July 4, 2024, was anticipated to be a pivotal moment, potentially reshaping the United Kingdom’s political landscape and future direction as the general elections were held.

The hot race was among key parties and leaders including the Conservative Party led by the incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour Party led by Sir Keir Starmer, Liberal Democrats led by Ed Davey, Scottish National Party led by Humza Yousaf and the Green Party Co-led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay.

The main issues for debate were the economy and the cost-of-living crisis, inflation, and economic recovery post-COVID-19; healthcare and the NHS funding and reform; climate change and the impact of environmental policies and green energy initiative; the lingering Brexit debate and future relationship with the EU; and finally social issues around immigration, education, and housing.

There was also the issue of the incumbent Conservative Party leader, Rishi Sunak’s performance as PM, the Labour Party’s strategy to regain power after a decade in opposition as well as the influence of smaller parties or “Third Force” in Nigeria speak and potential for coalition governments.

A Comparative Overview

Electoral processes in the UK and Nigeria differ significantly in terms of structure, procedure, and political context.

The UK operates a Parliamentary system, and general elections are held every five years but can be called earlier. The voting age is 18 years and older and voter registration is automatic and mandatory. Campaign finance is highly regulated with spending limits and public transparency.

Voter turnout and participation is typically around 60-70 per cent with high levels of political awareness and media coverage. Key issues and campaigns are often around economic policies, including high cost of living, taxation, public spending, health and NHS reform, Brexit and climate change.

Election administration in the UK is managed by the Electoral Commission, an independent body that oversees elections and regulates political finance. Security is generally low with low levels of election-related violence, limited use of technology and voting is predominantly paper-based.

Voting takes place seamlessly from 7am to 10pm in polling stations situated in schools, community centres, churches etc. Paper ballots with a single ‘X’ mark next to the chosen candidate represent a vote. Post-election, government formation is seamless and quick, the party with the majority of seats in the House of Commons forms the government.

Nigeria on the other hand operates a Presidential system of governance held every four years. The voting age is 18 years and older and requires proactive registration by voters. While campaign finance is regulated, enforcement and transparency issues exist.

The major parties are the All Progressives Congress, People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party. Voter turnout is lower at around 30-40 per cent. Political engagement is varied, with significant regional differences in voter engagement and participation.

The key issues are around security with the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, and regional conflicts taking centre stage. Others are the economy, diversification, unemployment, and poverty alleviation; corruption and governance reforms and critical infrastructure including roads, electricity, and public services in education, health and water. Elections are often marked by ethno-religious sentiments and voter apathy.

The Independent National Electoral Commission oversees elections. Security is always very high because of high levels of election-related violence and security concerns. Technology plays a significant role with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter registration and results transmission, but challenges remain.

Voting hours are from 8am to 2pm but voters in line by 2pm can still vote and it can take a whole day to vote. Schools, public buildings, open spaces serve as polling stations and paper ballots are used with voters marking their choice with thumbprints. The President is elected separately from the legislature and transition to power can be contentious, marked with disputes and legal challenges around vote rigging, widespread election violence and disenfranchisement.

Both countries have unique electoral processes shaped by their distinct political histories, cultural contexts, and governance structures. The UK’s elections are characterized by stability and regulatory oversight, while Nigeria’s elections are marked by significant challenges related to security, voter turnout, and transparency.

Why Can’t This Happen In Nigeria?

For many Africans who voted for the first time in this general election, it was a culture shock. Within months of taking up residence in the UK legally, you will most likely get a notification from the electoral registration office for your local council to register. You will have the option to register online or fill out a form as well as the option to vote by post if you are unavailable on election day.

On July 4, the entire voting process took only a few minutes without any tech enabled device to verify voter identity save for a poll card or a government issued ID – no special ‘PVC’ or ‘BVAS’. There was no public holiday, schools, offices and markets were open, transport services moved freely without restrictions, there were no thugs, no violence, no gun totting military or police personnel scaring the citizenry.

On the contrary here in Nigeria and across many African countries, manipulation of election results, voter intimidation, and other forms of fraud undermine the integrity of elections, discourage certain groups from voting and can skew election outcomes and undermine democracy.

The spread of false information misleads voters and influence election results. In many regions, elections are marred by violence and intimidation, deterring voter participation and skewing results. Gerrymandering, unequal access to voting facilities, and other structural issues distort representation and affect the fairness of elections.

So, elections are currently the way they are in Nigeria because the political class want it that way. The easier it is for citizens to participate in the electoral and democratic process, the less they can perpetuate themselves in power.

Promoting Democratic Elections

Elections are the cornerstone of democracy, the primary mechanism through which citizens express their will and hold their leaders accountable. Sadly, elections in many African nations including Nigeria are conducted like war leaving many citizens disenfranchised and disillusioned.

Elections ensure that the government reflects the will of the people. Citizens vote for representatives who they believe will best serve their interests. By participating in free and fair elections, citizens confer legitimacy on their government – a crucial requirement for maintaining political stability and public trust in the system.

