American superstar Beyoncé has said she is no longer motivated by charts and commercial success.

The 42-year-old singer said “growth” has changed her perspective on musical success.

The pop star, who recently went out of her way by releasing a country music album ‘Cowboy Carter,’ said she was grateful for the “extraordinary success” of the new album, adding that it changed her life.

“There was a time in my life when charts and sales excited and motivated me,” Beyoncé told The Hollywood Reporter.

“Once you have challenged yourself and poured every ounce of your life, your pain, your growth and your dreams into your art, it’s impossible to go backward.

“I’m very grateful and humbled for the extraordinary success of the new album.”

[DailyPost]

Enugu state governor, Peter Mbah, has approved bursaries totaling N44.1 million for 294 state indigenes currently enrolled across seven campuses of the Nigerian Law School nationwide.

Out of the beneficiaries from Enugu’s 17 local government areas, 284 individuals have already undergone verification and received N150,000 each. 

This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to advancing human capital development in the state.

Mbah also granted a N12 million scholarship to Miss Chidiogo Igwebuike, a native of Ukana in Udi LGA, Enugu State, enabling her to pursue pilot training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Appreciating the governor, the beneficiaries under the umbrella of the National Association of Enugu State Law Students, described the gesture as an auspicious intervention, especially against the backdrop of the challenging economic realities of the country, and commended him for his vision and commitment to educational development in the state.

In a letter signed by the national president of the association, Stephen Obiora; the National Secretary, Johnpaul Obisike; and the National Public Relations Officer, Uzoamaka Aguoma, they expressed their commitment to bringing honor to the state.

“This bursary has come at the right time to allivate the financial challenges the entire country is facing at this time, giving us room to focus on our court and chamber attachments without too much worry about the current state of the economy. 

“Your commitment to education and youth development is truly commendable. Your support is a testament to your administration’s dedication to empowering Enugu State indigenes and investing in our dear state’s future and progress. 

“We appreciate you for believing in us. We look forward to making Enugu state proud,” they stated.

In a related development, Governor Mbah has also paid the sum of N12m to see Miss Chidiogo Igwebuike, a 24-year old graduate of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Enugu, through a Standard Pilot Course at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria. 

It is recalled that the governor had in May 2024 awarded scholarship in the sum of N23.3m to Master Israel Echezona, a 17-year old indigene of Mgbagbu-Owa, Enugu State, who emerged the overall best candidate in the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology entrance examination, to also enable him train as a pilot.

[TheNation]

The Police Service Commission has challenged the Nigeria Police Force to provide verifiable evidence to support the allegations regarding the recruitment of constables.

The police had, in a statement on Saturday by the force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, rejected the names of those recruited by the commission.

Adejobi added that the PSC portal was scrutinised, and it was discovered that “several names of persons purported to be names of successful candidates are those who did not even apply and therefore did not take part in the recruitment exercise.”

The Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission had several denied the allegations, demanding the removal of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. 

On Thursday, Egbetokun denied having scores to settle with the PSC, adding that his action was to ensure qualified people were recruited into the force.

Speaking on the matter for the first time, the PSC in a statement on Friday by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, said the allegations by the police were to give the commission a bad name.

The statement partly read, “The Commission has studied the issues around this successfully concluded recruitment exercise and has come to the conclusion that even after the Supreme Court Judgment, the Police is reluctant to allow the Commission perform this constitutional assignment. The Commission demands that the Police should provide verifiable evidence to prove the allegations peddled against it as it is obvious that it is a case of giving a dog a bad name to hang it.”

Ani noted that due process was followed throughout the exercise, stating that a forensic audit be conducted on the list the PSC released.

He said, “It is important to state that due process was meticulously followed throughout the exercise, and the Commission wishes to assert its prerogative to exercise full control over recruitments into the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Commission is also insisting that its list of successful candidates and that of the Police should be subjected to a forensic audit using the result of the JAMB computer-based test.”

