John Souttar believes he will benefit from the rigours of Rangers’ pre-season training as he prepares to battle for his place in Michael Beale’s side next season.

The revamped Light Blues squad are being put through their paces in Germany with a view to a flying start to next season.

Beale has signed six new players, with the promise of more to come, and the Gers defender told RangersTV that he is in a good place.

Souttar, whose  2022/23 season was hampered by injury before he was involved in Scotland’s Euro 2024 qualifying campaign wins over Norway and Georgia, said: “For me it is the first time in a couple of years I will have had a proper pre-season where I am feeling fit and feeling 100 percent.

“It gives you a base for the rest of the season, you are not catching up with the lads or feeling like you are behind, you are right on it.

“This next week or two will give me a great base to hopefully have an injury-free season, so I am looking forward to it.

“Everyone is really hungry and when there are that number of new boys that come in everyone automatically has got to fight for their shirt.

“It is always the case at Rangers, but even more so now with the amount of quality that has been brought in and I think everyone is aware of that.

“There are only 11 jerseys for the first game of the season so everyone is going to be fighting for it and that can only be a good thing going forward.

“It has got a slightly different feel to it with the new players coming in and I am looking forward to seeing them all in training.

“These few weeks are massive, especially when there are new boys coming in, they are getting a feel for the club and how everyone gets on – off the pitch is as important as on it.

“Especially in pre-season, getting to know everyone’s characters, what they are like and what pushes them, so it is good, and everyone is going to enjoy getting away and enjoy creating bonds.

“I think that is what pre-season is about, when you are at home you don’t really get that 24/7 with the lads and hopefully it is the foundation for a successful season for us.”

[irishnews]

Al-Hilal are desperate to lure Man City’s Bernardo Silva to the Saudi Arabian league and have told the Premier League champions that they are willing to pay €70m for the Portuguese midfielder. 

That is according to CBS’ James Benge, who reports that the Saudi club have also offered Silva a massive salary worth €50m-a-year. However, the Man City star is yet to decide on his future and is not sure where he will play next season.

The 28-year-old is also wanted by Ligue 1 champions PSG, but City will only sell to the French club if they can convince them to part-exchange with talented teenager Warren Zaire-Emery, reports RMC Sport.

Silva has a contract at the Etihad until 2025 and Man City will not stand in his way if the Portugal international wants to challenge himself elsewhere; however, the European champions want their asking price to be matched and that is something Al Hilal are willing to do.

It remains unclear if Man City would accept a bid if it arrives and it is also uncertain if Silva wants to move to Saudi Arabia during the prime of his career.

[caughtoffside]

Arsenal have a surprise next signing from LaLiga in their sights and Barcelona’s ‘slowness’ could prove decisive for the Gunners, per a report.

Arsenal are spending big this summer, with Kai Havertz already banked to the tune of £65m. Deals for Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice have been agreed. The Ajax defender and West Ham captain will cost £38.5m and £105m respectively.

Timber’s move will be a blow to Man Utd who tried in vain to sign the Dutch international last year. The versatile 22-year-old is equally adept at playing at right-back or centre-half and is known for his elite passing range.

Arsenal expert Charles Watts exclusively told TEAMtalk it’s Ben White who is most at risk once Timber arrives. White spent last season deputising at right-back, though may be relegated to the bench if Arteta puts his faith in Timber from day one.

However, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, another right-back is in Arsenal’s sights.

Indeed, MD state Arsenal’s interest in Real Valladolid’s Ivan Fresneda – which dates back to the January window – has been reignited.

Fresneda, 18, was heavily linked with Newcastle, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the winter window. The Spaniard ultimately remained with Valladolid, though couldn’t prevent their relegation to the Segunda Division.

Per Mundo Deportivo, Valladolid’s exit from LaLiga has triggered a reduction in Fresneda’s release clause. It’s claimed he can now be signed for just €20m (approx. £17.2m).

The discount is understood to have revitalised Arsenal’s interest who have reportedly initiated contacts with Valladolid. Another club keeping a close eye on developments is AC Milan.

Fresneda is also admired over at Barcelona, though their well-documented financial strife is preventing them from acting quickly and decisively.

As such, their ‘slowness’ is opening the door for Arsenal who are moving ‘faster’ than their Spanish counterparts.

Fresneda is a player Mikel Arteta is reportedly a big admirer of. Aged 18, he could be viewed as an option to help secure the club’s future rather than a player who’ll make an instant impact.

Timber (22) and White (25) have the best years of their careers still to come. As such, spending around £17.2m on a third-string right-back would be a surprise.

But given Fresneda is a player tipped to be a future Spain international and his release clause means his value is artificially lowered, if Arsenal don’t strike, someone else will.