Government must ensure that all eligible citizens have the right to vote without discrimination in a safe and dignified manner. This includes provisions for voter registration and access to polling places and the process should be transparent to ensure public confidence with clear procedures for voting, counting, and reporting results. A healthy democracy requires competition among multiple political parties and candidates with genuine choices among contenders.

To promote democratic elections, electoral commissions must be fully independent bodies to oversee elections and ensure their integrity and impartiality. Secondly, educating citizens about their rights and the electoral process encourages informed participation. Thirdly, continuous evaluation and reform of electoral laws and practices can address emerging challenges and improve the system including the simplification of voter registration processes and ensuring the security of voters is crucial.

Finally, given our numbers and peculiarities, leveraging technology, such as electronic voting systems and biometric registration, can enhance the efficiency and security of elections, though it also introduces new risks that must be managed.

Congratulations and all the best to the Labour Party as they steer the UK to a brighter future and may Nigeria learn from this experience.

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) of the University of Abuja and their counterparts in other states of the federation have protested the federal government’s failure to pay their four-month withheld salaries.

The workers, who trooped out in their campuses yesterday to express their grievances over the matter, told the government that they were hungry.

The protest marked the beginning of a series of union actions that could lead to a complete shutdown of universities across Nigeria next week.

During the hours-long protest around the University of Abuja, SSANU chairman Comrade Nurudeen Yusuf and Comrade Sadiya Ibrahim Hassan, chairperson of NASU, expressed the unions’ frustration at the government’s broken promises and demanded the release of their withheld salaries.

They warned that they would no longer accept empty promises from the government over the non-payment of their hard-earned salaries, insisting that promises alone cannot feed their families or pay their children’s school fees.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC), representing NASU and SSANU, has been grappling with longstanding issues related to welfare and university education.

During yesterday’s protests, the unions highlighted the non-payment of salaries for four consecutive months, which they said has been exacerbated by the government’s selective implementation of directives, favouring academic staff over non-teaching personnel.

It should be recalled that in March 2022, the unions embarked on a strike due to the government’s failure to honour multiple agreements. However, in 2023, President Bola Tinubu directed the payment of withheld salaries and excluded universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Nine months after the presidential directive, the unions accused the federal government of Orwellian implementation, where “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”

They called on the minister of education to address these issues promptly and cease playing the ostrich. Additionally, they urge the minister of labour and employment to prevent further disruptions to the academic calendar.

SSANU and NASU also implored members of the National Assembly, royal leaders, and opinion influencers to intervene.

They said, “This repeated reneging on agreements is eroding the trust of our members in government and its officials, and one wonders if they are truly committed to a qualitative education for the children of the masses.

Our hope was renewed when the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the campaigns assured all Nigerians that there will be no more strikes in Nigerian universities”.

“Today’s protest signals the beginning of a series of union actions which will culminate in the shut all universities in Nigeria. This action is preventable and avoidable; we therefore call on the minister of education to sit up and stop playing the ostrich.

We equally call on the minister of labour and employment to use her good office to prevent industrial disharmony and disaffection in our universities, causing unnecessary disruption in our academic calendar and activities.

“We can no longer accept empty promises. They don’t put food on our tables nor pay our children’s school fees.”

Yesterday, workers at the University of Ilorin said that they could no longer afford the basic necessities of life due to poor wages.

The workers claimed that they can no longer afford food, transportation, and other basic needs of life.

The local NASU chairman, Mr Zubair Ibrahim, who led his colleagues in a peaceful protest on their demand for a living wage, said their agitation is over salary arrears owed members.

“We are hungry and we cannot die in silence. Members are finding it difficult to survive,” Ibrahim declared.

He lamented the failure of the federal government to address their demands even after their warning strikes some months back, adding that appeals for the payment of their withheld four-month salaries fell on deaf ears.

He explained that NASU and SSANU had earlier giving the federal government a two-week ultimatum to meet their demands or face industrial action.

Ibrahim demanded the immediate payment of the four months withheld salaries to members and the 25 per cent allowance.

The local chairman of SSANU, Mr Olushola Falowo said that the government is not sensitive to their plights.

The national financial secretary of SSANU, Alh Jimoh Akanbi stated that the minimum wage for Nigerian workers is constitutional and should be of priority to the government.

“ASUU has been paid their withheld salaries and we appeal that our own should be paid too, he said.

Also, at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi staged a protest and called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack the ministers of labour and education.

SSANU said that the two Ministers have failed to address the two unions’ plight.

The protesters lamented that the Tinubu administration has failed to address their demands such as wage awards, four months’ arrears withheld salaries and other allowances.

Speaking with journalists during the protest on Tuesday, the Joint Action  Chairman, Sulisma Jatau, said, “Tinubu’s government is a failure. We have given him enough time. He promised that he was coming in to fix the nation. He has been longing to govern this country and with what he is doing, it means he never had plans on how to govern this country.

“Hardship in the country is too much, suffering is too much. We are suffering, people are dying. They have money to buy private jets, they have money to build a house for the Vice President when people are dying of hunger.

