The Recording Academy (GRAMMY) is set to further accommodate the vibrant rhythms and unique melodies of African music with the introduction of a new award category titled “Best African Music Performance” for the 66th GRAMMY Awards in 2024.

According to a statement by the organizers on Tuesday, the landmark decision was unanimously approved during the Academy’s semi-annual Board of Trustees meeting in May 2023. The introduction of this category marks a significant step towards acknowledging the rich diversity and impact of African music on the global soundscape.

Harvey Mason Jr., the CEO of the Recording Academy, shared his enthusiasm and the Academy’s rationale behind the introduction of the new category.

“The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape,” he said.

The ‘Best African Music Performance’ category will spotlight recordings that echo local expressions from across the African continent. The category encompasses a wide range of music genres, including Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz, among others.

According to Mason, the introduction of this new category signifies the Academy’s commitment to recognize and appreciate a broader array of artists. “By introducing these new categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists,” he said.

This move ensures the representation and celebration of African music, its creators, and the unique cultural narratives they bring to the world stage.

Mason concluded, “We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.”

The new categories include Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album, and Best Pop Dance Recording.

The courtroom was hushed throughout the brief hearing.

A stone-faced former President Donald Trump entered a not guilty plea Tuesday to charges he lied and schemed to hold on to sensitive national security material that he was supposed to have surrendered when he left the White House.

Trump, 76, was indicted last week on 37 federal felony counts, including willful retention of national defense information, making false statements and representations, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

In court, Trump, wearing a blue suit and red tie, sat silently with his hands crossed and had a not guilty plea entered by his attorney during the brief proceeding before Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman.

“We most certainly enter a plea of not guilty,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told the judge.

Special counsel Jack Smith, whose office brought the case, was in court for the proceeding, seated in the front row.

Goodman did not put any travel restrictions on Trump, who’s campaigning for president, or ask him to surrender his passport. Prosecutors had not asked for either restriction. The judge did on his own bar Trump from discussing the case with any witnesses identified on a list to be compiled by government lawyers.

Trump was seated at the same table as his co-defendant in the case, aide Walt Nauta. Nauta, 40, did not enter a plea because he does not yet have a local attorney, and was given a June 27 return date.

The bombshell case is the first time in U.S. history that a former president has been charged with federal crimes — a test of the criminal justice system he once presided over in a politically fraught prosecution.

Trump was arraigned once before, in the New York case involving his hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. But unlike the Manhattan court, the federal magistrate in Miami prohibited cameras inside the building — leaving the public to watch only the small gathering of supporters outside.

Trump left the courthouse just before 4 p.m. ET, and stopped at the popular Cuban restaurant Versailles, where the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to him. Trump turns 77 on Wednesday.

“Thank you Miami. Such a warm welcome on such a SAD DAY for our Country!” Trump posted on Truth Social as he was headed toward the airport.

The former president, who had struggled to find a local attorney after two members of his legal team resigned Friday, was represented in his initial appearance by Blanche and Chris Kise, Florida’s former solicitor general and an ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump’s main 2024 GOP rival, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Both traveled with Trump to the courthouse in his motorcade, a source close to Trump said.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and maintains he was entitled to the documents. He has said the prosecution was politically motivated and vowed to retaliate against President Joe Biden if re-elected.

“Now that the ‘seal’ is broken,” Trump wrote in all capital letters in a post on Truth Social earlier in the day, ” … I will appoint a real special ‘prosecutor’ to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the USA, Joe Biden.”

Alina Habba, a Trump attorney who’s involved with his other cases, spoke to reporters outside of the courthouse and repeated the former president’s claims that politics was driving the prosecution, saying Trump is the Republican front-runner and it’s “less than a year and half before the election.”

“People in charge of this country do not love America. They hate Donald Trump,” Habba said.

Trump did not make any public comments at the courthouse, and was scheduled to deliver remarks at his estate in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Tuesday night. The event had originally been planned as a private fundraiser for his 77th birthday.

There was no mug shot of Trump during the booking process, a law enforcement source told NBC News, with an existing photo uploaded to the government’s secure booking database, which is not publicly accessible. He was also going to be electronically fingerprinted.

Trump also had to provide personal data such as his telephone number, address and Social Security number, as part of the process.

Miami Police Chief Manny Morales said Monday that the city was bracing for the possibility of thousands of protesters at the courthouse and has been coordinating with federal, state and local partners “to ensure that we maintain not only peace and order” but also the ability for demonstrators “to express themselves and their First Amendment rights.”

Hundreds of spectators, journalists and activists gathered outside the courthouse earlier in the day, but by the time of Trump’s arrival, the crowd was much smaller than anticipated.

The indictment says that Trump’s claim to the documents expired the moment he left office but that he intentionally held on to top secret and other classified documents, in some instances for over a year and a half after he left office. It alleges that he kept a trove of classified documents even after he was hit with a subpoena for their return and that he misled his attorneys into believing they’d all been returned.

The documents “included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the U.S. and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for a possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack,” the indictment says.

He also treated that information cavalierly — at times keeping it on the stage in the ballroom at his Florida resort and in a bathroom next to a toilet, the filing alleges.

During the period Trump kept the documents around his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, the club “hosted more than 150 social events, including weddings, movie premieres and fundraisers that together drew tens of thousands of guests,” the indictment says.

It also disputes Trump’s claim that the documents were secured by his Secret Service detail, alleging agents had no idea the documents were there. “Trump did not inform the Secret Service that he was storing boxes containing classified documents at the Mar-a-Lago Club,” prosecutors said.

The court filing doesn’t elaborate on how prosecutors knew that to be the case. Sources familiar with the matter said last week that investigators had questioned about two dozen Secret Service agents.