[teamtalk]

Authorities on Monday reported that Tunisia suspended salary payments for 17,000 teachers and sacked 350 school principals over protests demanding an increase in pay.

The salary suspensions could affect about 30 per cent of the country’s primary school teachers.

It will also escalate the conflict with the powerful UGTT union at a time when the North African country’s citizens grapple with dire economic crisis.

As part of their protest, teachers in the country have refused to hand in school grades.

Education Minister Mahamed Ali Bougdiri said “the students’ failure to obtain school grades is a disaster and a crime against children.”

Ikbel Azzabi, a union official, told Reuters that Tunisia’s decision aims at “starving teachers”, and the next school season would be difficult due to expected protests.

Hundreds of school principals have already started submitting their resignations.

The education ministry maintains that the country’s public finances do not allow the teachers’ requests to be approved.

Most people fear that the conflict between the ministry and union will deepen the ongoing crisis in Tunisia and threaten the new school season, amidst high inflation, poor public services, and loss of food commodities.

(Reuters/NAN)

Flutterwave, a leading fintech company in Africa, was a proud sponsor at the recently concluded 17th Annual Business Law Conference organized by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

The conference, which took place between Wednesday, 5th to Friday, 7th July 2023, was held at the prestigious Eko Convention Centre, located in Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Under this year’s theme “The Nigerian Business Landscape – Priorities for Law, Policy, and Regulation,” the conference brought together legal professionals, business leaders, policymakers, and regulators to discuss and explore the most pressing issues and challenges within the Nigerian business ecosystem. Other notable companies that were present include MTN, African Development Bank Group (AFDB), and Guinness Nigeria.

As a headline sponsor for the 3rd consecutive year, Flutterwave’s commitment to powering the conference reflects its recognition of the crucial role that legal frameworks, policies, and regulations play in facilitating business development and economic growth in Nigeria. Furthermore, Flutterwave’s participation demonstrates its dedication to fostering collaboration and promoting dialogue among legal practitioners, policymakers, and business leaders.

The conference featured a diverse range of panel discussions, keynote speeches, and offline exhibitions from different companies. Attendees gained valuable insights into investment opportunities in Nigeria’s mining sector, creative rights in a digitalized industry, the future of industrial agriculture in Nigeria, and general legal practice management.

Commenting on Flutterwave’s participation, the Chief Regulatory Officer, Bankole Falade stated, “We are honoured to be a part of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual Business Law Conference once again. This event provides a vital platform for stakeholders to collectively address the challenges and opportunities within Nigeria’s business landscape. We remain committed to working closely with policymakers and regulators to drive innovative solutions and create a conducive ecosystem for economic growth in Nigeria.”

[Nairametrics]

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has the Nigerian brand of democracy that does not deliver dividends to the people.

Obasanjo made this known during a colloquium I’m commemoration of the 60th year of Aare Afe Babalola at the bar, held at ABUAD campus in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

According to him, democracy, and good governance must lead to the welfare and well-being of the people, particularly the common people.

In his words, “In the American constitution, every person is born equal not every citizen, and they enjoy the constitutional right. But with us, the constitution is breached.

“We have no democracy that delivers the dividends of democracy. And if your democracy does not deliver, anything goes.

“Most of the people who are supposed to manage the constitution are the ones who undermine the constitution. Your democracy must deliver the dividends of democracy.

“I believe that constitutionalism and democracy must be for the welfare and wellbeing of the people. Leadership at all levels requires certain things character, understanding knowledge, and sacrifice and if these are not there, we are deceiving ourselves.

“All these must lead to the welfare, prosperity, security of the people and if we cannot manage it doesn’t matter what we talk about the constitution, democracy.”

[Vanguard]

Last week, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) issued an alert warning of the high probability of 14 states experiencing heavy rainfall that might lead to flooding. This is not the first time NEMA and Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA), through its Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), will issue such alerts but we keep losing lives and properties to flooding despite early warnings. Our approach and response to such signals have remained reactive.

The same last week, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced an outbreak of diphtheria in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). NCDC further informed us that there had been multiple disease outbreaks, including diphtheria, since December 2022, with 33 LGAs in eight states affected. Meanwhile, diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease but our leaders and institutions would prefer to be reactive.

The problem is not peculiar to NEMA, NHSA, NCDC, the affected states or the likely victims. There is a systemic challenge of our institutions and leaders preferring reactive instead of proactive responses to socio-economic challenges. This is from the highest level of government to the least of our public institutions. We are permanently reactive in our approach to governance, suffering devastating consequences before belatedly putting on our thinking caps.

