Lagos is shivering under the outbreak of cholera. A vicious intestinal illness has gripped the state, adding a layer of fear to the already bustling streets. With 24 deaths, 35 confirmed cases and 417 suspected cases across the state as of Friday, July 21, 2024, experts say the outbreak isn’t just a national concern but a local fight for survival, particularly in areas where access to clean water and proper sanitation remains a luxury.

Apart from poor water and sanitation challenges, the plight of citizens leaves much to be desired.

17-year-old Bayo was rushed-in with his frail body racked with chills. His worried mother, Dolapo, wiped his face, a deep fear etched on her face. “Please admit him, don’t reject us. Today is a public holiday, please help, it started yesterday,” Dolapo murmured. “Just stomach cramps at first, but now…” Bayo unfortunately lost his life in one of the private hospitals in the Ago area of Lagos. His case is among the rising number of cholera infections plaguing Lagos.

With limited resources and a densely populated city to contend with, Lagos grapples with controlling the outbreak.

Sadly, water and sanitation remain a challenge in the state. From the end of Makoko to the highbrow areas of Victoria Island in Lagos, potable water remains a challenge despite having water all around the city.

A situation report issued by the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, last Friday (EPI Week 25), as of 19th of June, 2024, revealed that the outbreak has swept across the 20 LGAs.

While the highest outbreak occurred in Ajeromi, Kosofe, Epe, Ikorodu, Alimosho and Eti-Osa LGAs, as of 10th of June, 2024, the Commissioner said there was the need to adhere strictly to personal and environmental hygiene to stay safe from infection risk.

However, in what seems like an attack on cholera in countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced a resurgence of cholera worldwide.

WHO said in May 2024, a total of 46,364 new cholera cases were reported from 19 countries, showing 58 per cent increase from the previous month.

It said from January 1, 2024 to May 26, 2024, a total of 194,897 cholera cases and 1,932 deaths were reported from 24 countries across five regions.

WHO said the Eastern Mediterranean region recorded the highest numbers (98,003 cases; seven countries), followed by the African region (92,789 cases; 14 countries), the Americas (2,672 cases; one country), the South-East Asia region (1,328 cases; two countries), and the European region (105 cases; one country).

WHO added that during this period, the African region reported 1,698 deaths; the Eastern Mediterranean region, 256 deaths; the region of the Americas, 13 deaths; the Southeast Asia region, four deaths; and the European region, one death.

The global body’s report comes as Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city and commercial capital, battles a cholera outbreak.

Blame

However, while the disease continues to sweep across countries and states in Nigeria, experts have continued to blame the Nigerian government for paying lip service to water and sanitation.

Today, most communities across Nigeria cannot boast of adequate safe drinking water. The affordability of bottled water, often used as a safer alternative, is also a challenge for many families.

For instance, in Lagos, sachet water, the presumed alternative to borehole water, is sold, in many areas, for N50 and, in others areas, it goes for N30. Five bags of water are sold for N1,500 and in some areas N2,000.

Bottle water goes for N200 per bottle. Sadly, many Nigerians who have resorted to borehole water can no longer boil before drinking due to the hike in electricity tariff.

Public health experts have warned that without improved water, sanitation and hygiene, cholera will remain endemic in Lagos and Nigeria in particular.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Chief, Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucrier, safer water could save 1.4 million child deaths from diarrhoea, 500,000 deaths from malaria, 860,000 child deaths from malnutrition, as well as protect 10 million people from serious illnesses like lymphatic filariasis and trachoma.

She said the current outbreak demonstrates the need for an urgent government focus on ensuring water provided to the population is clean and risk-free.

According to her, good water and sanitation infrastructure play a crucial role in reducing disease outbreaks such as cholera, which causes an estimated 100,000 deaths annually.

Lip service

In an interview with Sunday Vanguard, a public health disease expert, Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, said the country has continued to pay lip service to water, sanitation and hygiene.

“I challenge you to go and dig it up. Of the 30 states already reported to have the outbreak, how many of them have a public potable water supply in place? I can categorically tell you, none. So, we do know that cholera is a disease that thrives where water, sanitation and hygiene are at its low rate,” Ifeanyi stated.

He emphasised the need for improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices, including addressing open defecation and ensuring access to clean water which are essential for preventing future outbreaks.

The public health expert warned that the outbreak, particularly severe in developed areas of Lagos, highlights deficiencies in sanitation and water quality.

According to him, schools with proper hygiene facilities and access to clean water could reopen, after mid-term holiday, with heightened public health education on hygiene practices.

However, expressing concerns about densely populated areas with limited access to clean water, Ifeanyi said: “It must be said that the situation that will sustain this outbreak is quite high. I give you an example. I do not know how much a bag of sachet water is sold in Lagos, but, in most of Nigeria, it is now between N400 and N600 and, if you buy that it should be either 20 sachets. I do not know how long it would sustain families and, besides, the source of this sachet water and also bottled water is also questionable because their conformity to water processing is still very unsure.”

Increased Public Health Measures

Ifeanyi, who is also the National President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), urged Lagos State government to prioritize improved detection and surveillance of cholera and cholera-like illnesses. “This includes contact tracing, increased access to cholera testing kits, and a thermal risk factor analysis specific to Lagos,” he said.