“Our entitlements should be paid to us. That is all, we are tired of empty promises. You can see all of us, we are looking haggard, we are not happy and this time around, we are serious and we won’t take it lightly. He has failed, that’s all.”

[Leadership]

The House of Representatives Committee on Women’s Affairs and Social Development, on Tuesday, grilled the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, over the non-payment of N1.5 billion to contractors after the release of funds for the purpose.

The committee was investigating the alleged diversion of the N1.5bn meant for the payment of contractors after it received a petition from the contractors over non-payment for contracts they executed for the ministry.

The committee had at its last sitting summoned the minister to appear before it to explain the rationale behind the non-payment.

The committee also ordered the stoppage of all 2024 contract processes by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs until the whereabouts of the money for the said contracts are determined.

Chairperson of the committee, Rep Kafilat Ogbara, at the resumed hearing, said the committee’s investigative hearing was not a witch-hunt but to unravel the truth behind the matter.

When asked why the contractors were not paid their money, the minister said funds were not released to the ministry, but the committee faulted her claim, saying the Director Finance and Accounts had earlier confirmed the release of funds for contracts.

On his part, the Director of Finance and Accounts, Aloy Ifeakandu, said only 25 per cent of the contract sum was released to the ministry.

The committee, while going through the documents submitted by the ministry, queried the N45m said to have been expended in organising New Year celebration for children and another N20m to buy soap and sanitary pads for New Year babies.

The committee also raised eyebrows over the N1.5m she said she spent on fuelling vehicles on a trip to Anambra State, but the minister justified the expenditure.

As the panel dug further into other alleged infractions by the ministry, it became a shouting match between the minister and the panel, as she kept on raising her voice, accusing the committee of not being given a fair hearing.

The panel’s Chairman, Kafilat, who described the attitude of the minister as rude and insulting to the parliament, adjourned the hearing indefinitely.

She said the committee would report to the house that the minister was uncooperative and had no regard for the parliament.

American rapper, Kanye West has said he’s retiring from professional music.

He said he’s unsure of what to do next.

The ‘Ye’ crooner stated this in a recent chat with Rich The Kid.

Rich The Kid shared the screenshot of their conversation via his Instagram story on Tuesday.

In the screenshot, YE wrote, “I am retiring from professional music. Not sure what else to do.”

In a bid to persuade him to shelve his plans, Rich The Kid wrote, “Retire? Why? How? The people need you. The music you, TY [Dollar $ign] and we have made was the biggest stamp in culture to this date in 2024.

“Drop Ye about mine & V2 and we do it all over again. The kids need you, big bro. Fashion maybe some time to chill but retiring ain’t it.” [Sic].

He didn’t share whether West accepted his advice or not.

Kanye West is one of the most prominent figures in hip-hop; he is known for his varying musical styles.

He started his music career as a producer in Chicago after dropping out of college.

He gained prominence after co-producing Jay-Z’s 2001 album ‘The Blueprint’ and was later signed as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records.
In 2004, West released his debut album, ‘The College Dropout,’ which was met with critical acclaim and yielded the Billboard Hot 100-number one single ‘Slow Jamz.’

He went on to become the joint most-awarded hip-hop artist in the Grammys’ history along with Jay-Z with 24 golden gramophones.

[DailyPost]

The Organised Labour still insists that the N250,000 benchmark remains the ideal minimum wage for workers in Nigeria, the President, Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, declared on Tuesday.

Osifo also stated that TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress were meeting with officials of the Federal Government to reach an agreement on the minimum wage.

He disclosed this at the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Women Commission maiden Annual Convention in Abuja, with the theme, ‘The Dynamic Woman: Navigating Challenges in a Constantly Evolving World.’

Discussions on a new national minimum wage has paused following the decision of President Bola Tinubu to consult with stakeholders before sending the bill to the National Assembly.

The Federal Government and Organised Private Sector have agreed on N62,000 as the new minimum wage, but labour is insisting on N250, 000.

Speaking at the event, Osifo said negotiations on the new minimum wage has not been abandoned, rather labour and the government were fine-tuning the matter.

“The minimum wage negotiations cannot be dead. The 2019 minimum wage (that has expired) took about two years to see the light of day. We started the negotiations in 2017.

“We promised you when we started in January (this year) that we will ensure this one is fast – tracked for us not to be in the conundrum that we were in 2019 which took two years,” the TUC president stated.

He insisted that the minimum wage was receiving attention, adding that the President wanted further consultations before submitting it to the National Assembly.

“So where we are today, we submitted the divergent position in June, when we did that you know clearly that Mr President came out to say that he wanted to consult across board which is the governors, Local Government chairmen, organised private sector and labour, so we are doing some level of reach-out and conversations.

“So that what will be submitted to the National Assembly will actually be a minimum wage that will cater for the poorest of the poor, so for the fact that in the media we are not shouting, we are doing some level of internal work so that this bill will be submitted in earnest soon. We still insist on the N250,000 benchmark as ideal minimum wage,” Osifo stated.

With Nigeria’s oil production consistently failing to meet budget benchmarks and allotted OPEC quotas, the industry’s regulators and operators have come under severe pressure to fix the hostile operating environment that has seen both investors and international contractors move away from the country.