Reactive governance refers to a mode of governance that primarily responds to immediate and pressing issues that arise without sufficient long-term planning or proactive measures. This anomaly is the predominant habit of governance in our country. We tend to sit and wait for foreseeable disasters to consume us before responding. Most of what we treat as emergencies do not qualify. They are avoidable incidents that should not catch any responsible government by surprise.

The source of our reactive approach is a tradition of governance. We emphasise ‘acting’ over and above ‘thinking’ through problems on a long-term basis. Issues like flood disaster prediction, epidemic prevention, speculative vaccine production, and power outage prevention are all ways of avoiding disasters that are sure to occur.

This reactive approach to socio-economic challenges falls within the “reactive state” concept. Two essential characteristics of the reactive state are: first, institutions fail to undertake initiatives to prevent the occurrence of an undesirable event though it has the power and incentive to do so; second, such institutions respond to pressure for change in an erratic and unsystematic manner.

In Nigeria, this reactive state approach naturally flows because it benefits operatives of the system, and our urgency index is high. Manifestations of this reactive state can be seen in our policy approaches to Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft in the Niger Delta and other security incidents.

Further instances demonstrate these cultural-cum-historical reactive approaches to national problems than a proactive and systematic long-term approach seen in the most developed worlds. Nigeria has faced various security challenges, including terrorism, insurgency, and communal clashes. In some instances, the government’s response has been primarily reactive, with the deployment of security forces after attacks have occurred rather than proactively addressing the root causes of these issues through intelligence gathering, preventive measures, and community engagement.

Nigeria’s infrastructure, including roads, power supply, and public transportation, has been a subject of concern for many years. Often, the government has taken a reactive approach to address these deficiencies by initiating projects and repairs in response to public outcry or when critical failures occur rather than proactively investing in infrastructure development and maintenance.

Nigeria’s economy has traditionally been heavily reliant on oil exports, making it susceptible to fluctuations in global oil prices. Reactive governance is evident in the government’s response to oil price shocks, which often involves scrambling to adjust the budget, implement austerity measures, or seek external loans to address revenue shortfalls instead of proactively diversifying the economy and reducing dependence on oil.

Besides, Nigeria faces challenges in its education sector, including inadequate infrastructure, outdated curricula, and low educational outcomes. The government’s approach has often been reactive, responding to issues as they arise rather than proactively investing in education reforms, teacher training, curriculum development, and infrastructure improvements to ensure quality education for all.

Corruption has been a persistent issue in Nigeria, affecting various sectors and hindering development. Reactive governance is evident in the government’s response to corruption scandals, which often involves investigations, prosecutions, and public outcry after the fact, rather than implementing proactive measures to prevent corruption, strengthen anti-corruption institutions, and promote transparency and accountability.

In the developed world, there is a great emphasis on thought in governance. This is why Washington is full of think tanks whose only business is to think through and develop long-term solutions to possible national problems. Government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) sometimes collaborate actively with universities and research institutes to work out long-term solutions in anticipation. In most of Europe and Asia, government departments have research departments staffed by some of the best brains trained to conduct anticipatory research and study different problems in relevant areas.

The best approach has proven to be leaders and institutions that adopt proactive decision-making. It is cheaper to be proactive than to be reactive. Being proactive saves lives. By its futuristic estimation, China knows that Africa is the future market; hence, it invests heavily in teaching Africans the Chinese language.

Being reactive often comes with disastrous consequences. One significant adverse result of reactive governance is the populace’s permanent uncertainty. People are unsure that what may come next will not consume them. A sense of collective vulnerability weakens people’s trust in government. People are left with a sense of self-help, of everyone to themselves. In cases of natural disaster, recourse to superstition becomes the only and last resort. People must choose between trust in government and belief in divine salvation. Prophesies of doom acquire legitimacy and find a ready market. When governance is not informed by rational and scientific projection, the future becomes a dark zone of uncertainty and the abode of the unknown. Fear and cynicism take hold of the hearts of citizens.

A major reason why we are so reactive is that we need to respect science and data. Data-driven policies enable policymakers to identify trends, anticipate problems, and develop targeted interventions before they escalate into crises. Nigeria must prioritise sustainable development practices that balance economic growth with environmental and social considerations. This includes promoting renewable energy, implementing sound environmental policies, and adopting responsible resource management practices. A proactive approach to sustainability can help mitigate environmental degradation, address climate change challenges, and promote social equity.

To move beyond reactive governance in Nigeria, adopting a proactive approach that focuses on long-term planning, anticipates challenges, and promotes sustainable development is essential. Some key areas that could contribute to this shift are detailed below.

The Nigerian government should emphasise the formulation and implementation of long-term strategic plans. This involves setting clear goals, identifying potential risks and opportunities, and developing strategies to address them. Strategic planning enables proactive decision-making and reduces the need for reactive measures.