Noting that food safety is another critical area, he stressed that the state government should implement stricter food safety protocols, including lab testing of imported and commercially sold water.

“Public health authorities must beef up to detect cholera and cholera-like illnesses and also to put in place a surveillance system that promotes disease tracking. That is to say, if you have an individual whose case is confirmed, then there’s a need to do contact tracing and to evaluate the contact,” the expert said.

Expressing disappointment in the description of the Lagos cholera as aggressive without the proper name of the type, he pointed out that the government has failed to provide infrastructure and facilities for diagnostic testing and typing whenever there is an outbreak.

According to him, there was a need to identify the biotype of the cholera responsible for the outbreak and not use ominous words like aggressive.

Glimmer of Hope

Ifeanyi said the state government should immediately deploy cholera vaccine particularly for school children, adding that individual vigilance remains paramount.

He advised Lagosians to boil or treat drinking water, avoid raw fruits and vegetables, and practice frequent and thorough handwashing.

Corroborating his views, a public physician, Dr Femi Oyekan, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, stressed that cholera outbreaks originate and spread within communities, making community-led and participatory approaches essential for sustainable prevention.

According to him, citizens also have a lot of things to do to help combat cholera outbreak by ensuring proper hygiene, keeping their environment clean, avoiding open defecation, and ensuring proper waste and sewage disposal.

“Ultimately, access to clean water and sanitation is critical in preventing outbreaks. Communities must take collective action to ensure clean water access and maintain good hygiene. Identifying and empowering positive role models within the community can encourage the widespread adoption of healthy

[Vanguard]

A second southern Mexico mayor has been killed in less than a week, local authorities announced Saturday, after he went to visit an indigenous community.

The murder of Acacio Flores, who represents Malinaltepec, comes days after the killing of Salvador Villalba Flores, another mayor from Guerrero state elected in June 2 polls.

The body of Flores was discovered with a bullet wound to the back of the head in the back of a van in Malinaltepec, a human rights campaigner told AFP.

The rights activist had been involved in negotiations to free the politician after he was detained Thursday in an indigenous village.

Guerrero’s public prosecutor said an investigation into aggravated murder had been opened, with a possible land ownership dispute part of the probe.

Since Mexico’s campaign season began last September, around 30 political candidates have been killed, according to Data Civica, a non-governmental organization.

Guerrero, one of the states most affected by drug cartel violence given its location along Mexico’s Pacific coast, recorded 1,890 murders in 2023.

AFP

The combined operatives of the Nigerian Embassy and a Senegalese-based non-governmental organisation have rescued 24 Nigerian girls who were subjected to sexual exploitation in the Tamaccounda and Kedougou Regions of Senegal.

The acting Ambassador of the Nigerian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, Salihu Abubakar, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Dakar on Sunday.

According to him, the girls mostly under-aged, ranging between the ages of 11, 13, and 24 are being trafficked to Senegal, through Cotonou, Republic of Benin, via the Mali to Senegal border for sexual exploitation in Tamaccounda and Kedougou Regions.

“These girls and many more are being trafficked to Senegal, through Cotonou, Benin Republic via Mali to the Senegal border for prostitution,” the diplomat said. 

Abubakar said preliminary investigation revealed that most of the girls, who were school dropouts were from Edo and Delta, adding that a few of them were from Imo and Abia while two others were from Plateau.

He, however, said of the 24, 22 were already repatriated weeks ago while the two other ladies were repatriated to Nigeria on Saturday and had landed in Nigeria safely.

The diplomat could not immediately give the details of the health status of the victims and other information regarding the time they spent while undergoing sexual exploitation in Senegal.

The envoy said that the successful repatriation of the girls to Nigeria was a clear indication of the strengthened international cooperation in combating human trafficking between the embassy and the Senegalese-based NGO, “Free the Slaves” (La Lumiere in French).

“Our main goal and number one priority is to discourage the trafficking of our Nigerian girls to any part of the world for prostitution under any disguise,” Abubakar said.

NAN

Nigeria’s rising global profile is not the conjuring of luck or the divination and contrivance of some dissociated variables. It is the result of purposeful, diligent, and experienced leadership. The workings of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.

Nigeria has always mattered in the chat rooms and chopping tables of global discourse — as pertaining Africa. It has always been significant as the largest democracy in Africa, and as the most populous nation and one of the biggest economies on the continent.

But the world is paying more attention to Nigeria. It is taking more interest in the nation for good reasons. Effective domestic leadership, reinforced with a deliberate and well-designed foreign policy, reflects critically on global perception. A broad-minded and enlightened leadership at home will, by a good shot, colour the grey canvas of global disinterestedness.

The past one year has not been without some challenges, but there has been a driven and efficient leadership with clear direction to help the nation navigate through any vortex. Reports from credible rating agencies and global financial platforms betoken stability and the return of vibrancy to critical sectors of the economy.

Early this month, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) commended the government of Nigeria for clearing 98 percent of airlines’ trapped funds, which the carriers had previously been unable to repatriate.

The director-general of IATA, Willie Walsh said “as of April 2024, 98 percent of these funds have been cleared. The remaining 19 million dollars is due to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s ongoing verification of outstanding forward claims filed by the commercial banks”.