Ani stressed that in the Supreme Court Judgment delivered on July 11, 2023, which gave the power to recruit to the commission there was no role given to the police.

This claim was contrary to what the IGP.

Egbetokun noted that while the Supreme Court gave the PSC the power to recruit, it, however, did not order the exclusion of the force from the process.

Ani said, “In this judgment, there was no role assigned to any person or persons outside the Commission in the conduct of recruitment, and as such, any claim to that effect is serious contempt of Court.

“The Commission, however, had, in its wisdom, invited relevant stakeholders into a Board for the recruitment exercise to ensure inclusiveness and transparency. This magnanimity has since been misconstrued. It is relevant to state that the judgment and even the Constitution did not give the Police any role in the recruitment of any cadre of Officers into the Police Force.”

Ani noted that while the police attributed their inability to perform to poor recruitment practices, he added that the previous recruitment carried out by the police was now hindering their ability to discharge their duties effectively.

He said, “It is unfortunate that the Police has attributed its obvious failure to protect lives and properties and safeguard our nation from banditry and terrorism to bad recruitment. This claim is self-indicting and provocative. Since 2019 when the Police forcefully snatched the exercise from the Commission, they have gone ahead against the provisions of the law to Superintendent over the 2020 and 2021 exercises. It is the fraudulent Recruits they brought into the system during these exercises that are currently haunting the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Commission is aware that this current brazen show of power by the Police with attendant spurious allegations is to perpetuate their stranglehold on the recruitment of Constables, even against the judgment of the Supreme Court. “

Ani called on President Bola Tinubu to caution Egbetokun to respect the constitutional mandate of the commission.

He said, “The Commission wishes to appeal to Mr. President to protect it and rein in the Nigeria Police Force to respect the Constitutional Mandate of the Commission to recruit. The Nigeria Police Force is created to enforce the law and not to circumvent it in whatever guise.

“It is the considered opinion of the Commission that the successful candidates should be allowed to proceed on training without delay.”

[Punch]

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has flagged off the construction of Gusau International Airport, saying it will stimulate economic activities in Zamfara State.

On the June 12 Democracy Day event on The Platform, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the governor of Anambra state, gave a masterful speech. It was about how democracy could have helped development in Nigeria if things had been better managed in the past decade. After 25 years of continuous democratic experimentation under the 4th Republic and 64 years of independence, many have questioned if Nigeria is anywhere close to where it should be.

Nigeria has experienced both military dictatorship and varied democracy over this time, moving from a parliamentary to a presidential system and military rule to a military presidency (whatever that means). And now, the nation has returned to democracy yet again, which is still more of a civil rule even though it is working towards becoming truly democratic.

Speaking in his capacity as Professor Chukwuma Soludo rather than the governor, Soludo took a critical look at the flaws in our kind of democracy as well as development and nation-building. “We have made so many efforts over the past 20 years, but as a nation, we are still largely going in circles,” he said, referring to gaping deficits in the liberty, freedoms, security, wealth, and happiness of the people. His view was that if these goals are not met, neither democracy nor the economy will survive in the long run.

Soludo pointed out that a sustainable democracy endures the test of time, gains fundamental legitimacy and acceptability regardless of the political party in power, produces dynamic dividends of justice and equity, good governance, peace, and fundamental freedoms, accelerates economic development, and supports and defends property rights and private enterprise. Put another way, since democracy is merely a form of government, it cannot be valuable unless it fosters development and happiness, and all efforts must be directed towards achieving that synergy.

In general, Soludo said that though democracy and the market economy are the preferable systems, fundamental reforms are needed “as we muddle through politics without ideologies” and to achieve the kind of democratic or free-market arrangement that will maximise welfare.

Regarding the relationship between democracy and development, Soludo warned: “The woman who has no food to eat or place to sleep will not care much about whatever intrinsic values that democracy bestows.” In other words, the health of the economy determines the viability of democracy. Soludo believes that democracy, and indeed any form of governance, has to deliver tangible social and economic benefits to the majority of citizens to be credible and sustainable.