It is crucial to strengthen the institutions responsible for governance in Nigeria, including the judiciary, legislature, and civil service. This involves enhancing their human and institutional capacity, improving transparency and accountability, and reducing political interference. Strong institutions are better equipped to anticipate and address issues before crises occur.

In addition, active citizen participation is vital for effective governance. Governments should promote transparency, engage citizens in decision-making processes, and establish mechanisms for feedback and accountability. This helps identify problems early on, encourages citizen ownership, and fosters a sense of responsibility among the populace.

Furthermore, proactive governance relies on accurate and timely information. Governments should invest in data collection, analysis, and utilisation to inform decision-making processes. Departments of research and planning cannot be a dumping ground or a place of punishment for public servants that have fallen out of favour. It should rather be the hub of policymaking and designing solutions to challenges. Let the best brains man this critical department. We should collaborate with our research institutions where there are obvious capacity gaps.

Our leaders and managers of institutions always want to profit from disasters. Even at the policy level, the equation often favours a reactive than a proactive approach. With newly elected officials at all levels, we need to switch from reactive to proactive ways of dealing with issues of national and global importance.

It is important to note that while these examples used above highlight instances of reactive governance, they do not encompass the entirety of governance in Nigeria. Nigeria has also witnessed proactive initiatives and policies in various areas. Still, there is room for further improvement in adopting a proactive approach to governance to address long-term challenges effectively.

Moving beyond reactive governance in Nigeria requires a shift in mindset, focusing on critical thinking over “doing”, long-term planning, and strengthening institutions and citizen engagement. By adopting a proactive approach, Nigeria can better anticipate and address challenges, promote sustainable development, and improve the well-being of its citizens.

This new administration is poised to do great things, and its starting point should be to prioritise the shift from the dominant leadership mentality of reactive governance to a proactive one. The administration must be intentional and proactive in solving Nigeria’s myriads of problems and rely on evidence and scientific approaches than the traditional path dependency that has characterised our governance in the past.

The lack of ability to solve major issues in Nigeria is not often because of a lack of resources but because of a lack of proactively planning and adopting creative and innovative solutions. Our leaders must adopt new approaches to doing things if they must succeed. Remember that you cannot do the same thing and expect a different result. Input determines output – garbage in, garbage out is the computer language. That is true about input and output in problem-solving.

The immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that Nigeria’s leadership should be based on merit and not on entitlement.

El-Rufai said this at the launch of the autobiography and retirement programme of Professor Ishaq Akintola of Lagos State University (LASU) on Sunday.

Akintola, who is also the founder of Muslim Rights Concerns (MURIC), retired from LASU having attained the statutory retirement age of 70, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

El-Rufai, who was the keynote speaker and awardee at the ceremony, noted that the sound footing with which the administration of President Tinubu started has deflated the ranks of those against the same faith ticket.

He said: “The way with which the present administration at the centre is changing things for the common good of the Nigerian people within a short period shows that leadership should be hinged on merit and not entitlement basis.

“We must de-emphasise religion and ethnic colouration for us to build a society free of ethnic nationality, religion, or political-leaning discrimination.

“As members of the two major religious groups in the country, if we find ourselves in public positions, we should ensure we practice the basic principles of leadership as encapsulated in both religions.”

[DailyPost]

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission from prosecuting the suspended Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, over his declaration of Aisha Dahiru, the All Progressives Congress candidate, as governor in the March 18 poll.

Justice Donatus Okorowo made the order after Mr. Michael Aondoaka, SAN, counsel to Dahiru, moved the ex-parte motion to the effect.

In the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/935/2023, the APC candidate in the poll, sued INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and another as respondents.

Aondoaka while moving the motion on Monday, argued that until the election petition tribunal decides the fate of his client in accordance with Section 149 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the prosecution of Yunusa-Ari cannot be said to be valid.

He said the decision of INEC to file an action against any person involved in Dahiru’s April 15 declaration as winner of the supplementary poll in the state when the tribunal was yet to determine the petition of his client, would deprive her of Section 285(6) of the law which gives 180 days within which the petition filed on May 6 should be dispensed with.

The senior lawyer, who informed the court that though a similar suit was earlier filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo where a judicial review of INEC’s action was sought, he said the sister court ordered Binani to approach a tribunal with her suit, having been an election-related matter.

He said an undertaking had been signed to prove to the court that the present suit was not frivolous.

He said in the undertaking, they were ready to face any cost should the court find the case to be frivolous.

After listening to Andoaka, Justice Okorowo ordered the parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the matter.

The judge, who adjourned the matter until July 18 for a hearing, ordered the respondents to show cause while the reliefs sought by Dahiru, popularly called “Binani”, should not be granted,

NAN