And months before, in March precisely, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced that it had settled valid outstanding foreign exchange obligations. On October 23, 2023, at the 29th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) in Abuja, the President pledged that his administration would honour legitimate foreign exchange obligations and restore market confidence. This pledge he is following through ever so dutifully.

There is a strong, focused, disciplined, and patriotic leadership at home, and this is influencing global perception of Nigeria on governance.

President Tinubu, Nigeria’s chief promoter, has brought a fine hue of respect, command, and dignity to the brand Nigeria by his audacious, candid, cerebral, and deep declarations on seminal matters as regards Nigeria, Africa, and the world around them, on important global platforms.

Just about two months ago at the World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, President Tinubu stirred interest and applause with his profound asseveration on the imperativeness of collaboration and inclusiveness to achieving global food security, addressing collective challenges, and driving innovation across a chain of interests for a more stable and prosperous world.

“The capital formation that is necessary to drive the economy, agriculture, ensure food security, innovation, and technological advancement must be an inclusive programme of the entire world. No one should be left behind. I am glad the world is recognizing the need for (cooperation), and that with the type of population growth that Africa is experiencing; the diversity of its resources must be married with economic opportunity. We must collaborate to do that,” the president said.

On June 6, at a meeting with a delegation from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, led by its Managing Director, Mr. Makhtar Diop, President Tinubu spoke not only as the leader of the largest black nation, but as an African patriot. He beseeched international development financiers to see Africa as a destination for growth and prosperity, and not as an axis of eternal misery and chaos.

“The IFC and the World Bank need to see Africa differently. I am glad an African is at the helm of affairs at IFC, and as an African, understands that the potential for growth, peace, stability, and prosperity is here. The world has to see us as a continent that can help the rest of the world, and not perceive us as backwards, unstable, and with leadership problems. The expectations of the rest of the world on Africa have to change. By looking at Africa as a potential opportunity and not a danger to the rest of the free world, we can stimulate growth and propel inclusiveness.

“I am an African and proud to be and will maintain the strong position to collaborate with the rest of the world to see Africa as a destination for growth and prosperity,” the president said.

Effective leadership is appetising. It is like a honey-badger to honey. Inclusive of the tactile substance of development and growth, it attracts goodwill and bolsters the nation’s global stature. With President Tinubu’s effective leadership, Nigeria’s global profile will stay on the rise.

Fredrick Nwabufo is the senior special assistant to the president on public engagement

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has listed five websites allegedly harvesting Nigerians’ data fraudulently. 

This comes against the backdrop of the recent alarm raised by Paradigm Initiative that some websites are selling Nigerians’ National Identification Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), International Passport, and other data. 

The Commission in a statement issued on Saturday by its Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke, said the websites engaging in the illegal harvest of data without its authority include:  

• idfinder.com.ng,  

• Verify.Ng/sign in,  

• championtech.com.ng.  

• trustyonline.com, and  

• anyverify.com.   

“NIMC urges the public to disregard any claims or services these websites offer and should not give their data as they are potentially fraudulent and data provided by the public on such websites are gathered and stored to build the data services they illegally provide,” it stated.  

Nigerians’ data not compromised 

The Commission further stated that Nigerians’ sensitive data have not been compromised as claimed by Paradigm Initiative, adding that it has taken measures to strengthen the NIN database further.  

“At this moment, the Commission assures the public that the data of Nigerians has not been compromised, and the Commission has not authorized any website or entity to sell or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the report. 

“The public should know that the Commission has taken robust measures to safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats- a secure, world-class, full-proof database is in place. The commission’s infrastructure meets the stringent ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Standard, with annual recertification and strict compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law,” it said.  

NIMC advised Nigerians to avoid giving their data to unauthorized and phishing sites as they pose the danger of data harvesting and comprise individual data. 

Partners not authorized to store data 

While reaffirming its commitment to upholding ethical standards in data protection in line with federal government directives and data privacy regulations, the Commission noted that its licensed partners or vendors are not authorized to scan or store NIN slips but to verify NINs through approved channels.  

NIMC added that it is working closely with security operatives to apprehend elements masquerading as online vendors, and they would face the full wrath of the law. 

“NIMC urges the public to remain vigilant against false information and rely on verified sources for accurate updates. The Commission remains committed to providing secure and reliable identity management and upholding the highest level of security for systems and databases, which are critical national assets,” it said.  

Backstory 

Pan-African social enterprise, Paradigm Initiative, had on Friday expressed concern that several unauthorised websites are claiming to hold and provide access to sensitive personal and financial data of Nigerian citizens “for as little as 100 Naira.” 

“This alarming development presents a major breach of the fundamental rights to privacy, a breach of data privacy rights, and poses significant risks to individuals and the national economy,” the organization said in a statement. 

Paradigm Initiative said the unauthorised access to personal data is a blatant infringement on the privacy of Nigerian citizens as the dissemination of such information could lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activities, including data owners being targeted by burglars, kidnappers or terrorists who buy data that includes home addresses. 

It added that the availability of sensitive financial data online could undermine the stability of Nigeria’s banking system. 

