security for the state. Besides, since mercenaries have vested interests in the perpetuation of conflicts in order to remain in business, even if they succeed in helping to restore order in one conflict zone, they will surely want to open another conflict zone to remain in business. In essence since outsourcing aspects of security to violence entrepreneurs carries the risk of the PMC doing a Prigozhin, it is something that should be properly thought through by any government.

Jideofor Adibe is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Nasarawa State

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said many grants from the World Bank are marred in corruption.

Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman of the anti-corruption body, said this when he hosted a delegation of the Economic and Organised Crime Office of Ghana recently.

Owasanoye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the political economy of the international ecosystem was not designed for developing countries to progress in the fight against corruption.

“We have to understand as developing countries that the political economy of the international ecosystem is not designed for us to progress no matter how hard we try.’

“It is enlightened self-interest. For example, Nigeria borrowed one billion dollars in 1978. As at 2006, when we had the write-off, Nigeria was owing 32 billion dollars and it is designed in that way because of their rules of engagement and dispute resolution. The rule uses the IMF and the World Bank to whip you into line when you want to challenge the debt.

“How many countries have taken the World Bank to court? Does it not have failed loans? Many of the loans the World Bank grants are marred in corruption but nobody has the courage to take them to court because those issues are usually politically determined,” he said.

Lamenting how developing countries get swayed by outcomes of international surveys, the ICPC boss said it was wrong to use perception surveys to compare experience surveys.

He said: “In developing countries, we are driven by the outcomes and report of international surveys. International surveys are not innocent, and it is naïve to think they are otherwise. If you do not create a system where your voice is heard, a kind of platform where you say your own and refuse to be driven by the outcome of those reports, you will continue to be apologetic.

“I was in Abidjan last year and I spoke in a panel that had representatives from Transparency International and I told them it is wrong to use perception survey to compare experience survey, it is like comparing sleep with death.

“Is it not strange that Transparency International will rank countries that are losing assets as more corrupt than the countries receiving the stolen properties? And under the common law, both the thief and the receiver of stolen properties are both guilty. But when they rate us, they will rate the receiving countries as being more honest but those of us whose properties are stolen every day are rated to be more corrupt

“We must have a home-grown approach because it makes our work easier. We try to do our own survey where we talk to people, document and publish it so that when someone throws TI’s index to my face, I will tell them I have my own survey before you form an opinion.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima, has said that the government of President Bola Tinubu would create one million jobs in the digital world for the youths.

Shettima made the statement on Monday when he received a delegation from the Republic of Korea led by the Special Envoy to the President, H.E. Jang Sungmin, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He solicited for their partnership, noting that: “We are willing to partner with you in the area of technology because by 2030, there will be a 65% global talent deficit with the US, Russia and Brazil suffering 6 million talent deficits. I believe Nigeria is in a unique position to fill in those talent deficits because ours is a young nation.

“75% of Nigerians are below the age of 35, so we are soliciting for your partnership and support in digital skills training for our young people.

“We want to create 1 million jobs in the digital world. India earned $120B last year from global outsourcing and we are in a unique position to take advantage of the opportunities in the sector.

“We need the skills set, we need the technology to drive the process and yours is a technology that we can embrace.”

Former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has said that Nigerians should be proud for having Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president.

He disclosed this on his Twitter handle, while describing Tinubu as a great economist that knows how to turn things around for better.

According to him: “A new crop of leaders are emerging in Africa that have clear ideas as to how they want their various economies and societies to be run so as to prioritise their self-sustenance and cultural imperatives over and above theories and conditionalities of the Western World and other bigger economies that do not sit well with their people.

“We should be proud that we have @officialABAT at this time as President who, from a rich antecedent, knows all the nuances of how to grow a modern economy and can easily connect with other African leaders on such initiatives”.

The European Union Election Observation Mission has presented its final report on this year’s general elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

This was disclosed on Monday via its Twitter by INEC

The EU Mission was received by the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, and the National Commissioners of the electoral body.

The tweet read: “The European Union Election Observation Mission, today, presented its final report on the 2023 general elections to the commission.

“INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and National Commissioners were on hand to receive the visitors.”

The EU had in February 27, 2023 revealed in its report that lack of transparency in the conduct of the 2023 general elections deflated public trust in INEC.

It also noted that public confidence in INEC’s independence, professionalism and voter information efforts decreased even before February 25.