Is Nigeria a rich or poor country? was the question that the international economist, Soludo, attempted to address and summed it this way: “Let’s admit a fact that most Nigerians don’t seem to appreciate, Nigeria is an extremely poor nation with severely damaged public finances”. One agrees with Soludo that this acknowledgement is essential to any rational conversation about the pathway out of the present quagmire.

He said that the ups and downs in the oil industry have primarily shaped Nigeria’s uneven economic trajectory for more than 50 years, since the country’s initial oil boom. Nigeria has been “reacting” to the volatility in the oil sector ever since President Shagari’s Economic Stabilisation (Austerity Measures) Act, 1982; President Buhari’s extreme austerity of 1984–85; President Babangida’s Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) (1986–92); President Obasanjo’s National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS); and finally, President Buhari’s command and control regime, 2015–2023. This displays just one thing: unpredictability.

He recalled how, even though the public debt was growing uncontrollably and FGN had been borrowing money since 2010 to finance its ongoing expenses, the country’s GDP was rebased in 2014 and its dollar value skyrocketed to $574 billion, making Nigeria the “biggest economy in Africa.” Soludo noted that the economy was latently and structurally in an avoidable crisis and that public finance was broken.

According to Soludo, the “largest economy” in Africa with a GDP per capita is now roughly $1,200 down from over $2,500 a few years ago. Despite the country’s great advancements, he observed, it appears to remain stagnant—like a barber’s chair! He highlighted the money illusion that is the mistaken hope of higher revenue resulting from the removal of subsidies due to the naira’s rapid depreciation.

For the same reason, for more than 130 million Nigerians who live in multidimensional poverty, times are inevitably difficult.

Indeed, the basic concerns must be addressed to begin to address the current appalling situation of the Nigerian economy. The reasons why companies are fleeing Nigeria and why the vast majority of Nigerians are significantly poorer now than they were ten years ago cannot be concealed by any amount of spin from government officials in the country.

The headwinds that Soludo identified as presently destroying Nigeria are the improper practice of democracy, corruption, insecurity, and mismanagement. These headwinds stem from the Buhari administration and continue to pose a threat to foreign direct investments, diaspora remittances and investments, entrepreneurship, enterprises, and the country’s ability to grow its wealth.

The country has to act quickly to complete the following tasks to produce adequate dollar revenues, receivables, capital inflows, and remittances to provide surplus dollar liquidity in the Nigerian economy and guarantee forex and price stability. For the reason of returning the country to productivity, Soludo questioned on The Platform as to why Nigeria is averse to restructuring.

Nigeria’s present security setup has been accused of being ineffectual, reactive, submissive, and corrupt, and some of its officers and men are believed to be complicit in the current chaos the country is going through. The terrorists, criminals, bandits, and kidnappers are not ghosts. If given the proper training, tools, and legal rights, Nigerians can simply drive the bandits and terrorists out and destroy them. Nigerians know where they are and locations of their camps, and their identities but can’t do anything about it due to lack of capacity and legal framework such as state police.

As the target of these killer herdsmen, bandits, and terrorists, Nigerians are morally obligated to defend their families and ancestral homes. Soludo would have preferred for the populace to be in charge of their security, put the nation back on track, and help resolve the issues of insecurity in the country.

The Bola Tinubu administration needs to gather the guts, political will, and sincerity to implement real reforms and restructure the country.

Soludo pointed out that by blaming President Tinubu for the state of affairs, Nigerians are ignoring the fact that the country arrived at this predictable sad situation after more than a decade of reckless economic management and denial. “We are bearing the consequences of misguided and delayed adjustments,” he said, adding that from the perspective of macroeconomics, the economy that President Tinubu inherited was akin to a dead horse standing.

Soludo called the situation an emergency requiring deliberate systemic disruptions to undo the knots and pointed out that Tinubu has the historic responsibility to mobilise Nigerians to clean up the mess for future generations. Soludo is concerned about the struggle between the need for statesmanship for the next generation and the pressure to be a good politician to win elections, which will hamper the hard but necessary unpopular decisions.