Regardless, the filing notes, the agency is “not responsible for protecting Trump’s boxes or their contents.”

The indictment said disclosure of some of the documents’ contents “could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military and human sources, and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods.”

Nauta is charged with helping Trump hide documents and with lying to investigators about his involvement with and knowledge of the boxes and their contents.

Nauta’s lawyer, Stan Woodward, has declined to comment on the charges against his client, who was a military valet in the Trump White House.

The judge who presided over Tuesday’s proceeding won’t oversee the case in a trial. Court officials said the case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who last year temporarily halted the FBI’s review of the documents that had been recovered at Mar-a-Lago.

Her ruling was overturned by a panel of appeals court judges who suggested Cannon had tried to “carve out an unprecedented exception in our law for former presidents.”

[Nbcnews.com]

Extreme weather conditions in Europe have killed almost 195,000 people and caused economic losses of more than 560 billion euros since 1980, the European Environment Agency said Wednesday.

“Nearly 195,000 fatalities have been caused by floods, storms, heat- and cold waves, forest fires and landslides” between 1980 and 2021, the EAA said in its report.

Of the 560 billion euros ($605 billion) in losses, only 170 billion, or 30 per cent, were insured, the EEA said, as it launched a new online portal collating recent data on the impact of extreme weather.

“To prevent further losses, we need to urgently move from responding to extreme weather events…to proactively preparing for them,” EEA expert Aleksandra Kazmierczak told AFP.

According to the latest data, heatwaves accounted for 81 per cent of deaths and 15 per cent of financial losses.

Europe needs to take measures to protect its ageing population, with the elderly particularly sensitive to extreme heat, the EEA said.

“Most national adaptation policies and health strategies recognise the impacts of heat on cardiovascular and respiratory systems. But less than half cover direct impacts of heat like dehydration or heat stroke,” it said.

The summer of 2022 saw more deaths than usual in Europe following repeated heatwaves, but the 2022 deaths were not included in the data published on Wednesday.

There were 53,000 more deaths in July 2022 than the monthly average in 2016-2019, up by 16 per cent, though not all of those deaths were directly attributed to the heat, the EEA said.

Spain registered more than 4,600 deaths linked to the extreme heat in June, July and August.

Climate modelling has predicted longer, more intense and more frequent heatwaves.

In February 2022, the EAA said extreme weather killed 142,000 people and caused 510 billion euros in losses for the period 1980-2020.

The increase in the figures released on Wednesday was partly due to the fact that in 2021, flooding in Germany and Belgium led to economic losses of almost 50 billion euros.

In terms of deaths, a change in methodology in France and Germany was responsible for the large variation, the EEA said.

– ‘Devastating consequences’ –

Climate change caused by humans increased the risk of drought five- or six-fold in 2022, a year when forest fires ravaged twice as much territory as in recent years, the EEA said.

Droughts could end up being very costly.

Economic losses could rise from nine billion euros per year currently to 25 billion euros at the end of the century if the planet warms by 1.5C degrees.

That could climb to 31 billion euros if it warms by 2C and 45 billion euros if it warms by 3C, according to scientific scenarios.

The consequences for agriculture could be “devastating”, the EEA warned.

“Farmers can limit adverse impacts of rising temperature and droughts by adapting crop varieties, changing sowing dates and with changed irrigation patterns,” the report said.

Without changes, yields and farm incomes are projected to decline in the future, it said.

While human losses from flooding are much lower, accounting for just two per cent of the total, they are the most costly, accounting for 56 per cent of economic losses.

AFP

After months of political intrigues, permutations, and drama, the four candidates nominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for Senate and House of Representatives leadership won their elections in style yesterday.

The four anointed candidates are Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau; House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas; and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.

While Barau and Kalu emerged unopposed, Akpabio prevailed after a tough battle and Abass recorded a landslide victory over his two opponents.

In the Senate where all the 109 senators took part, Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State and one-time Senate Minority leader, polled 63 votes to defeat former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari (APC, Zamfara West) who polled 46 votes.

In the House of Representatives, it was smooth sailing for Abass as 353 of the 359 lawmakers inaugurated gave him their votes. His challengers, Idris Wase and Aminu Jaji polled three votes each.

Congratulating Akpabio and Abass on their election, President Bola Tinubu told the new leadership of the 10th National Assembly that Nigerians want the lawmakers to lift their economic burden.

Tinubu urged the National Assembly to work with him to deliver the dividends of democracy, adding that now that elections are over, it is time to get on with the business of governance to justify the mandate given to them.

Mild drama in Senate

Instead of the 10 a.m. Clerk of the National Assembly, CNA, Alhaji Sani Tambuwal, communicated to the lawmakers last week, the election process commenced at 8 a.m. yesterday.

Before the election, former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), nominated Akpabio after a call was made to that effect by the Clerk to the National Assembly and the nomination was seconded by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun West).

There was drama when the CNA asked if there was any other nomination for the position as Senator Elisha Abbo (APC, Adamawa North), tried to nominate Senator Abdulaziz Yari for the position, but Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), kicked against it, saying that Yari is not a ranking senator.

Monguno argued that Yari’s nomination contravened Senate Standing Order 3, 2020 as amended. The argument was spontaneously opposed by senators-elect in support of Yari with shouts of No! No!

The CNA overruled Monguno and declared that nomination of Yari was in order and not an infraction on any rules of the Senate or relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

At this point, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South), seconded the nomination of Yari. In the election by secret ballot, Yari scored 46 votes against Akpabio’s 63.

How Barau emerged unopposed

After the declaration of Akpabio as President of the 10th Senate, the CNA called for nomination for the position of Deputy Senate President where Senator David Umahi (APC, Ebonyi South), nominated Senator Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano North) and was seconded by Saliu Mustapha (APC, Kwara Central).