[Nairametrics]

In 1989, the call of duty and pull of family necessitated that I travel from my London partial base to New York. I was checked in on  a British Airways flight from London to New York. We were set to leave Heathrow shortly after the usual pre-departure rituals.

I was seated on an aisle seat on row 2 in the First Class cabin courtesy of my employers then. I noticed that on both sides of the aisle in my front, the two seats on each row were unoccupied. It was a bit curious. I reckoned it was either a VIP reservation or there would be air Marshals on board. But marshals do not occupy prominent front row seats on aircraft they are protecting.  Those were the days when it had become mandatory for major Western airlines on international routes to have armed marshals on board in the event of terrorist hijack attempts.

As the pre- departure announcement was about to commence, the four ‘missing’ First Class passengers boarded. I looked up. There was a stately lady accompanied by three  smart- suited gentlemen. They allowed the lady to take her seat before they sat down in a manner that flanked the lady in a window seat on the left side of the aisle. Before the lady took her seat, she courtsied and flashed a brief plastic smile at those of us seated immediately behind her with a hardly audible “Good afternoon”.

On came the Captain’s voice: “Honorable Prime Minister and valued guests, welcome to this British Airways intercontinental service taking us straight to New York’s Kennedy Airport….Flight time is… En route weather…Mild turbulence on the Atlantic crossing….”

The  female last minute passenger was none other than  the then British Prime Minister, Mrs. Margaret Thatcher. That was her penultimate year in office. She was flying a commercial airline as a passenger to New York, obviously en route Washington. 

On arrival in New York, Mrs. Thatcher courteously disembarked, accompanied by her three self -effacing security escorts. They just disappeared through the crowd followed by the rest of us passengers. No limousines at the foot of the aircraft. No long assault rifles, horsewhips, combat gear  and orchestrated commotion. etc.

As Chairman of the Editorial Board of the renascent Daily Times under Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, I went to Harare to interview President Robert Mugabe in 1992. He was scheduled for a state visit to Nigeria on President Ibrahim Babangida’s invitation. I flew to Harare via Nairobi on what used to be Balkan (Bulgarian) Airlines. After my interview, Mugabe kindly asked me how I was returning to Lagos. I told him. Then he politely offered me a seat in his jet: ‘ we have a large plane and can offer you a seat.’

The next day, I showed up at the airport. After the president’s ceremonial departure rituals, his aides took me on board the aircraft and got me seated. It was an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 727 with clear commercial livery. The crew were Air Zimbabwe pilots, cabin crew and co-pilots. The president was proudly flying a commercial aircraft and was proud of it. As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the president walked round the cabin for courtesy chats. He stopped by me to express delight that I accepted his offer of a ride. He told me Nigeria trained most of their combat pilots prior to independence.

I provide these anecdotal experiences against the backdrop of a simulated debate that is brewing in the country. A few voices have been raised in the National Assembly in support of buying two new aircraft for the presidential fleet to replace the current aircraft. If the kite flies, the President and the Vice President respectively would jet around the world in brand new luxury jets.  To all intents and purposes, the aim of the brewing noises in the NASS is to give legislative legitimacy to a decision that may already have been made. I am not sure whether there is any provision in the 2024 budget for these aircraft or the idea is just a whiff of presidential wish that needs some legislative stamp. It is too early to tell but clearly, the matter of new presidential jets is on the table of public debate.

Those who are pushing this agenda have cited recent hiccups in the performance of the jets in use. When the president recently travelled to the Netherlands on an official visit, his follow -on trip to Saudi Arabia for the World Economic Forum had to be undertaken in a hired aircraft as the presidential jet reportedly developed problems in Amsterdam. Shortly after that, Mr. Shettima who was headed for the United States to represent Nigeria at a major foreign policy event reportedly had to make  an air return early in the flight as his own aircraft also reportedly developed a fault mid air. The conclusion is that these aircraft are either too old or poorly maintained to be trusted to ferry the two first citizens around safely.  Whatever the political nuisance value of our first two citizens, we want them alive and safe.

The matter of safety of high level aircraft in use by heads of government has been elevated by two recent air accidents that claimed the lives of incumbent high level government officials. The first was the helicopter crash in the mountains of northern Iran that claimed the life of the Iranian president, Mr. Raisi. The second is the incident that claimed the life of Malawi’s Vice President, Saulos Chilima. In the absence of detailed accident investigation reports on both incidents so far, the easy conclusion has been that faulty aircraft may be the prime causes of these unfortunate events. The lazy and convenient conclusion is of course that the only way to get presidents and their deputies to arrive their destinations in one piece is to equip them with brand new aircraft. The Nigerian  purveyors of this lazy option have spared no time for possibilities of weather, sabotage, bad maintenance or indeed human error.

Consequently, those advocating the purchase of new aircraft for Tinubu and Shettima have tacitly accused opponents of the huge expenditure  on new aircraft of wishing our president and his deputy dead if they continue flying in the old aircraft.

Irrespective of such morbid thinking, opponents of the purchase of new presidential jets are predicating their contention on purely socio economic reasons. The self evident argument is that the purchase of new presidential jets cannot qualify as a priority given the sorry state of the national economy and the avalanche of problems and hardships that Nigerians are currently living with.  The facts are self -evident.