Against the backdrop of the OPEC oil production quota of 1.5 million barrels per day, the latest data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, shows that the country has recorded over 3.011 million barrels production shortfall in the first five months of the year, amounting to over $264.97 million (about N400 billion) revenue loss using an average Bonny Light price of $88 per barrel.

Vanguard’s finding also shows that the country’s oil output has dropped to around 1.2 million barrels per day, down from a peak of 2.5 million barrels per day in the early 2000s.

Industry experts say the circumstances leading to output decline are still much within the system, adding that it might even worsen in the months ahead if nothing drastic is done to arrest the slide.

They are projecting that the production shortfall might push the attendant oil revenue shortfall to N1.0 trillion by the end of the year, a situation which would have significantly reduced the government’s budgeted N15.7 trillion revenue for the 2024 fiscal year.

Already, the Federal Government has hinted that it may not achieve its proposed revenue estimate for the fiscal year due to factors, including under-performance of the oil sector.

In its report, titled ‘’Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP)’’, the Finance Ministry stated: “Our ability to achieve the 2024 budgeted revenue step-up of 77.4 per cent from 2023 actual is at risk should oil production remain 27.0 per cent below budget.

“50 per cent of the annualised YTD (year-to-date) variance suggests a lower-than-budgeted revenue of N15.7 trillion at the current run rate.”

Output constraints

Despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria’s oil industry is grappling with output constraints arising from infrastructure decay and a lack of investment in exploration and production.

A breakdown of the data showed that average oil production in January was 1.43mbpd, February 1.32mbpd, March 1.43mbpd, April 1.28mbpd and May 1.25mbpd.

Speaking of the sustained slide in oil production, industry operators and regulators have said the challenges facing the sector needed to be urgently addressed.

According to the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group, IPPG, Mr Abdulrazaq Isa, the country is producing at a level significantly below its capacity.

He pointed out that despite Nigeria’s world-class hydrocarbon resource base, with over 37 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves and 207 tcf and 600 tcf of proven and contingent gas reserves respectively, it had found itself “in a situation where our daily production has significantly dropped and lies at about 1.3 million barrels of oil and 8.5 bcf of gas today.

Isa said: “This is way below our capacity as a nation and by all globally acceptable standards, this reserves-to-production ratio is extremely low and a clear indicator that the industry is in a dire situation.

“In addition, we now run the risk of partial implementation of our national budget considering an estimated deficit of 400,000 bpd from the forecasted 1.78 million bpd.

“This trend in production portends another frightening dimension when we consider that in the not-too-distant future our overall installed domestic refining capacity, currently closing in on about 1.2million barrels per day, may soon outstrip our current crude oil production level with the risk of Nigeria finding itself in a position where it is unable to meet its domestic refinery crude demand or even become a net importer of crude oil.”

4 priority areas to improve oil production

He listed four priority areas that must be fixed for oil production to improve and meet the government’s target.

The areas include the conclusion of all pending IOC divestment transactions including those involving its member companies – Seplat, the Renaissance Consortium and Oando; untangling of issues around deepwater development, particularly in terms of the competitive fiscal regime being negotiated with Shell, Total Energies, ExxonMobil and Chevron; adoption of a national value-retention strategy; and the development of Nigeria’s gas resources to catalyse economic growth and complement decarbonisation drive.

The challenges, according to the Group CEO, NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, have pushed not just investors away but also international contractors, disclosing that there was only an international contractor now playing in the deep water space.

Kyari also disclosed that lack of activities and new projects had also led to a low number of active rigs in the Nigerian environment.

While listing lack of investment and oil theft as some of the limiting factors, he noted that the obsolete pipeline network was also a major challenge.

He said NNPC led the push for the complete replacement of the two export pipelines to Excravos and Bonny.

He said: “We are talking about increasing production but rigs come here, stack up in deep water and they drill one well and leave. This is why there are no guarantees around rigs in this country.

Nobody will come here, mobilize for one week and leave. That’s why you are seeing the scarcity of the right rigs coming into the country.

“We have also taken another step, we will set up a rig share club with our partners. So that everyone can put on the table drilling programme so that we can all align and when rigs come here they can stay three to five years. Then we can be sure that the trend in production can increase.”

He explained that the practice was what was obtainable in many jurisdictions, lamenting that it was not happening in Nigeria because many people had turned the procurement process into a business.

‘Attract more projects in Nigeria’s deep waters’

On his part, the Chairman and Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria, Mr Jim Swartz, who called on the government to do more to attract projects into Nigeria’s deepwater, pointed out that operating in the deepwater is very expensive with a high level of uncertainty.

He said the issues of cost and long-drawn-out project procurement circle have to be addressed urgently, noting investment would only go to jurisdictions where cost is low and contracts are adhered to.

Speaking on what President Bola Tinubu’s administration had done to improve the operating environment, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, said the three Executive Orders issued in February 2024 were a major boost for the industry.