In the absence of further nominations, the CNA declared Senator Barau as the new Deputy Senate President.
Immediately after his activities in the Senate, the CNA proceeded to the House of Representatives for the election of the presiding officers.

Akpabio extends hand of fellowship

In his inaugural speech, Senate President Akpabio, extended an olive branch to Senator Yari who contested against him and other senators who were not on his side, irrespective of political party membership, saying: “Having won elections and inaugurated, we should see ourselves as Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not that of political parties.”

Akpabio who described the 10th Senate as an uncommon one that will collaborate with the executive arm of government in the area of improved revenue generation for the country, said: “This Senate and by extension, the 10th National Assembly, needs to collaborate with the President Bola Tinubu-led executive arm of government on improved revenue generation.

“President Tinubu as the executive governor of Lagos State from May 1999 to May 2007, did it by raising the internally generated revenue, IGR, of the state, which was below N1billion then to between N50billion and N61billion every month now.

“We, therefore, need to come up with legislation on improved revenue generation by looking at new sources for that purpose.”

He said that the 10th Senate should look in the direction of strengthening the legislative space and at the same time support good policies and programmes of the Federal Government like the recent removal of fuel subsidy

Akpabio, after his speech, called on the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau to move for an adjournment to today, Wednesday, which he did and was seconded by Senator Ali Ndume.

We refused to be intimidated —Ningi

Reacting to the election, former Deputy Senate Majority Leader and Head of Media of Senator Yari’s Campaign Organisation, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), who described the poll as free and fair without much-anticipated drama, said: “The election was free and fair without much-anticipated drama. That is what makes the institution of the Senate different.

“The animosity, the fear of what happened in the last two days completely vanished. You go into the hall and you see how people are embracing themselves and that is parliament and that is democracy. We have refused to be intimidated by any enforcement and imposition and that is why we said there must be an election and those who came up with the idea of theatre party and the sitting government had the day, we have no problem.., the election was free and fair and to be honest I was expecting it to be so.

“The position I took was not the position of my party but that of the minority caucus and you could see not all of us actually voted on the same page. Some people actually went to negotiate, and that is parliament. I believe in six months or so we are going to bind together by putting the nation first.”

I’m happy democracy is being deepened — Izunaso

On his part, an aspirant for the Senate Presidency, Osita Izunaso (APC, Imo West) who noted that he is happy that democracy is being deepened, said, “I feel happy that members of the 10th Senate have made their choice, have elected their President and Deputy President. I think from there we can hit the ground running because a lot is expected of us by Nigerians.”

How Abbas, Kalu emerged

In the House of Representatives, the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, DCNA, Kamaru Ogunlana, kicked off the electoral process before his principal, Magaji Tambuwal emerged from the Senate at the end of a similar exercise, to complete it.

It will be recalled that Abbas and Kalu were the preferred choices of the ruling All Progressives APC for the offices.

However, their unveiling on May 8 triggered fierce opposition from a number of their colleagues such as Idris Wase, Aminu Jaji, Ado Doguwa, Aliyu Betara, Miriam Onuoha, Yusuf Gagdi among others, who later formed a Group of 7(G7), vowing to run against his nomination.

At the twilight of the inauguration of the 10th Assembly, Betara, Gagdi heeded the voice of wisdom and joined Doguwa who had long stepped down for the joint ticket but Wase and Jaji were adamant and vowed to run to the end.

At the inauguration, the Majority Leader of the 9th House, Alhassan Ado Doguwa from Kano State nominated Abass for the speakership position. He was seconded by Nnolim Nnaji, representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West. Abbas was to later accept his nomination.
At this point, Ogunlana asked if there were “further nominations “.
A shout of “no, no” erupted from the chamber.

It, however, suddenly simmered down when Rep Tijani Kayode, representing Offa Federal constituency of Kwara State nominated Wase.
The nomination was also seconded by Mohammed Abdulmumuni, representing Nasarawa/Toto federal constituency of Nasarawa State.
Yet again, a third nomination for Jaji ensued from Ahmed Yusuf Doro who represents Katsina Bindawa/Mani federal constituency of Katsina State

It was seconded by Mohammed Aliyu Ibrahim from Malumfashi/Kafur federal constituency of Katsina State.

In the absence of further nominations, the election began on a state by state basis with lawmakers openly announcing the name of the candidate they were voting for. At the end of the exercise, the clerk, Tambuwal announced that Abbas polled a total of 353 while Wase and Jaji got three votes each.

“Members-elect, Abbas, having scored the highest number of votes cast is hereby declared winner and returned as speaker of the House”, Tambuwal said.

The declaration prompted a spontaneous jubilation in the chamber.

Emergence of Kalu as deputy speaker

The emergence of Kalu as the deputy speaker of the House followed a call by the clerk.

On that note, Babajimi Benson representing Ikorodu Federal constituency of Lagos State nominated Kalu for the office of the deputy speaker.

Upon his nomination, the shout of “Kalu, Kalu” filled the air.
The nomination was seconded by Kadijat Bukar Abba Ibrahim representing Damaturu/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuna federal constituency of Yobe State.

After Kalu accepted his nomination, the clerk asked: “Are there other nominations?”
Shouts of “no no” resonated, making the clerk declare and return Kalu elected unopposed.

Why Wase, Jaji got 3 votes each
Wase and Jaji’s votes came from their two colleagues who nominated and seconded them. The others were their personal votes.

359 members take oath

Meanwhile, 359 members out of 360 took their oath of office due to the death of a member-elect from Taraba State, Isma’ila Maihanchi.

He was elected to represent Jalingo, Yerro, and Zing Federal Constituency but died shortly after the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Gbajabiamila hands over to Abbas

The immediate past speaker, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila on the sidelines of the inauguration formally handed over to Abbas.