According to him, resolving the systemic insecurity, damaged public finances and economy, damaged oil and gas industry, deteriorating infrastructure and environmental degradation, increasing social tensions, and regaining the public’s trust will necessitate taking a few less-travelled paths. He strongly noted that there are no simple or fast fixes to restore the country’s economy, security, food security, and natural resources.

Nigerians were reminded by Soludo that competitive federalism was the framework that our founding fathers agreed upon for Nigeria. “We have tried hard to develop with unitary federalism since the military incursion, but we are still moving in circles,” he said. For a fact, to keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome is absurd. Soludo wants the country to revert to the original federalism that the founding fathers left us.

He observed that the attempts to reshape Nigeria from the centre have failed. For how the nation can move forward, Soludo wants Nigerians to try a drastic devolution of powers and resources to the States and encourage cooperative competition. He suggested giving the States greater control over the duties outlined in the Exclusive List as well as at least 60–65% of the revenue. He equally wants each state to choose the local government structure that works best for it, just like in any other federal system. In addition to other deep reforms, he argued for a unicameral National Assembly.

Soludo thinks the overarching reforms needed are reminiscent of The “New Deal” of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1938), the “Great Society” programmes of President Lyndon Johnson (1965–1967), and the European Recovery Plan (often known as “the Marshall Plan”) following World War II. Indeed, a major reordering of national priorities is now inescapable, along with significant investments in infrastructure and social programmes (particularly in the areas of health, education, and social safeguards). Without it, the poor and angry Nigerians, who are now in the absolute majority, will soon no longer allow the rich to stroll down the street or sleep.

He demanded the creation of a new public officer code of conduct and the reinvention of MAMSER of the Prof Jerry Gana days. Soludo lamented that though Nigeria is a poor nation, governments’ and their officials’ lifestyles don’t reflect that stark reality, particularly about the outrageous flamboyance of public displays. For example, the 10th NASS took off by gifting each member an N160m SUV to add to their jumbo pay. Nigeria had the largest contingents to the AUC trade summit and ILO Annual Convention. NASS as a matter of priority wants brand new jets for the President and Vice, and so on. All this ostentatious spending occurs in the face of a buckling economy, to use the words of the New York Times while describing Nigeria’s economic downturn.

With an estimated 440 million people expected to live in Nigeria in the next 26 years, Soludo wondered how Nigeria would be able to maintain democracy in the ensuing decades without development. Even though he considers himself to be an unrepentant optimist about the potential greatness of the Nigerian nation, Soludo does not envision a wonderful future without major reforms that will unleash the youth of the country and provide Nigeria the opportunity to become the world’s and the twenty-second century’s great nation.

Bottom line: To justify democracy as a better form of government, Soludo showed a clear practical pathway to firming up democracy and economic recovery.

Nigeria, we hail you.

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, says it is disheartening to hear those in charge juxtapose Nigeria’s challenges with those of other nations.

On Monday, President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria is not the only nation in the world grappling with poverty.

The president spoke in Lagos when he received a delegation from the national assembly who came to felicitate with him on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir.

“Yes, there is poverty; there is suffering in the land. We are not the only people facing such, but we must face our challenges,” Tinubu said.

Reacting in a post on his official X page on Friday, Obi said the problems facing Nigeria are well known to all citizens.

Obi called on the federal government to provide concrete solutions to the country’s numerous challenges, rather than simply acknowledging that other countries face similar problems.

The former Anambra governor said a true leader provides direction, guidance, solutions, and reassurance in times of crisis.

He expressed disappointment that those in charge are instead making statements that downplay the severity of the situation.

“The problems facing Nigeria are well-known to all Nigerians,” Obi wrote.