The three Executive Orders, which became effective from February 28, 2024, are: Oil and Gas Companies (Tax Incentives, Exemption, Remission, etc.) Order, 2024; Presidential Directive on Local Content Compliance Requirements, 2024; and the Presidential Directive on Reduction of Petroleum Sector Contracting Costs and Timelines.

Verheijen noted that the directives will instil confidence and stimulate the economy by making the Nigerian environment more appealing for energy projects.

According to her, the first order “was establishing a clear and transparent regulatory framework. A stable regulatory environment and clearly defined agency roles are crucial to unlocking our untapped potential as an industry and making it more transparent, efficient and competitive now and in the future.

“The second directive is focused on providing fiscal incentives for oil and gas projects and making us more competitive for investments. Directives 40 and 41 offer incentives for midstream gas utilisation, projects and non-associated gas projects.”

She said the government has also completed a comprehensive assessment of Nigeria’s deepwater competitiveness compared to 13 peer countries to attract investments, adding the government is “working on new fiscal incentives that will facilitate deepwater projects will be critical to Nigeria’s four million barrels per day target”.

NUPRC adds 17 new blocks to the 2024 oil bid round

As part of efforts to boost activities in the sector and improve production, NUPRC has added 17 new deep offshore oil blocks to the 2024 oil bid round, bringing the total blocks on offer to 36.
The blocks which are located across the onshore Niger Delta, Continental shelf, and deep offshore are expected to increase the country’s reserves and boost its oil production.

NUPRC had in April unveiled 12 new acreages for the 2024 bid round with another seven deep offshore blocks from last year’s bid round.

The commission in a document released recently signed by its Chief Executive, Engr Gbenga Komolafe, titled: Nigeria oil block licencing round- Updates on 2022/2023 and 2024 licencing rounds, also reopened the commercial bid for the 2022/2023 licencing round.

Engr. Komolafe explained that the reopening was to allow investors to take advantage of improved fiscal incentives approved by President Bola Tinubu who doubles as the country’s minister of petroleum resources.

Speaking on the issue, oil and gas governance expert, Henry Adigun, said there were a lot of issues in the Nigerian environment which have led to investors abandoning the country.

He harped on the need for the country to tackle oil theft and pipeline vandalism to bring confidence back to the sector.

“The government has a lot to do to improve incentives and get the majors investing again. We need a lot of production to meet domestic demands and also for export,” he added.

Global Affairs Canada, ActionAid laud Gov Mbah on empowerment programmes

Global Affairs Canada, GAC, and ActionAid Nigeria have commended Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for the series of empowerment programmes initiated by his government to improve the standard of living of women, promote gender equality and protect both women and children from gender-based violence and other forms of abuse.

They gave the commendation when a delegation, led by the GAC Head of Development Cooperation, Djifa Ahado, and the Country Director of ActionAid in Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, paid a visit to the governor at Government House, Enugu, yesterday.

Expressing the desire of GAC to continue its partnership with the state government, Ahado said the organization had 15 implementing partners who were engaged to address gender-based violence, women’s peer education programmes to eliminate gender mutilation, women’s political participation and leadership, and women’s economic empowerment, among other programmes. She added that GAC, through ActionAid Nigeria, had invested ¦ 261,382,261.29 as grants to its partners, which had impacted over a million beneficiaries.

Calling for more collaboration between the body and the state government, Ahado lamented that among the challenges faced by GAC included rising violence against women, limited support for gender equality initiatives and insufficient funding and resources to support the women’s rights movement.

On his part, Mamedu of ActionAid lauded the effective and strong collaboration between the state government and ActionAid in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, saying that deliberate investment in women’s rights had a profound impact on sustainable development.

The Country Director, who was represented by the ActionAid Head of Programmes, Celestine Odo, further underscored that one of the laudable projects of the two bodies that had achieved significant results in the empowerment of women and girls was the Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria (WVL-N) made possible by the cooperation of all the organs involved.

According to him, the achievements made so far by the organisations in the state were a result of the resilience and collective effort of all their partners and the communities that benefitted from the projects.

Reacting to the visit, Governor Mbah appreciated the development organisations for selecting Enugu as one of their project states, a decision he believed must have been informed by his administration’s policies of transparency, accountability and integrity.

He said the state recently passed the ranching law to end open grazing, introduce a modern method of grazing and ensure the safety of farmers across the 17 LGAs of the state.

While reassuring that the administration had zero tolerance for gender-based violence, the governor cited several occasions where the government had arrested culprits of gender-based assault and promised that justice would continue to be served as they were already facing prosecution.

Governor Mbah also disclosed some of the critical steps being taken by the government to eliminate maternal and child mortality through the strengthening of the primary healthcare system, the construction of 260 type-2 primary healthcare hospitals with modern facilities, and the recruitment of thousands of healthcare workers that would be deployed across all the health centres in the state.

He also stressed that the administration, right from the inception of office, had a principle that supports Affirmative Action with women constituting more than 28 per cent of his appointees.

[Vanguard]

Hollywood loves a sequel, so it is fitting that the current US presidential contest is a repeat of the bitter 2020 slugfest.