The nation is in a poor shape. Hunger and poverty are too prevalent. Everyone is unsafe as swarms of bandits and casual killers are all over the place taking lives and inflicting harm sometimes for the fun of it. Healthcare is beyond reach as the prices of essential drugs and medications have shot through the roof. The state itself has its back on the wall as most economic indicators –inflation, exchange rate, interest rates, unemployment, foreign investment etc- are all flashing red. The matter of new presidential jets in those circumstances becomes a matter of deficient prioritization. Why would we prioritize the procurement of luxury jets when the vast majority of our people are in desperate deprivation while the government is preaching sacrifice and imposing a battery of inexcusable taxes of everyone for the most essential service and public goods?

The political opposition has weighed down heavily on even the mere suggestion that any government of Nigeria in these circumstances would even dream of additional luxury jets for Tinubu and Shettima in these times. Justifiably, the opposition has pointed at recent instances of unnecessary luxurious indulgence by the administration in the 2024 budget. They point at the purchase of countless expensive luxury SUVs for legislators and high government officials, the contentious presidential yacht, the expensive new habitations for the Vice President, the expensive refurbishment of official residences and offices of the already over indulged executives etc. The obvious conclusion is of course that a government that can prioritize unnecessary items of luxury at huge costs while the people wallow in poverty and extreme deprivation can only be insensitive and callously indifferent.

Yet the transportation of Presidents, Vice Presidents and other key officials of state have become part of the architecture of the modern nation state. The Presidential jet in particular has become an emblem of national prestige and status.  In some ways, the size, functionality and opulence of a country’s presidential jet has become an unstated indicator of the diplomatic gravity of the nation in question. However, the presidential jet as an indicator of national strength and grandeur is more meaningful when the nation in question is an industrial power and therefore produces the aircraft used by the leader to project and exhibit national power and greatness. America’s Air Force One, Vladimir Putin’s clone of the American model or Mr. Tsi Jiping’s aircraft or that of Narendra Modi have all become emblems of the greatness and technological advancement of these countries.

As a matter of fact,  Air Force One is not a badge name permanently affixed to any one aircraft. It is merely a call sign. Any aircraft in which the US President is travelling at any given time is called Air Force One!  The customized Boeing 747 normally associated with the Air Force One label is merely an emblematic showpiece. It is not only one. There are more than one with the same specifications, outfitting, self-protection counter measures and communication gear such that the president of the United States can literally run his country and the world from the aircraft anywhere in the world.

On the basis of its stature as the biggest black nation in the world, the Nigerian president should not travel in dilapidated aircraft that park up at every stop. Minimally, our presidential aircraft should be air worthy and reasonably impressive without being ostentatious. The current aircraft in use is a modest Boeing 737 Executive jet that actually understates Nigeria’s stature. Any two penny American company Chief Executive owns or flies in something better and more impressive. We should do better.  But the time is wrong to even contemplate a fleet of new aircraft. It is not just enough to purchase one aircraft each for the President and Vice President respectively. Ideally the shopping list ought to be for at least two – a main and a back up – for each of them. But we cannot afford these now.

There are options that could be cost saving. The first is to fly the present Boeing 737 Business jet in use by the President back to the Boeing  factory in Seattle, Washington  for a thorough comprehensive factory overhaul. That would be less expensive than ordering a brand new custom made aircraft. The overhauled and updated aircraft should serve our president another couple of years while the pressing issues in the nation’s economy are hopefully fixed. The amount of savings made on such an overhaul alternative should be made public.

A more realistic, politically savvy option would be to hire one of Air Peace’s Boeing 777 long range aircraft each time the president has to make a long distance journey. For the purpose of such a hire, the hired aircraft will carry the call sign of “Nigerian Air Force One” till it finishes the mission. For the purpose of such an arrangement, the Nigerian Air Force should have a presence in the cockpit of the aircraft in question. This arrangement would be realistic, cost effective and patriotic. The political capital would complement the economic gains and give the president a win-win dividend at home where his popularity rating is at best abysmal.

If reason fails, the Kamikaze option would be the one that is already being rehearsed. Get National Assembly approval for new jets, submit a supplementary budget to accommodate the cost of these new jets, order the aircraft but continue to hire or travel by commercial aircraft till the new jets are delivered. There will be both turbulent headwinds and violent tailwinds with this option. But for a government that can withdraw fuel subsidy, devalue the Naira, revert to the old national anthem overnight and sign the N18 trillion  Lagos- Calabar Alaskan highway contract and damn the consequences, mere controversy over aircraft purchase may  just be a passing noise. Heavens will not fall, so their thinking at the Villa goes. But what if Nigeria falls apart?

Many times, the rich fruits expected are so late in coming, some wives lose faith and sight of what they saw and married. Some women give up and move up the road in search of ripe fruits waiting to be harvested. However, there are scores of women whose predictions paid off and are indeed living in mansions, being waited on by uniformed stewards and ferried around by liveried chauffeurs.

To many, marriage is about love and passion. To others, it is an investment, and to someone like me, it is all of that and also black market. You can love all you want and not be able to keep the glow. You can be as passionate as you can and still not be able to keep the fire burning or your spouse in your bed and within your vows.