“We are the poverty capital of the world, among the most insecure people on earth, among the hungriest, have poor education quality and the highest number of out-of-school children, high infant mortality, corruption, unemployment, the highest income gap between the poor and the rich, high corruption perception index, infrastructure and healthcare challenges, and more.

“It is disheartening to hear those in charge, who were hired to address our problems, make statements like ‘we are not the only ones struggling with poverty and hunger’.

“Instead of merely acknowledging that other countries face similar challenges, we need to hear a thorough plan of action to tackle our unique struggles.

“We require concrete solutions and a clear vision to address these issues, not comparisons that downplay our circumstances.

“I urge those in leadership positions to offer tangible solutions, not mere reminders that others face similar challenges.

“We need a comprehensive approach to tackle our specific challenges, not generalizations that dismiss our experiences. A true leader provides direction, guidance, solutions, and reassurance in times of crisis.”

Obi called on leaders to provide a roadmap for overcoming obstacles and to work towards a better future for all Nigerians.

“This is the hallmark of visionary leadership and a trait of nations that are making progress and advancing their development. They don’t simply state the obvious but offer a roadmap for overcoming obstacles,” he added.

“Just like a pilot who doesn’t just announce turbulence, they assure passengers that they will do everything possible to ensure a safe journey.

“Only then can we begin to trust that our country is in capable hands, working towards a brighter future for all Nigerians.”

[TheCable]

“Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.”

– Walter Cronkite

For the second time since his inauguration last year, President Bola Tinubu has made a show of the Democracy Day, and using it as a reminder to the public of his democratic credentials as an activist, protester and a man who deployed the media in setting the nation’s political agenda. The last one was even more so, as he virtually raised the dead heroes of Nigeria’s Democracy, with an uncommon outpour of encomium.

It all started 31 years ago, when the fairest and freest election ever conducted in Nigeria and which was presumably won by Chief Moshood Abiola, was annulled by then military President, General Ibrahim Babangida. It would lead to a torrent of political activities and struggles that ultimately resulted, 6 years later, to the return to civil rule. The struggle not only claimed Abiola‘s life, his wife, Kudirat, and several other political figures including General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Pa Alfred Rewane, among others, paid the supreme price.

While many others were hunted down, the likes of Tinubu were hounded into exile, from where they intensified their advocacy and put it on the international agenda. Fittingly, the man who paid the tributes, is one of the leaders of the struggle.

There also lies the contradictions.

Since his inauguration last year, many had expected that the Tinubu federal administration would be a shining light in upholding the tenets of democracy, free speech and human rights. The expectation was based on his antecedents as a private citizen, but to say that some actions of his government have disappointed, is to state it mildly. His administration has displayed a rare attitude of intolerance of dissent and this has been glaring, especially, in the way journalists have been treated in the past year.

In a very absurd effort to muzzle the media and free speech which is guaranteed by the 1999 constitution, as amended, many journalists have been abducted and incarcerated without any charge. The case of Segun Olatunji, the editor First News, is a case in point: he was seized by 15 government security operatives in the presence of his wife and children in the Alagbado area of Lagos on March 15, 2024, and locked for a news report against a top official of the government. The Defence Intelligence Agency eventually released him after spending nearly two weeks in custody without trial.

While he was blindfolded and his whereabouts kept secret, media enquiries was spurned until the government succumbed to pressure and released him in the most bizarre manner, under the Asokoro bridge. In this ordeal, Olatunji is not alone, as no less than 4 senior journalists have experienced this bitter taste of detention without trial, on Tinubu’s watch. It took the pressure from rights groups before another journalist, Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter at the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, who was abducted in Lagos on May 1, was released after nine days without trial.

In similar gestapo fashion, Jones Abiri, editor and publisher of the Weekly Source newspaper, was also abducted by security operatives in Bayelsa state and detained without charges. International watch dogs, including Amnesty International, described the manner of his arrest as ‘humiliating’.