The recent presidential debate between Joe Biden, the incumbent 81-year-old Democrat, and Donald Trump, his 78-year-old Republican challenger, has been widely portrayed as a contest between a geriatric octogenarian drifting gently into senility, and a hate-spewing lunatic recently convicted for using campaign funds to pay a porn star hush money.

How has it come to this in the world’s richest country, with its dynamic innovators and elite universities?

Though fewer than half of Americans view either candidate favourably, much of the US “liberal” corporate media focused on Biden’s apparently disastrous debate performance, with the New York Times and CNN’s talking-heads calling for his resignation. Several senior Democrats continue to voice discontent.

In stark contrast, conservative media and Republican politicians have doggedly defended Trump, showing the ruthless discipline that has enabled them to reverse decades of progressive legislation.

Astonishingly, centre-left critics were surprised by Biden’s lack of mental acuity during the debate. Yet just this year he has verbally mistaken former German chancellor Angela Merkel for the dead former chancellor Helmut Kohl; erroneously referred to French President Emmanuel Macron as the dead Gallic president Francois Mitterand; and mistakenly described Egypt’s leader as the “president of Mexico”. In 2023, Biden stated that Russia was losing the “war in Iraq” and noted that “over 100 Americans” had died of Covid-19 (the actual figure is 1.2-million).

In 2022, Biden called out onstage to Republican congresswoman Jackie Walorski before being reminded that the legislator had died a month earlier. Critics of his debate performance also appear to have ignored the recent description of Biden by special counsel Robert Hur — who cleared the president of charges of mishandling classified documents — as “a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory”.

Trump has similarly experienced his own “senior citizen moments”. He verbally confused Biden with former president Barack Obama seven times, while also mistakenly referring to his Republican rival, Nikki Haley, as former Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The contestants pointedly did not shake hands before or after this presidential debate, underlining the lack of civility that now pervades US politics. Biden was widely portrayed as hoarse and halting, while Trump was depicted as fierce and forceful. The president sought to paint his opponent as a danger to democracy, architect of the Supreme Court decision to deny women the right to abortions, and a climate change denier. He wrongly claimed to have inherited 9% inflation from Trump instead of 1.4%.

Trump was characteristically full of bombast and bluster, lying brazenly throughout the debate. He falsely accused Biden of letting criminal illegal migrants into the country, erroneously claiming these migrants are stealing jobs from blacks and Hispanics.

He xenophobically described Biden as a China-funded “Manchurian candidate” and a “bad Palestinian” who had failed to fully back Israel’s military assault on Gaza. Trump further alleged that Biden had “encouraged” Russia to attack Ukraine, strangely accused Democrats of backing abortions after babies had been born, downplayed the attack on the Capitol by his supporters in 2021, and refused to say unequivocally whether he would accept the result of November’s election.

Given Biden’s frequent memory lapses before this debate the panicked reaction of his supporters to his lacklustre performance is somewhat disingenuous. I watched the full debate having factored in Biden’s weaknesses, and felt he actually remembered many facts and landed some good punches.

Trump certainly did not win this debate on substance, and if the ability to appear mentally fitter than your opponent while spewing bile and being economical with the truth is enough to triumph, this is a rather low bar for a country that likes to pride itself on being the “greatest nation on earth”.

• Adebajo is professor and senior research fellow at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship.

Yes, take a glimpse at this photograph. You would probably imagine, momentarily, a model among the bevy paraded by, say, the popular ritzy GQ magazine.

If so, well, you just fell for a disguise.

Now, take a closer look. Strip that bucket hat and you will behold, in its luxuriant bloom, that familiar hoary mane complemented by no less immaculate goatee to which folks around the world have long grown accustomed as evocative of no other than Kongi in any gathering, anywhere.

Today, it took more than “yabis” (teasing) to extract a few seconds from Professor Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka and get him to shed his accustomed stern mien and momentarily act a model, one hand fashionably in the pocket, on a North African soil. But without the usual preening or sashaying of the runway.

That fleeting GQ moment was, by the way, captured in Fes (Morocco) in June 2023 by this writer with a camera phone as an emergency “paparazzi”, after sidestepping a bit to get a perfect angle for the lens against blinding lights by the elementary law of photography. Amid sustained volleys of “yabis” by an old disciple, Sir K (Kunle Ajibade) alongside Mrs Rakiya Dhikru-Yagboyaju and Ahmed Garba-Gombe who formed Kongi’s entourage while guests of King Mohammed VI of Morocco as part of activities to mark Morocco’s 28th Book Fair last year.

The location was the vast lounge of Nejjarine Ensemble, ornate with its Oriental mosaic and sculptures, perhaps the most remarkable among the kaleidoscope of historical monuments and buildings long classified by UNESCO as world heritage sites in Fes. Outside this sprawling palace (built in 1711 by Sultan Moulay Ismail), history cast a rather long, sepulchral shadow on the forecourt under the mild pre-summer sun.