As an investor, we all know you can’t get it right all the time. Some investments are just not destined to last long or become blue chip. Many just fizzle out. You watch your profit margin diminish as the operations cost soar until you are in the red, bankrupt and then you go into receivership, if you are lucky.

Some women get a second chance to re-invest, others have to live sadly forever thereafter with their first bad investment choice.

Whatever your description of marriage – passion, love, investment or even a divine call, what is common to all marriages is that it is about flying blind, with only faith providing the wind for your wings. Think about it, even when two pastors marry, they are not sure of anything, except their faith that tomorrow will be all right and God will see them through. You just set out on this long journey, hoping for the best, not sure what tomorrow will bring or if tomorrow will come at all.

Let’s look at the investor-bride for instance. There are women who for reasons of background, or whatever, are clear-eyed when choosing a husband. He’s either rich or not. There is no middle road. Maybe not Dangote-rich but he must be able to afford the good things of life. This bride is not turned on by humble-beginnings or aroused by let’s-start-together-from-the-scratch pitch. The soup must not only be cooked and ready to be served, there must also be a servant to serve it. But what is the guarantee that that is a wise choice, that the soup will not go sour one year down the road?

There are dozens of cases of once-upon-a-rich men who are today barely picking their bills. There are tons of women who used to be pampered silly but are now breadwinners. You see what I mean by flying blind? You just take off and hope you’ll land safely, with faith and determination as your wings and wheels.

A dear friend once told me to take a census of women; wives driving choice cars in and out of Banana Island, Lagos. His point? That I’d see they are the ones in their 40s to early 50s in Mercedes Benz G-Wagons, Lexuses, Porsches, etc. They are not overly dressed or wearing heavy make-up. According to my friend, “these are women who made the right choices years ago. They saw prospect in certain young men and married them and today they are reaping the fruits of their labour in the lap of luxury.”

What do you think? I didn’t, still don’t agree with my friend. First, his theory credits women with clairvoyance, the ability to see tomorrow. Yeah, women have uncanny intuition but we are not always on point, our choices and prediction not always on the money. In other words, not all gambles on prospect in a ‘toaster’ pan out. Some just peter out into near penury. Many times, the rich fruits expected are so late in coming, some wives lose faith and sight of what they saw and married. Some women give up and move up the road in search of ripe fruits waiting to be harvested. However, there are scores of women whose predictions paid off and are indeed living in mansions, being waited on by uniformed stewards and ferried around by liveried chauffeurs.

I once watched a movie that got me thinking, again, about the import of the choices we make when it comes to marriage and the staying-power we all must have to wait for our dreams to come true, as women. I’ll not reveal the synopsis of the movie, so I don’t spoil the fun in case you have not seen the movie. I’d tell you another story you and I can relate with.

I read in the City People magazine the interview of a man who used to sell rat killers, rat gum, local insecticides, then planks and later cows. For years he suffered. His wife, whether she saw the millions in his future, stood by him. Until four years ago when he hit it big with an herbal drink that is now raking in the big bucks, with choice automobiles packed on the premises of their mansion.

I once watched a movie that got me thinking, again, about the import of the choices we make when it comes to marriage and the staying-power we all must have to wait for our dreams to come true, as women. I’ll not reveal the synopsis of the movie, so I don’t spoil the fun in case you have not seen the movie. I’d tell you another story you and I can relate with.

Benita and Joe met when they were in their final year in the University of Benin at the graduation party of Joe’s roommate. Joe studied Geology, while Benita did Biochemistry. It was that kind of relationship that graduated smoothly into marriage plans. The two surely wanted to be together forever. They knew the number of children they’d have, where and what they would be and live in 20 years.

Benita was sure Joe would be rich, even if not filthy rich. He’s a geologist and his eyes were on any of the oil companies.

Twenty years ago, when they both graduated, those oil company jobs were not as scarce as they are now. Joe promised Benita they’d have a huge fifth year wedding anniversary since he couldn’t afford a big wedding. Their wedding ring was from roadside shop. Each time she came home with an ‘Okada burn’ or torn skirt from alighting from a moving bus, he promised to buy her the latest Range Rover.

The couple had non-stop landlord trouble because they were never able to pay their rent as at when due, even though they lived on the outskirts of the city.

Joe applied to every International oil major, then he scaled it down to oil service companies, yet nothing happened. Benita had a teaching job which could barely keep them fed and clothed. They made two babies in four years and life just got harder. She took on private teaching and selling ‘this and that’ to her fellow teachers and neighbours. She moved from wearing old dresses to second-hand dresses. Her kids too. Joe’s promises and reassurances began to sound like unrealistic dreams. She began to be irritated by his consolation. She simply got tired of the ‘I will make it, just be patient’ stories. She was perpetually tired and stressed from being breadwinner, running around. Joe’s golden fleece didn’t seem like it would ever materialise.

Long story short, all those good things of life that he promised Benita went to another woman, Joe’s new wife who seemed to have arrived just in time for prosperity. She was the one who got the diamond ring, the society wedding, the G-wagon and the beautiful house on rich people’s island. She got it all.