The media was one of the institutions honoured by Tinubu last Wednesday, at least in words. He had declared “we could not have won the battle against military dictatorship without the irrepressible Nigerian journalists who mounted the barricades along with the pro-democracy activists”, adding that despite the might of the past military governments, the walls of dictatorship have been pulled down and they no longer exist.

Really? While the military is gone, it is not exactly true that the obnoxious ideals they enthroned have all gone. The media and the extent of freedom individuals enjoy in the exercise of free speech, is a more plausible indicator of democracy than the length of the President’s babanriga. For a President who, according to Comrade Shehu Sani is the grandfather of protests and activism in Nigeria, Tinubu’s records does not show it. The press do not only feel used and dumped by Tinubu, they are now struggling to be allowed to breathe.

The President was right to say that we cannot reduce our democracy to “the mere holding of periodic elections where one candidate and party outdo another”. Most Nigerians would agree, except that even that mere ritual of periodic election, has been reduced to one big farce. The election that brought him last year, would count as an inglorious example.

For a plural society like ours, a country of over 250 nationalities cobbled together in one nation, we should be more liberal to free speech, differing opinions and diverse perspectives. The application of force to virtually every dissenting viewpoint, indiscriminate arrest of journalists and observed hatred against the Igbo, do not have a place in a democracy like we mouth.

The wastefulness of government and the greed, haughtiness and avarice by its officials, are all antithetical to the concept of democracy that puts the people, especially the majority poor in Nigeria, at the center. What obtains is that public office has become an avenue to massage narrow personal interests rather than for the service of the common good.

Those are among the real threats to our democracy and the President should not only pay lip service to the ideals of democracy, but make it a point to uphold the rights and freedoms of the people, ensure free speech and ensure all are treated fairly in a nation we should all be proud of.

Sheddy Ozoene is the Vice President (East) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors

Anthony Kila reflects on the one year in office of President Bola Tinubu as well as the celebration of the 25th anniversary of uninterrupted democratic rule in the country with a submission that a people’s constitution that respects the nation’s diversity is needed for Nigeria to grow democratically

Dear Readers,

IIn the last two weeks, we witnessed two significant and related Republican events in Nigeria. 

29th May 2024 marked the one year in office of the present government led by President Bola Tinubu. Lest we become guilty of what we accuse others of, it is crucial to remind all that the same date also marked the one year in office of most state governors across the federation. So far, governors in Nigeria tend to enjoy so much power and so little scrutiny and accountability. 

More than about celebration, my take is that the one year in office should be more about responsibility for the service of the government of the day than any other theme. If you are not a family member, friend or beneficiary of those elected into office, a year in office should be more about accountability and reflection than celebration for you as a citizen or a legal entity. 

June 12th, 2024, marked twenty-five years of uninterrupted democratic rule in Nigeria. 

For me, June 12 is a date truly worthy of Republican celebration and reflection for all, regardless of our proximity or stance to the government of the day. 

Aptly described as “Democracy Day”, June 12 (1993) was the day an extraordinary majority of Nigerians with one voice and in clear terms expressed the way they wanted to be governed and thought they would get it, but alas, very few people annulled the legal and clear will of the very many. 

Readers of these notes will know how critical we have been here of former President Muhammadu Buhari, but we must readily admit that it was his administration that recognised June 12 as Democracy Day. 

As I have said elsewhere, June 12 is a memorable date and a symbol of national expression of desire and vision, a collective action of resistance and resolve, and a personal tragedy for many. 

The story of June 12 is a personal tragedy for many who lost their lives in the battle to defend the democratic choice that Nigerians made on June 12 and for families who lost their loved ones.  

It is also the day Nigerians, with one voice, regardless of their ethnic and religious divide, clearly expressed their desire and vision of the kind of Nigeria they wanted and who they wanted as the leader of such Nigeria. Sadly, a very few annulled that clear decision and vision of the very many. 

June 12 then became the rallying point of those who decided to resist the imposition of the very few on behalf of the many. It is important to note here that not all resisted; some sat on the fence, and some even conspired with those who were against the people’s will. To each its own. 