Performing the ritual, Gbajabiamila said: “On behalf of the members of the Ninth Assembly and I believe the 10th Assembly, I congratulate you on your election as the Speaker of the 10th Assembly. I wish you well. It is not an easy feat. But from what I know, you’ll do a good job. We are your members. On behalf of them, I hand over the hand-over notes as the speaker of the 9th Assembly. This will be a guide to you and I hope you continue from where I left.”

I’ll be fair to all— Abbas

In his acceptance speech, Abbas acknowledged that the speakership position was keenly fought, and said that his administration will be just, fair and guided by the constitution of the land.

He pledged not to discriminate against any member or political party.

He said: “This victory is not just about me; it is about all of us coming together as a united House to serve the Nigerian people diligently. It is about honouring the trust that has been placed in us and working tirelessly to deliver on our promises of good governance and effective representation.

“It is worthy to note that the speakership campaign witnessed in the past few months was democracy at play. But today, all of that has come to pass, and it is time to forge ahead and work together for our people for our common good.

“I do not take this mandate bestowed on me for granted. I want to assure you today that I shall be just and fair to every one of you irrespective of our perceived differences. I shall operate a House that you all will be proud of. I shall be guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the House Rules. Our doors will be open for members of APC, PDP, Labour Party, NNPP, APGA, SDP, ADC and YPP as we strongly believe nation-building is a joint task.”

“My dear colleagues, I invite you all to be on board for the next four years as we embark on this Nigerian Project to renew the hope of our people”, Abbas urged.

10th House to surpass gains of 9th parliament

Abbas also said that his administration will sustain and even surpass the gains recorded by the 9th House of Representatives, saying: “Under my watch, the 10th House shall sustain and even surpass the gains of the 9th House. That is my prayer. We shall carry out the task before us jointly. We shall introduce reforms and innovations for the benefit of Nigerians. In a few weeks, we shall be reeling out the legislative agenda that will shape the 10th House of Representatives.”

We shall work in harmony with executive, judiciary

The Speaker also said that the House will work in harmony with the executive and the judicial arms of government for the good of the country.

“We will work in harmony with the executive arm, while upholding principles of checks and balances. Our collaboration will be anchored on the principles of transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law.”

Time to get on with governance — Tinubu

Congratulating the lawmakers, President Tinubu in a statement he personally signed, hailed the new leadership of the National Assembly and also reminded them that in the course of work together, disagreements may occur and that any disagreement will not be out of malice, ill-will and quest to diminish the institution of the National Assembly or any individual member.

Describing the election of Akpabio and Abbas as the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 10th National Assembly as a good development, he said: “I heartily congratulate them and also rejoice with the new Deputy Senate President Jibril Barau and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu for their well-deserved victories.

“Being elected by their peers as presiding officers and assuming the leadership of the National Assembly is a great honour that comes with a huge responsibility. I trust that you will justify the confidence reposed in you by your members and many Nigerians.
“I wish Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Honourable member Idris Wase and Honourable Aminu Jaji who enriched the process with their participation in the leadership election the best and a successful tenure in the 10th National Assembly.

“I urge them to sustain the same level of enthusiasm they brought to the leadership contest in the discharge of their duties to their constituents and Nigeria.

“My congratulations to all members of the National Assembly, across party lines, who, today, enlisted into the service of the blessed people of our great country.”

He further said, “We have all been called upon and accepted the responsibility to diligently and faithfully serve our fatherland with the oath we took. It is time to get on and move swiftly with the business of governance in the service of Nigeria.

“As your President, I am prepared to transparently work with the National Assembly. Nigerians expect senators and Rep members to make laws and carry out oversight duties that will enhance the performance of government to achieve successful outcomes, including improving their quality of life.

“In the course of our work together, disagreements may occur. When we disagree, it will not be out of malice, ill-will and quest to diminish the institution of the National Assembly or any individual member.

“Our people across the length and breadth of our country expect so much from us. They want us to lift their economic burden. They want us to eliminate insecurity so our farmers in rural communities can go to their farms and produce the food we eat.’’

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south district, says President Bola Tinubu “sneaked out” to beg some lawmakers to support his preferred candidates for the 10th national assembly leadership positions.

Speaking on Tuesday in an interview with Channels Television, Ndume said the president deployed his “foot soldiers” to deliver his preferred candidates.

Earlier, Godswill Akpabio, the senator representing Akwa Ibom north-west, was elected senate president after polling 63 votes to defeat his challenger, Abdulaziz Yari, who scored 46 votes.

Barau Jibrin, a senator from Kano, was declared deputy senate president.

For the house of representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, a lawmaker representing Zaria constituency in Kaduna, was elected speaker, while Benjamin Kalu from Abia state, was declared deputy.

The new leaders of the national assembly got the backing of the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu.

Reacting to the development, Ndume said the president is an “experienced” politician, adding that he convinced many lawmakers to support his preferred candidates.

“When I contested last time (2019), everybody was on the other side because the party and president endorsed Ahmad Lawan,” he said.

“It is almost a repetition of the same thing, the party and the president had a preferred candidate but this president (Tinubu) is an experienced politician who has played a lot of politics.

“He deployed his foot soldiers to complement our (campaign team of Akpabio) efforts and that made a difference. The vice president assisted us.

“He called some people. He even went to some people. It is politics. He sneaked out to visit some people and begged them to support. He has his reasons and there were convincing.”