Yet, Benita trudged on, living on hope, though her determination was waning by the day. Then her second child, her beautiful daughter died in her arms because they got to the hospital too late. The poor girl had been running temperature for days and she had been giving her the anti-malaria she bought down the road. She told herself that she would take her to the hospital for test and better treatment when she got her salary the following week. Then the baby started convulsing. She barely made it into the consulting room before the beautiful girl took her last breath.

Benita went berserk. Her daughter died because her husband didn’t have a job, they were poor. She was just tired of the struggle. She needed a man to take care of her. She was done with this life of dream and promises. Joe just brought her bad luck. The doctor already told her she might not be able to have a third child. Now she was left with one. She was not going to risk losing the remaining one to ‘this poverty-infested life’.

And so Benita moved out, left Joe to sort himself out. It was over, she said. She filed for divorce. Joe was disconsolate. He couldn’t even insist on the custody of his son. He loved his wife and could see her in pain. It was a sad end.

Then barely 18 months after Joe and Benita parted ways, fortune smiled on Joe. A friend called him to supply diesel to a company. It was the beginning of open doors. One supply led to dozens and then several. In less than six months, he was able to rent an office, move into a decent apartment.

Long story short, all those good things of life that he promised Benita went to another woman, Joe’s new wife who seemed to have arrived just in time for prosperity. She was the one who got the diamond ring, the society wedding, the G-wagon and the beautiful house on rich people’s island. She got it all.

Benita’s investment did not lead to harvest. Her stress, pain, and loss were just seeds for another’s comfort.

Was she impatient?

Was she right to leave after her daughter died?

Was she wrong when she saw Joe’s prospect all those years ago?

Why did fortune smile on Joe when Benita had lost a child and her space?

My conclusion? Only God knows the dreams that will come true, the prospect that will materialise. The bride can only gamble, fly blind and hope she lands safely and not on her bare buttocks.

On Saturday, 22 June, former Vice President of Nigeria and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar led other stakeholders of the party to the Daura residence of former late governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Lawan Kaita on a condolence visit over the loss of the matriarch of the family.

The visit, which was greeted with warm reception of Atiku across major townships of the Daura Emirate also saw the former Vice President paying similar courtesy visits to the the Emir of Daura, HRH Alhaji Farouk Umar Farouk and the former President Muhammadu Buhari. He also paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Katsina, HRH Abdulmumini Kabir Usman.

A press statement from the Atiku Media Office on Saturday stated that the visit was meant for Atiku to express his love for Katsina State in particular and to familiarize with distinguished personalities of the Daura Emirate.

“The meeting of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar to Katsina State today is essentially a continuation of his courtesy visits since the end of Sallah celebrations and, especially to condole with the family of his late old friend, Mallam Lawan Kaita,” the statement signed by Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe said.

Pictures:
Pics 1-3: Former Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (2023), Atiku Abubakar and former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari during a courtesy visit by Atiku on Saturday, 22nd June, 2024.
Pic 4: Former Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (2023), Atiku Abubakar, former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, Senator and former Governor of Sokoto State, Sen. Aminu Tambuwal, former Governor of Adamawa State, Bindo Jibrilla during Atiku's courtesy visit to Buhari at the weekend.

Signed:
Paul Ibe
Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar
Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (2023)
Katsina

During my participation at the Covenant Nation’s The Platform event, on June 12, 2024, I promised to provide a reasoned contribution to the conversation on minimum wage. Here it is. The extant law on minimum wage is the National Minimum Wage Act 2019, which came into force on the 18th April, 2019; and it provides in Section 3 (4) that: 

“The national minimum wage expires after five years, and it shall be reviewed in line with the provision of this Act.”  

Please note that it is the “minimum wage” that has expired but not the Act, and as is shown in the underlined portion above, the review of the 2019 minimum wage provisions, after the period of five years, shall be in line with the provision of the 2019 Act.

What is the minimum wage? 

The answer is to be found in Section 3 (1) of the law where it provides that: “Every employer shall pay a national minimum wage of not less than N30,000 per month to every worker under his establishment, except as otherwise provided under this Act.”

Please note the words used in the underlined portion of the provision, namely; “wage” and “per month”.

Bearing in mind that this is a federal law, there must be constitutional authority for the Federal Government through the National Assembly to make laws on wages. 

This authority is to be found in item 34 of the 1999 Constitution as amended in the Exclusive Legislative list which confers power on the NASS to legislate on: “Labour, including trade unions, industrial relations, conditions, safety, and welfare of labour; industrial disputes, prescribing a national minimum wage for the federation or any part thereof; and industrial arbitrations.”

On the face of it, all will seem to be normal until we examine closely what a wage is. 

In my recent monograph: “The Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole,” I had made the point at page 89 that: “…the word…used in item 34 of the Exclusive Legislative list is minimum wage.” 

It does not talk about salaries. I further stated that “…it has also been shown, wages and salaries are different and should not be conflated.” I posited that: “…efforts to improve minimum wage must be that and nothing more. It must not translate to a salary overhaul by accident.”

What then is the difference between “wages” and “salaries” and what has NASS legislated? 

All the definitions available recognize that wages and salaries are common methods of compensation open to the employer.

However, a salary is a fixed annual amount, payable at specific intervals subject to agreement. It can be paid weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. 