We celebrate today and forever all those who stood for something noble when it was challenging and risky to stand for the common good. Allow me to pay special homage to those who, since 1993, have not allowed time and the opportunities and challenges of life to blur their vision or corrupt their souls. 

Twenty-five years later, we have an uninterrupted democratic process to celebrate because of those who resisted, dreamed of, and fought for a democratic system of government. Any capable and objective observer will agree that we still do not have the kind of democracy that was dreamed of and fought for 33 years ago. 

Unluckily for the ego of those in power and, unfortunately, for the sanity of the rest of us, there is a general tendency to interchange democracy for good government. 

The expression for good democratic government in Nigeria is “dividends of democracy”. In the context of the prevailing mindset that equates good government with democracy, it is easy to see why we cannot but observe that we still have a lot of issues alien to democracy afflicting the people of Nigeria. I refer to issues of police brutality, dysfunctional bureaucracy, nepotism, corruption, distrust among ethnic groups, religious division, and a federation that is not genuinely federal, not to mention the dire economic condition of most Nigerians today. 

Yes, it is safe to say that while some things have been done, much more needs to be done for our democracy to be a true democracy we can trust and be proud of. 

To ensure that June 12’s essence and even magic are not wasted or regretted, those who care about democracy must remind themselves and educate others that democracy is a spirit-like process that needs to be continually nurtured and worshipped. Those with clarity of mind and courage of voice need to remember at all times that the minimum and the best they can do for all is to work towards a more perfect democracy by improving on what we have and making sure the good in democracy does not turn to evil. These will, of course, require sacrifice and vigilance.

An excellent place to start is to push for a people’s constitution that allows the people of Nigeria to democratically decide the kind of country they want to live in, the rules they want, and how much power they want to cede to the federal, state, and local governments. No amount of amendments will suffice; a people’s constitution is the answer. 

This year, the Patriots, led by Chief Emeka Anyakou and the June 12 Movement, once again resolved to help create the atmosphere for the emergence of a people’s constitution. I want to call on people of goodwill to join us in working towards a people’s constitution that will create a Nigeria that respects our diversity and is designed for our peace, progress, and prosperity in dignity. 

A true reflection on our 25-year democratic journey towards a more perfect democracy requires us to consider how some critical participants in the democratic journey have fared so far. If done honestly and deeply, such reflection will allow us to see what we must reconsider and pay attention to in our democratic process. 

Let’s delve deeper into these political events and their implications. 

Join me on Twitter @anthonykila to share your thoughts, ask questions, and continue these engaging conversations. 

THE visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea and the United States yelling against it have diverted world attention this week. It has drawn attention from the immediate needs and steps to save Palestinian lives, especially those of babies and children.

How does Putin visiting his North Korean ally, Kim Jong Un, constitute a threat to world peace? US Defence Spokesperson, Pat Ryder, wailed that the visit has implications for peace in the Korean Peninsula and the war in Ukraine without substantiating such claims. White House spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre, lamented that North Korea supplies weapons to Russia in the war in Ukraine, implying that the visit may lead to more supplies. So what? Don’t the US and its allies supply weapons to Ukraine? There are tons of analysis that the visit may strengthen the trilateral relations amongst Russia, North Korea and China. So? Does the US not strengthen its own trilateral relations with South Korea and Japan?

Closely followed are the reports of Hezbollah threatening retaliation against Israeli bombings of Lebanese villages. The tit-for-tat attacks by both sides have been on for years. Maybe the only two pieces of news are the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, revealing: “We now have new weapons. But I won’t say what they are…When the decision is made, they will be seen on the front lines.” The other news was Nasrallah declaring that if war were to break out, Hezbollah would also attack countries like Cyprus which are allegedly aiding the Israeli military. 

The attention of the world should focus on the United Nations, UN, which has taken two potentially live-saving actions on the needless deaths in the Middle East. The first is the release of the Report of its Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel.