While the EU acknowledged that the election took place as planned, it said operational failures, which challenged the right to vote, contributed to the reduced trust in the process.

Despite a court order reinstating them into service, some dismissed police officers have petitioned the Acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to review their dismissal and correct the obvious injustice against them.

The officer who was forced to retire asked Egbetokun to order the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Force Secretary to reconsider their dismissal and reinstate them as ordered by the Industrial Court.

The officers, speaking through their representative in a statement issued and signed by Emmanuel Idris, said they were forced to retire from the force despite a court ruling ordering the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission not to forcefully retire them because they had not served for 60 years or 35 years.

The officers, who are members of cadet inspector force entrants 33, 34, and 35, have petitioned the police chief to implement the court’s decision to reinstate them.

They expressed concern about the failure of the previous IGP, Usman Alkali Baba, and other relevant authorities to follow the court’s ruling.

According to the sacked officers, the court delivered the judgment in April 2022, and the defendants have yet to implement the judgment, which was delivered by NICN Justice Oyewumi Oyebiola.

The statement stated that;

This judgement has been given since April last year. But to our dismay, the former IGP vehemently refused to do the needful even after the directives to do so and the advice from the police service commission and police legal department, respectively.

The action of the former IGP was also puzzling when he immediately implemented a similar court judgement not long ago involving our ASP counterparts of courses 18,19 and 20.

It became surprising why what was sauce for the geese was not sauce for the gander. The letter from the PSC as well as the advice from the CP legal to the former IGP.

We, the members of the above courses force entrants, are appealing to you to help in the implementation of the court judgement in suit number NICN /ABJ/281/2021CSP ECONG EGWO EGONG&3OTHERS VS PSC AND TWO OTHERS.

Your Contemporaries and those who have had the opportunity to work with you all attested to your integrity. That you are an Officer who does his job with the fear of God, fairness, equity and justice.

Consequently, we urge our new IGP to use his good offices to correct this obvious injustice. Wishing you a prosperous tenure as you take up the mantle of leadership of Nigeria Police.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has set up a judicial panel of inquiry tasked with recovering government properties from the state government officials who served under the administration of his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Mr Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) served as a two-term governor of the state from 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023, when he handed over to Mr Otti.

Mr Otti, the Labour Party candidate in the 18 March governorship election in the state, defeated the ruling PDP candidate, Okey Ahiwe, to emerge the winner.

The Secretary to the State government (SSG), Kenneth Kalu, announced the setting up the judicial panel of inquiry in a statement on Friday.

A judge of the State High Court Umuahia, Florence Duruoha-Igwe, was named the panel chairperson.

According to the statement, other panel members include Ekeoma Ogwo, a professor; Ugochukwu Okoroafor, Alex Okonkwo, a catholic priest] and Ngozi Akanwa, a professor.

Mr Otti, earlier this month, had ordered former state officials to return the government’s properties in their possession or face sanctions.

The SSG did not mention the names of the former officials, but it is believed that he was referring to government officials who served under Mr Ikpeazu.

Mr Otti, since he was sworn in as governor on 29 May, has been in a war of words with Mr Ikpeazu, whom he accused of leaving “huge debts” and zero assets for the new administration.

But the former governor has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Naira on Monday depreciated against the dollar by 0.38 percent (N3/$1) at the parallel market, also known as black market following increased demand.

During the intra-day trading on Monday, the dollar quoted at the rate of N773 as against N770 quoted on Friday at the black market.

Traders attributed the naira depression to increased demand for dollars, mostly from individuals who want to travel for education, tourism or for business.

“The demand for dollars is rising and that is the reason the rate is lower today than Friday,” said one of the traders.

Naira depreciated by 0.65 percent on Friday at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) forex window as the dollar was quoted at N770.17 as against N765.13 quoted on Thursday, data from the FMDQ indicated.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on June 14, 2023, abolished segments of the official FX market to the I&E Window, where the “Willing buyer and Willing seller” was re-introduced. Based on this adjustment, the official rate rose from N463.38/$ to N632.77/$ and has since averaged N669.0/$, a report by Agusto & Co, a Pan-African Credit Rating Agency, noted.

“Under Godwing Emefiele, the suspended CBN governor’s leadership, Nigeria operated with a multiple exchange rate system that heavily relied on a controlled official rate, resulting in limited liquidity for businesses and individuals. This, in turn, led to increased demand for foreign currency in the parallel market, where exchange rates carried a significant premium, the report said.