The sudden but predicted removal of fuel subsidy has sparked some fireworks and a lot of incoherence about the Nigerian economy and its sociopolitical currents. In the matter of subsidy, I suspect that there is as much consensus as confusion. The major presidential candidates all committed to removing fuel subsidy, although with different nuances about what comes before and after. Notably, Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, promised to first establish the exact amount of consumption as to establish the volumetric impact of subsidy. He would then reduce it by 50% at the first instance with simultaneous mitigators. President Ahmed Bola Tinubu promised swift removal of subsidy and reinvestment of the savings in infrastructure. Atiku’s plan is not very different from the two.

But none of them has a coherent plan about how the manner of removal of subsidy entails any of the strategic objectives they intend to achieve in the economy. Now, think about it. Nigeria has the lowest minimum wage in the world, or at least any of its comparable countries. Let us take a few examples. Pakistani is a comparable country to Nigeria in terms of population, diversities, and economic development. Its minimum wage is $111. South Africa has a minimum wage of $226, while Saudi Arabia has $958. Minimum wage in neighboring Chad is $108.2. War-torn DRC has a minimum way of $92.47. Nigeria’s minimum wage is $68, the lowest in the World. Besides, Nigeria is one of the poorest countries in the world with an estimated 80-90m very poor citizens. The recent NBS estimates report that 143m Nigerians are multidimensionally poor. The current unemployment is about 33.4%. The concern should be how proper pricing of an essential product like premium motor spirit (PMS) would impact on the livelihood and wellbeing of majority of these citizens.

In the context of pervasive poverty, any serious economic plan must relate actions like removal of subsidy to managing poverty. The sad part is that poverty is self-perpetuating. It does not reduce itself except there is an effective policy response. So, the reasonable prediction is that unless something drastic is done, poverty will continue to increase. The minimum you would expect from a serious economic plan in Nigeria about removing subsidy should be that it argues how the removal will reduce poverty, or at least not worsen it. The only policy response of the Buhari administration was a proposed N5,000 one off cash transfer to about 40milion households.

The intersection of the economics of subsidy removal and the economics of poverty reduction in Nigeria frames the fight over subsidy removal. The two broad camps opposing each other on the wisdom of the abrupt and complete removal of fuel subsidy are looking through two different lenses: efficiency and equity. The efficiency camp focuses on the balance sheet of government. Subsidy creates a big hole there and contributes to fiscal bankruptcy of the federal government. When a government spends double the amount it budgets for education and health to subsidize a product used mostly by rich citizens who can afford to pay for their use, then the provision of such goods or services is patently inefficient. Twentieth-century economics rates high the idea of market efficiency based on the theories of Kenneth Arrow and Gerard Debreu. That theory holds that a market can be competitive and efficient (under some assumptions) at the right prices that converge all subjective preferences. At this price, the demand matches supply. The free market requires flexible prices that reflect the equilibrium points where supply equals demand. We know that in the real world, markets are rarely perfect and fully competitive because of both externalities and asymmetries.

The concern for efficiency in the consumption of PMS is two-fold. First, efficient pricing will remove the federal government from paying for PMS and reduce the public sector borrowing requirement for a heavily indebted, low revenue country like Nigeria, that spent 78% of its revenue in 2022 servicing debts. In the past, the NNPC would pay the difference between market prices and actual costs. This created room for serious fraud. Today, NNPC imports the PMS and sells to marketers at costs and mark-up. The landing costs which NPPC incurs on behalf of the government constitute the ‘subsidy payment’. What matters for government in the subsidy case is that market for PMS will now be one that consumers pay for what they consume. This is cost-efficiency. The second value of price efficiency is that people will make efficient use of the product, consuming when they need it and can afford it, and forbearing when they don’t need it and can forbear. If the price equals costs, there would be no need to subsidize the supply and no incentive to smuggle the product through the borders because there is no price differential.

Nigerian porous requires policing. But it is cheaper to achieve the same objective through pricing. In this case, the price in-state is the same or close to the same as the price out-state. How much will government save if it allows the price of PMS to equal the cost at any time? It estimates that it could save about N10trillion annually. The argument is that the saving will go into building infrastructure, which will drive up growth and improve welfare.

The efficiency logic goes together with the argument about the proper role of government. Public sector economics believes that a state properly plays three roles in a society: allocative, distributive and stabilization roles. The allocative role of the state prescribes efficiency, which requires that the state allocates resources to where it is most efficiently utilized. Proper pricing is one mechanism of attaining allocative efficiency. The distributive role relates to concern about what is happening to the wellbeing of citizens. The official orthodoxy of the Washington Consensus used to be that ‘a rising tide lifts all the boats’. In the subsidy debate, it translates to saying ‘we recognize that the removal of subsidy will cause hardship to many. But don’t worry, trust us. Once we invest the savings into infrastructure there will be good life for all”. But the thing though is that the return of investment in infrastructure for citizens will not correlate to ending the suffering, even in the long term. In the short term, the investment will not mitigate the extreme hardship that the poor and vulnerable citizens will suffer. A rising tide does not lift all boats. It depends on the nature of the current, what the boat is made of and how it is steered.

Whereas government will focus on efficiency rather than equity, the labour movement and associated groups pick up the equity lens. The state overriding obligation for the security and wellbeing of the people commits it to more than efficiency considerations. In fact, efficiency must be coupled with equity. The mistake of the subsidy debate is to assume that the existence of subsidy as an equity issue dispense with efficiency from an economic perspective. As the first African Noble Laureate in Economics, W. Arthur Lewis put it in his classic text on economic growth, efficiency translates to economizing. That is, ensuring we produce more with less. Subsidy administration can be efficient and inefficient. We can target it to the group that needs it and in the measure it needs it, without damaging incentive for economizing. The main problem may not be the existence of subsidies as much as the gross inefficiency and corruption in their administration.