Indeed, hours earlier in faraway Rabat, no sooner had Prof materialised in a rare white linen shirt from the elevator into a waiting party of his entourage (from Nigeria) and Moroccan officials at the lobby of the exquisite Sofitel Hotel than Sir K lobbed the first “yabis” by joking if Prof was already considering career switch from literature to modelling.
Of course, an inexhaustible bag of humour himself, Prof absorbed as much as he dispensed withering ripostes that sometimes left us breathless with tearful laughter. Sometimes, his humour was self-deprecatory. Like his recall of once being made to repeat a passage — and again — through the scanner at an international airport abroad, until a further meticulous search by apprehensive security agents revealed that the trigger of the persistently treacherous alarm bell was not more than the phial of granulated native African pepper Prof habitually carries around to spice his meals at Oyinbo restaurants.

Even more extraordinary was Kongi’s undiminished agility and razor-sharp sense of recall at such an advanced age. Eager to show off their abundant tourism treasures, the Moroccan officials had taken us to many high and low locations. Not once did Kongi, barely a month short of his 89th birthday then, appear to have missed a single breath or betray the slightest hint of weariness over an otherwise loaded itinerary.

Indeed, something seemed to have moved a day earlier in Rabat (Morocco’s political capital) when news circulated that the literary eagle had landed in Casablanca (the commercial nerve centre), straight from the U.S. (We had flown from Lagos and arrived in Rabat hours before Kongi).

For the four days we spent in Morocco, there was always a scramble by local folks to see or come near the first black Nobel laureate in Literature who, according to the Swedish Academy, “with poetic overtones, fashioned the drama of existence.” The one who, with the sheer power of the written word, had achieved world celebrity. The one whose voice forever instils mortal fear in the hearts of tyrants and bigots everywhere.

Words also reached our mercurial Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, a bosom friend of the King of Morocco, who was also in Rabat around the same time. The Nigerian ambassador to Morocco, Mansur Nuhu Bamali (now late), brought His Royal Majesty to see Kongi on arrival at Sofitel. Both had a lengthy private chat on the plum couch in the lounge.

As for the occasional bucket hat, those who know will reveal a darker story. In the 90s, it served Kongi abroad as a disguise against Abacha’s paid killers after being publicly charged with treasonable felony in Nigeria on account of his pivotal role in the pro-democracy struggle after the June 12 annulment at grave personal risk. Indeed, throughout Nigeria’s postcolonial history, only a few — if any — could be said to have been as invested in pursuing the common purpose as Kongi. (A fact now lost on some of our millennials and Gen Z utterly bereft of a sense of history and quickly recruited as online trolls for puerile graffiti).

But in the latter years, that bucket hat has evolved into a civil utility: either as a prop to sneak into a targeted tavern undetected or simply evade a never-ending stream of autograph hunters and hustlers for photo ops.
Two Mercedes limousines were provided for the journey to Fes. But before take-off, Kongi asked I “abandon Kunle and others” in the second car and keep him company in his.

For the about two-hour trip, it felt invigorating to sit next to and converse non-stop with arguably one of the world’s greatest minds in the last century, the monarch of the language himself, famously described as “the conscience of the African continent.”

Indeed, as Prof enters the nonagenarian club this week, there is no doubt that what obsesses him remains a fierce commitment to the values of tolerance, justice, good governance and compassion for the vulnerable in Nigeria and everywhere. Plus, an advocacy for youth empowerment in the political economy where gerontocrats seem reluctant to let go.

The said linen shirt he “premiered” in Morocco was, in fact, a gift from a young Nigerian fashion designer. He chose to “launch” it before a foreign audience to help promote Nigerian talent.

To the far younger ones like yours sincerely, Prof’s father-figure stature naturally makes him a guardian. But despite the vast age difference, Kongi also relates to you as a friend with uncommon solidarity and loyalty.

That spirit was on display when this writer turned 50 in March 2023. He was not in the country when “OPEC President” (Tunji Bello) hosted a dinner in my honour in Lagos, attended by the likes of Aremo Segun Osoba, Pa Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi and several media heavyweights.

On returning to Nigeria two weeks later, Kongi chose to host a lavish luncheon for his younger disciple at one exclusive “hideout” in Ikeja GRA. T.B. was excused because of Muslim Ramadan. But the “gang” (Sam Omatseye, Kayode Komolafe, Azu Ishiekwene and Andrew Odion) had a swell time feasting. Of course, wine flowed freely.

Azu won the additional lottery of a bottle of vintage wine as a “takeaway” from Kongi’s famous cellar for a tribute he wrote earlier on me which Prof found interesting.
Eventually, when the waiter brought the invoice, I tried to play smart.

In the hoary years, the mammal, according to African wisecrack, should suckle her brood instead by a reversed law of nature. I thought being hosted by a Nobel laureate alone was already a significant honour and, as a cultured Bini man, I should not allow that to leave a hole in the old man’s pocket.

But on sighting my ATM card and conspiratorial whisper to the waiter on the side, Kongi preempted me. With a vehemence, he insisted on picking up the bill himself and thrust forward his credit card. Overwhelmed, I knelt in gratitude, to which he frowned, jocularly waving me to stand up “And stop embarrassing me in the public.”