On the contrary, wages refer to payment based on an hourly rate and the number of hours the employee works. 

Therefore, it seems obvious from this definition that by making a law in Section 3(1) of the Minimum Wage Act that the minimum wage of N30,000 shall be paid monthly, the NASS may have acted unconstitutionally by legislating on a SALARY (monthly payment) when they only have power to legislate on WAGES, an hourly payment. This is important while the conversation on minimum wage is being had in 2024 because in Section 3(4), the minimum wage “shall be reviewed in line with the provisions of this Act” which includes Section 3(1) that has prescribed a monthly amount instead of an hourly wage. 

If we follow the proper definition of wages as an hourly rate and apply the global method for computing it, which is to divide the gross annual sum by 52 weeks, and further by 40 hours recommended per week, we will have for Nigeria a minimum wage that is not N30,000 per month, but rather N30,000 X 12 (months) = N36,000 divided by 52 (weeks) = N6,923.07 divided by 40 (hours), which will give a minimum wage of N173.07 per hour. 

In other jurisdictions where the minimum wage is applicable, amendments to increase them do not necessarily translate to massive distortions across the salary compensation scheme.

Those who are bound to pay minimum wage can also adjust their ability to pay by limiting the hours that employees work and maximise productivity, while employees cover the gap by working the additional hours in other places.

What we have done is to erroneously fix monthly minimum salaries as wages, and then effect consequential adjustment for all other SALARY EARNERS, which results in a bloated compensation wage that employees find difficult to meet. 

It would seem that since the employer has a choice to compensate the employee by either salary or wages, it must be presumed all institutions whether of Government or the private sector that have opted to compensate by salary payment are not bound by the minimum wage Act provisions if they do not pay hourly rates.

This perhaps explains in part, why some employees observe the law in breach than in compliance.

The exemption provided in Section 4(1)(b) of the Act for “an establishment employing less than 25 persons” from being bound by the provisions of the Act to pay the minimum wage also raises serious doubts about whether we have enacted a minimum wage Act if small businesses who barely have 25 employees but who employ the largest number of the most vulnerable people are exempted from the law as currently legislated. Who then is the law protecting? 

Of course, if and when we decide as a country on the implementation of a proper minimum wage, we must then design a formula to review salaries of those who do not earn wages in order to assist them deal with cost-of-living challenges. 

This may yet be the most fruitful outcome of the dilemma of appropriate employee compensation as it may lay the foundation for national productivity, wealth creation and prosperity. The opportunity is too big to miss or waste.

When cost of living rises as they have now, the lowest and the highest income earners are impacted to varying degrees and therefore deserving of reasonable adjustments whether they earn wages or salaries.

This is the time for the experts in labour law and compensation matters to put their thinking caps on and to seek help from the best faculties around the world.

As we do this, we must be mindful of the need for a POSSIBLE amendment to item 34 of the Exclusive list in the constitution to include SALARIES because it currently does not.

. Fashola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was a former Minister of Works and Housing.

Bitcoin the primary crypto asset dropped by 3.5% on Friday morning to $64,700 as volatility shook the asset following a humungous sell-off of Bitcoin assets by the German government.

Bitcoin in the last hour has dropped by nearly 1.2% continuing an underwhelming trend that has witnessed the asset drop by over 9% in the last two weeks.

Industry experts believe the drop in Bitcoin prices was triggered by the massive sell-off of seized Bitcoin assets by the German authorities.

German authorities resumed selling off massive portions of Bitcoin assets from a large cache of Bitcoin seized from Movie2k.to a large movie piracy website.

The cache of Bitcoin seized from the movie piracy site owners is valued at around $3 billion and was seized in 2020.

German authorities seized over 50,000 BTC from the piracy website back in 2020 and described the bust as the most extensive security of Bitcoins by law enforcement authorities in the Federal Republic of Germany to date.

German authorities have sold off about $325 million worth of Bitcoin from the seized stash in just two days. There is also a huge possibility of further sales of the Bitcoin asset by the German authorities explained Blockchain Analytics firm Arkham.

Arkham took to X to share their observation reeling out specific figures to back it up.

“UPDATE: German Government Still Selling BTC > $195M So Far. In the past 2 hours, the German Government sent $65M in BTC to 2 likely exchange deposits including Coinbase. The German Government moved $600M BTC yesterday, sending $130M BTC to 4 likely exchange deposits including Kraken and Bitstamp. Right now, they still hold $3.05B in BTC”. Arkham Tweeted

Bitcoin spiked in March to an all-time high of $73,797 before pulling back. But then it slumped to $56,527 in May before recovering.

The recent decline of Bitcoin is not solely due to the German sell-off. The bearish trend in the market came at a time when major indices such as the S&P 500 also slumped following wider negative signals in the general financial market.

What to know 

• Bitcoin is the primary crypto asset and often whenever it dips in price it also affects other assets in the market. This Is a recurring trend that has become a well-known pattern in the crypto market.
• The German authorities here serve as Crypto whales as their activities are significant enough to affect the market price of crypto assets. Crypto whales are large holders of a cryptocurrency asset whose trading activities are significant enough to affect the price of crypto assets in the market.

[Nairametrics]