Most Nigerian elites seems to agree that fuel subsidy should be removed. But the elite consensus to remove the entire subsidy and expose the working and unemployed poor to poverty and immiseration does not translate to a consensus to attack many layers and levels of entrenched inefficiency in Nigerian political economy. The Orosanya Report recommended rationalization of parastatals and agencies to reduce costs of governance. Successive Nigerian leaders have refused to implement the report because it will result in powerful elites losing high paying political jobs. Nigerian legislators earn the highest in the world with a bankrupting economy. The annual salary and benefits of a Nigerian senator is about N350m while that of a minimum wage earner is less than N400,000. Despite clamor and street protests, legislators have refused to cut the gross waste. Nigeria loses about 470,00 bpd (amounting to $700m monthly) of its crude to thieves working for top military and political leaders. There is no consensus to go hard on oil bunkering because it is Nigerian military and political leaders who are involved in the criminality. We have accepted this inefficiency in our stride.

There is no doubt that Nigeria can ill-afford this level of subsidy payment with its low revenue profile. The fiscal crisis of the Nigerian economy is endemic and needs a drastic action to stabilize. That brings up the third role of government in public finance: stabilization. The government should consider how its fiscal and monetary policies affect employment, prices, and productivity. The inflationary impact of subsidy removal may undermine growth and economic recovery. It may reduce household consumption and aggravate poverty. This is why some who support the removal of subsidy are worried at its abrupt and reckless removal. As part of the government’s stabilization role, it must think of mitigation of the social and economic impacts of the policy.

It is difficult to convince any empathetic person that people living on less than N30,000 monthly should buy petrol at N535 per liter. If they pay the associated costs of the increase in petrol prices, we expect they will have less to expend on consumables that improve their wellbeing and enable them to escape poverty. So as food inflation rises at the heels of subsidy removal, we expect access to basic nutrition, health, and education to reduce, worsening poverty and inequality. The federal government is responding by promising an increase in minimum wage. Labor unions will surely bargain for mitigation for workers. But the population of Nigerian in formal employment is negligible. What happens to the rest of Nigerians in informal sector with no regular jobs or those tapped in the bottom million who cannot externalize the pass-through costs of petrol? Those are the victims of the Nigerian economy designed to cater to the wellbeing of the rich and political elites. In the short to medium term, none of the conventional mitigations, including the ridiculous N5,000 cash transfer to 40million poor household. will shield the over 80milion poor Nigerian from the crushing impact of the drastic spike in energy price.

The point to make is that Nigeria’s economy is designed to produce inequality and inequity expressed by the consensus to remove fuel subsidy for its obvious inefficiency. Because the economy is steeped in inefficiency it continues to be unproductive. When its unproductivity leads to fiscal collapse as we are verging close, the elites take a purgatory action by sacrificing again its weakest members. Concerns for equity in the wake of the elite consensus to remove petrol subsidy should not be only to increase the minimum wage or provide public buses to transport workers to work in urban cities. It should extend to revising the fundamental structure of the Nigerian economy that makes it the least protective of the citizens and the most effective in producing poverty and inequality.

Nigeria is not just one of the most inefficient and poorest countries in the world, it is also one of the most unequal and privileged. With Gini Coefficient of 35.1% and lowest social protection, even in the West African region, it is obvious that the usual World Bank palliatives will not succor the real victims of the subsidy removal.  Oxfam rightly observed that the drivers of poverty and inequality in Nigeria are the almost complete focus of national budget on sectors and projects that cater to the rich, the erosion of labor protection in pursuit of neoliberal policies, and the total absence of social protection for the people. The removal of fuel subsidy in the manner solicited without significant recasting of the Nigerian economy will enhance these drivers.

The Nigerian constitution glibly proclaims that Nigeria is a social welfare state. But its political economy always ambles towards an incoherent pseudo-capitalist state. Should we trust the Tinubu administration to alter the structure of the Nigerian economy to reduce its inequality and improve social protection for the working and unemployed poor? Well, evidence from over two decades of ‘progressive’ leadership in Lagos State does not convince. As Tinubu and his successors made Lagos rich, they kicked millions into more poverty and underdevelopment. The two Lagos live side by side: one in high-rise buildings and the other in dignified slums. This inequity is not just a Lagos problem. It is a Nigerian problem. The Nigerian economy works only for the privileged few.

As the federal government and labor leaders agree to save Nigeria from fiscal collapse by accepting the draconic removal of fuel subsidy, we know that once again, Nigeria has outsourced its inefficiency to its unprotected poor. Save the nation and damn the poor.

As you might know, dear reader, I am connected to the late Kato Lubwama through two different lines: the first is through my late Mrs, Princess Ramlah Ssimbwa Nkinzi, whom I have written about several times, about how despite being mostly apolitical, she was ever enchanted by Lubwama’s candour and childlike assessment of the world.

Some of the most enduring memories I have of my Mrs choking on laughter were when she narrated stories. She had heard about Lubwama’s early life as a hustler (say hawking kerosene candles in downtown Kampala, which she believed had built Lubwama’s tough mettle, and nurtured his humour— hawkers of these things tend to be funny, she would say).

Or the things she had heard Lubwama say himself on his campaign trail (such as promising to give each of the market women in his constituency Shs 20,000 from his parliament salary to boost their businesses.

“Nga lwaki nedda, nabo babeewo”). Told in Luganda, with a voice of both pity and affection, Ramlah would be slapping her stomach as she mimicked Lubwama’s voice. We both got endeared to Lubwama and looked forward to his victory: he was raw, uncensored and, above all, funny.

KALISOLIISO

The second connection I have with brother Lubwama is a story of my coming of age. This was the time when CBS FM’s morning sports segment, “Kalisoliiso” was the talk of entire villages and towns. (Someone will one day have to write this story, and chronicle the ways in which Kalisoliiso became culture: It revolutionized radio programming—and show-host hirings—having inspired an entire generation of radio humour, while at the same time mobilising social consciousness around several issues).