That’s the essential Prof.

On his 80th birthday in 2014, I wrote a tribute for Kongi. Ten years later, nothing has changed to persuade me to rethink or regret my words. I crave readers’ indulgence to bring the following extracts from that essay:
“What truly makes Soyinka great is not so much for the monumentality of a talent that spews pithy poetry, gripping prose and transcendental drama. His greatness lies more in the courage and character he brings to bear on creativity. At an age when no territory seems restricted any more, when many of yesterday’s heroes and heroines have been exposed to be counterfeits, and when more and more of the surviving statesmen would instead trade away their honour for temporary gains, Kongi remains an exemplar.

“His fiery pen and caustic tongue notwithstanding, Kongi remains tender at heart, one who may disagree with you in principle but never holds back in the fellowship of humanity or be detained by bitterness over the past. Only that could explain the complicated relationship he has had over the years with his relative, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. Feisty OBJ had decided to veer from the political turf as sitting president in 2005 to engage Soyinka in an epistolary joust. In a signed statement, he took a swipe at Kongi for criticising his policies.

“But discerning observers who read the open letter could not but raise their hands in panic immediately, fearful of the approaching literary wrath on the proverbial errant native doctor who carries his ritual offering past a mosque. While it was readily conceded that OBJ was fussy by nature, many had expected that his fabled native intelligence would have served him well by dissuading him from venturing into a square rope against Kongi in a literary duel.

“Their worst fears were soon proved right. Soyinka’s response was an atomic bomb. OBJ’s presidential garment was torn beyond recognition by the time the smoke cleared. For once, the Ota chicken farmer became tongue-tied. Months later, the hatred that open ‘roforofo’ (dirty fight) had generated would not prevent Kongi from showing up at the funeral of OBJ’s spouse, Stella, who died suddenly following complications arising from a medical procedure in Spain.

“When OBJ finally met with Kongi face to face on the aisle outside the funeral parlour, the story is told of how the president exploded in a playful rage, ‘Wole, iwo! (Wole, you!)’, raising an arm in mock threat. Defiant Kongi fired back, “Segun, Ori e!” thumping his head in a supreme Yoruba gesture of contempt. More embarrassed than amused by such audacity, the guards around the President cleverly looked away.

“Again, when Chief Emeka Ojukwu qualified the victory he achieved in the sham elections arranged by the Abacha junta to select delegates for the 1994 Constitutional Conference as conferring on him a mandate ‘superior to June 12’, vintage Soyinka gave expression to popular thinking in the country then by simply dismissing the ex-Biafran secessionist as ‘an expired warlord’. That critical riposte would not prevent Kongi from attending Ojukwu’s burial (in 2012) to pay last respects to a personal friend.

“The same generosity of spirit is evident in his warm relationship with General Yakubu Gowon today. At the presentation of a memoir by the Oba of Benin early (in 2014), Soyinka continually poked good-natured jokes at Gowon while giving a keynote address to the audience's admiration. It was hard to believe that it was the same Gowon who had clamped him into the gulag during the Nigerian Civil War. His 28-month solitary confinement birthed the book, ‘The Man Died’.

“When it was his turn to speak, the former head of state threw the crowd into a fresh bout of laughter by cautioning Kongi to watch his tongue: ‘You should remember that it was because of the same sharp tongue of yours that I sent you to prison in the 60s.’

“Being the first black man to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Soyinka’s life sends an enduring message: the infinite possibilities of the black race.”

. . . Donates N10 million to Nursing College in Kogi

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has explained that his unwavering commitment to building a better nation through investing in the critical areas of human and national development; health and education, is ultimately for the good of the nation and the future of society.

Obi made the remarks yesterday, when he paid a visit to Grimard College of Nursing Sciences, Anyigba, Kogi State, where he donated N10 million to the College for the training of nurses, who he said, are at the centre of primary healthcare delivery in the nation.

He stated that Nigeria is today undeveloped because the nation has not aggressively invested in the critical areas of development, which he said are; health, education and pulling people out of poverty. He maintained that the nation is, today, facing serious challenges of insecurity and other socio-economic challenges due to lack of investment in these critical areas.

"I have not only remained consistent in urging governments, at all levels, to invest more in health and education, but I have also continued to call on donor agencies to do the same. Our investment in the future of our children is for the good of society and the progress of our nation," Obi said.

Addressing the nursing students, Obi reminded them that they are in a noble profession which cares for humanity. 

"I am particularly concerned about the training of more nurses who play very vital roles in caring for the health of society. As experts continue to warn of a severe shortage of nurses, we must remain proactive by investing in their training, through that, we can have enough for our domestic health sector, and export more to the global community," he added

Obi thanked the Proprietor of the College, Bishop Anthony Ademu Adaji; the Management and the Staff of the College for their commitment to training compassionate and competent healthcare professionals.

"Our commitment remains to build a New Nigeria which offers Nigerians access to good healthcare and educational opportunities. It is Possible," Obi concluded.

Signed 

Yunusa Tanko 

POMR PRESS RELEASE