It concluded that the Hamas attacks against Israel from October 7-8, 2023 had elements of war crimes. These included deliberate attacks on civilians, wilful killing and employment of inhuman or cruel treatment against the victims.

The UN body pointedly confirmed the allegations of on-going Israeli genocide in the Palestine. These had been brought before the International Court of Justice by South Africa on December 29, 2023. Also, the International Criminal Court, ICC, Chief Prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes.

Due to direct Israeli military actions, the UN has lost 190 of its staff, 108 journalists are dead, 493 doctors, nurses and other health workers have been murdered and over 13, 800 children sent to untimely graves. It was therefore not surprising that the UN Report conclusively found that Israel is responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It reported that Israel violated international humanitarian and human rights laws, and weaponised the provision of life-sustaining necessities for political gains. These, it reported, include denial of food, water, fuel and electricity to the Palestinian populace as a means of collective punishment.

Israeli soldiers were also found to have carried out sexual and gender-based violence as weapons to dehumanise the Palestinians.

The second major action taken by the UN was by its Security Council which voted 14-0 for ceasefire in Gaza. Tragically, the resolution is not designed to take immediate effect, an action that might save more lives. Rather, it is in three phases. The first are negotiations, freedom for Israeli captives and release of Palestinian prisoners. This is to take place within six weeks. It states that within those weeks: “An immediate, full and complete ceasefire would come into force.” Also, Palestinian civilians would be allowed to return to their homes across Gaza. Apart from humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians, it is also envisaged that Israel would withdraw its forces from the “populated areas” of Gaza. The issue here is which areas of Gaza, a territory laid desolate, qualifies as “populated”? It is envisaged that the ceasefire would continue if the negotiations exceed the six-week period.

The second phase calls for a permanent end to hostilities, the release of any remaining captives and the complete withdrawal of Israel from Gaza.

The third phase envisages Gaza’s reconstruction and the return of the remains of any deceased captives that might still be in Gaza.

The resolution rejects any loss of territorial land space, “including any actions that reduce the territory” of Palestine.

China said the draft was “ambiguous” but voted for the resolution in the face of mounting deaths in Gaza. Japan which had voted for the resolution, added: “The catastrophic humanitarian situation is indescribable.”

To Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama: “This text is not perfect, but it offers a glimmer of hope to the Palestinians as the alternative is continued killing and suffering.”

Russia, which has a veto, abstained. Its ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said it did so because the exact terms Israel was supposed to have agreed to, were not explicitly stated. He added that: “The Council should not agree to any agreement that has vague parameters…what specifically has Israel agreed to?”

President Joe Biden who had guaranteed Israel’s acceptance of the peace deal said the resolution was “not just a ceasefire that would inevitably be fragile and temporary” but also one that would provide a “durable end to the war”.

US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, claimed that if Hamas agrees to the resolution, fighting could stop immediately. She said Hamas should realise that the international community is “united behind a deal that will save lives and help Palestinian civilians in Gaza start to rebuild and heal. United behind a deal that will reunite hostages with their families after eight months in captivity.”

Hamas immediately accepted the resolution. Its official, Sami Abu Zuhri, added: “The US administration is facing a real test to carry out its commitments in compelling the occupation to immediately end the war in an implementation of the UN Security Council resolution.”

Although the resolution claimed Israel had accepted it hours after it was passed, Israel carried out deadly attacks across the Gaza. Its Representative to the UN, Reut Shapir Ben-Naftaly, said there would be no end to the war unless Hamas capability to fight is destroyed. Israel’s objectives, she added, are clear: “To bring all our hostages back home and to dismantle Hamas’ capabilities…and ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future.” Ben-Naftaly added: “As we have echoed several times in this very chamber, once these goals are met, the war will end.”

The UN’s resolution sidesteps its 1967 Resolution 242 of November 22, 1967, which provides a permanent solution for the Israeli-Palestine crises. Its body language is that half peace is better than no peace. But even this resolution may not be implemented.