Marketed as a sports show, Kalisoliiso would become mostly renowned for the unmistakable energy of its presenters—who do this show on their feet—and the sharp humour with which the sports headlines are delivered and commented upon.

A show within a show, Kalisoliiso, for a long time was hosted by two outstanding comics, Abbey Mukiibi Nkaaga and now deceased Paul Kato Lubwama. It would open like a movie, with a swishing entry, a specially tailored song remixed from the reigning hit, and some percussion— all in a space of just a few minutes.

It was a full buffet, skilfully seasoned, and powerfully served; the sports headlines are often interrupted, intermixed and commented by one-line jokes. There are birthdays greetings, a celebration of new parenthood—with a song for parents of twins.

There are cheeky but powerful family self-help slogans (motto yamaka) and sometimes, outright community campaigns, say on immunisation, campaigns against HIV/Aids. All of this is delivered with wit and humour. Then, Abbey Mukiibi would close the segment with the sublime headline joke, building as a story, and then blowing the roof off with a witty punchline.

They would sign out immediately, but in style, like a Formula One sports car taking off! Ffe twejeewo...! This concluding joke would be the talk of the entire day as we anxiously waited for tomorrow. Growing up in the villages of Mukono, tilling the land during the holidays was the early morning routine.

But a radio would be planted either ahead or behind to listen to mostly, CBS FM. But as soon as the Kalisoliiso segment began, we would all be forced into a pause. If one was stubborn enough to continue with their ploughing, at least, they stopped at that moment when Abbey Mukiibi was about to deliver the headline joke.

These two voices behind this less than 20 minutes segment—Kato Lubwama and Abbey Mukiibi—got etched in our lives as the voices of humour and happiness.

POLITICS AS THEATRE

In 2015, Lubwama decided to take on the bigger stage of artistic expression: politics. It is possible that this started as a joke on the Kalisoliiso set—politics had already become a joke anyway. Thus, Lubwama was only compelled by his artistic craft to go and express this sentiment more directly, more honestly.

Beating three more established politicians including my friends, Sirajje Kifampa Nsambu and Faridah Mpiima Mayanja for the Lubaga South seat in parliament, it was proof that Lubwama was an accurate observer of society. His humour rhymed well with the politics of the time.

In pure artistic spirit — of living life honestly and humorously — Lubwama kept true to form and content: He would be braggadocios sometimes, crude, but often brutally honest. Lubwama embodied the critique of all forms of high-end fakery in Kampala— mostly of religious entrepreneurs and politicians—and embodied the spirit of a good life, which is the aspiration of many.

Like all of us, he was oftentimes vulnerable, but braved through his low moments with grace, candour, and above all, humour. It is my sobering contention that—in its purest form—art makes us honest, real, genuine and more humane. As a playwright and essayist, Prof Austin Bukenya has told us, the artiste/folklorist has to have a good sense of “accurate observation (of society), vivid imagination and ingenious expression.”

Lubwama vividly completed this triangle—and sometimes hit us like theorists (recall that viral video clip where he talks about the things that make people rich)!

Indeed, while art might not make us saints (although this inclination is more natural to accomplished artiste), even as villains, art makes a villainous artiste more appreciable through their straightforwardness. Like that Joker in American cinema.

Indeed, as an artiste and public persona, Hon. Kato Lubwama lived a beautiful, straight life. To paraphrase a Shakespearean sonnet, Lubwama will live twice, including in this verse.

The newly sworn-in President of the Senate and former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, has vowed that the 10th Senate will surpass the expectations of Nigerians in building a prosperous nation.

Akpabio made this vow while delivering his inaugural speech after his swearing-in Abuja on Tuesday.

Recall that, Akpabio, who is the preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC was sworn in as the Senate President after polling 63 votes, beating his rival, Abdulaziz Yari, who scored 46 votes.

He said, “Together, we shall reach and surpass the expectations of the Nigerian people regarding us, and our roles in building a better, safer, more inclusive, prosperous, efficient and ethical country.

“I assure you, Distinguished Senators, that I am mindful of the enormous responsibilities that this position calls for. You will have my cooperation in all matters and our joint efforts will be one of teamwork. I extend my sincere hands of fellowship to all of us, including those who, at a time, may have had different opinions regarding the leadership of the Senate.

“These expressions of differing and opposing opinions and views are but the fabric that democracy is made of. Democracy, ultimately, has to do with choice, and there can be no real choice where and when there are no alternatives.

“It is time now to go forward with the task set before us as a collective body – the promulgation of laws and enactments for the well-being and security of the country and as a check on the executive arm of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in our oversight functions,” he said.

The Senate President, however, urged the senators of the 10th Assembly to put national interests first.

He said, “Today marks a historic moment as we embark on a new chapter in the Senate. Distinguished Senators, today, I stand before you humbled, honoured, and filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and responsibility as I acknowledge and accept your call to serve as the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I assure you that I will discharge the responsibilities of this office with utmost dedication, integrity, and fairness.

“I am humbled because your choice reflects the collective will of the Senate, this assembly of Nigerians whose role and responsibilities for Nigeria is at the apex of the demands of true patriotism, loyalty and devotion to the country. As the Senate, you represent the entire country and your choice is a reflection of the choice of your constituents, of all Nigeria. And I thank you very sincerely for it.

“Many of the challenges we have had, and many of the defining moments of our historic journey as a nation towards true democracy, have been met and made by those who have hitherto occupied this seat. I am therefore immensely grateful not only for the great trust you have placed in me today by electing me as the President of the Senate but also for the opportunity to serve our great nation, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Government is a continuum and the Senate is no less so. We shall, therefore, further strengthen the legislative space in continuation of the laudable efforts made by the 9th Senate under the able leadership of H.E. Senator Ahmed Lawan, GCON, President of the 9th Senate. Chief among these are:

“i. Gender matters, with specific affirmative provisions to guarantee women’s inclusivity;

ii. Issues relating to persons with special needs and equality;

iii. Engaging, empowering and rewarding our resourceful and innovative youths in terms of protection of intellectual innovations and property, and improved access to finance for technological start-ups. We must recognise and prepare for a mid-21st century global economy that places a premium on intellectual content and knowledge, and our young men and women must be supported to engage competitively;

“iv. Expansion of the revenue streams available to the country, especially from our huge but largely unregulated natural and solid mineral resources base. These additional sources of revenue will build the nation’s resilience to shocks and stresses resulting from the fluctuation of oil prices in the international market;

“v. We will, as a forward-looking Senate, pass laws that emphasise economic viability, social acceptability and environmental sustainability, to encourage alternate and green technologies without prejudicing our developmental needs.”

Mr Yisa Usman, a Deputy Director with Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was, on Tuesday, arraigned on allegations bordering on threatening Mrs Raheemat Oloyede on the phone with the intent to blackmail her husband, Prof. Ishaq, the board’s registrar.

Usman was arraigned by the police on behalf of the Federal Government. on a five-count charge before Justice Nkeonye Maha of a Federal High Court, Abuja

He was alleged to have committed the offence with Abdulfatai Usman, now at large, between Feb. 14, 2022 and Feb. 15, 2022.

They were alleged to have intentionally communicated through a network computer system with phone number: +447529723948 with Mrs Oloyede, “a communication which is grossly offensive, indecent, criminal intimidation for the purpose of causing inconvenience or needless anxiety” to her.

They were alleged to have committed the offence contrary to Section 24(1)(a) & 1(b) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Usman is the sole defendant in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/139/2023 dated March 29 but filed March 30.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts after the charge was read to him.

Police prosecutor, Eristo Asaph, made an application for a trial date after the defendant took the plea.
But Moses Balogun, who appeared for Usman, applied for bail.

“Having pleaded not guilty, we shall be applying for bail my lord,” he said.

The lawyer informed that a bail application dated and filed on June 7 had already been served on the prosecution on the same day.
He said the motion on notice was brought pursuant to Sections 35 and 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution and in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court.

He told the court that during the investigation of the matter and while Usman was admitted to an administrative bail, he complied with the terms of the bail.

Balogun, who said that Usman was a deputy director, prayed the court to grant him bail on liberal terms or self-recognition pending the hearing and determination of the case.

Asaph did not oppose the application.

Justice Maha, in a ruling, admitted Usman to bail in the sum of N2 million with a surety who must be a civil servant on level 14 and must own a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

She ruled that the defendant and the surety must submit their travel documents and a passport photograph each to the court registrar.

In the alternative, the judge held that the surety could also be a responsible citizen having paid his tax for a period of two years and must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

She said the surety, who must submit his or her international passport and a passport photograph to the court registrar, must depose to an affidavit of means.

Justice Maha ordered that Usman should be remanded at a correctional centre pending the perfection of his bail and adjourned the matter until Oct. 26 for trial.

But Balogun, who prayed the court to order a release of his client to him pending the perfection of his bail within five days, pledged to write an undertaking to the effect.

The judge granted the plea and ordered that the undertaking must be completed before the close of work.

NAN reports that the police also accused Usman of intentionally publishing letters between Jan. 31, 2022 and Feb. 4, 2022, through a computer system network on WhatsApp social media platforms alleging that the JAMB registrar, Oloyede, and members of the management board of JAMB committed fraud and violated the Federal Government’s regulations.

The message or publication was said to be grossly offensive for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill-will or needless anxiety to them, even though, he knew such information to be false; and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24(1)(a) & (b) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas has pledged to uphold the principle of transparency, accountability and the rule of law to deliver good governance for the benefit of all Nigerians.

Abbas made the pledge in his acceptance speech after his emergence as a speaker on Tuesday in Abuja.

“Under my watch, the 10th house shall sustain and even surpass the gains of the ninth house. That is my prayer.

“We shall carry out the task before us jointly. We shall introduce reforms and innovations for the benefit of Nigerians.

“In a few weeks, we shall be reeling out the legislative agenda that will shape the 10th House of Representatives.

“We shall work closely and inter-dependently with the executive and judiciary to give Nigerians the good governance they deserve,” he said.

According to him, we stand at a crucial juncture in our nation’s history, where challenges abound but so do opportunities.

He said the house would champion legislations that would uplift the lives of fellow citizens, promote social justice, and drive sustainable development.

The speaker said the house would focus on strengthening the security apparatus and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to combat insurgency, terrorism, and all forms of criminalities.

Abbas said the house would aim to help create a safe and secure environment that would foster economic growth and social stability.

“Through legislations, the 10th house will promote entrepreneurship and support small and medium-scale enterprises.

“We shall diversify our economy and provide sustainable employment opportunities for our youth.

“We are aware of the challenges in our education, healthcare, and infrastructure sectors amongst other.

“We will work in harmony with the executive arm, while upholding principles of checks and balances.

“Our collaboration will be anchored on the principles of transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law,” he said.

Abbas said the victory at the polls was not just for him but for all the members and all Nigerians.

According to him, it is about honouring the trust that has been placed on us and working tirelessly to deliver on our promises of good governance and effective representation.

Abbas said the mandate bestowed on him as speaker would not be taken for granted, assuring members that he would be just and fair to everyone irrespective of political party and perceived differences.

He promised to run an open-door policy for all members and all Nigerians irrespective of political party or creed.

He congratulated his predecessor, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila and prayed for his success in his new office as Chief of Staff to the President.