Popular gospel musician, Osinachi Kalu, known professionally as Sinach has been dragged to the court by music producer, Michael Oluwole over alleged copyright infringement.

Oluwole, better known as Maye, sued Sinach for N5 billion over ‘Way Maker’, her 2016 hit song.

In the suit numbered FHC/L/CS/402/2024, Maye is seeking a declaration that he is an author and co-owner of the song, demanding general damages of N5 billion for cumulative infringement of his rights.

While denying the producer’s claims, Sinach, who claimed the sole authorship of the song, noted that she has achieved global recognition before ‘Way Maker’ song.

The trial, which began at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday November 27, 2024, was adjourned until January 29 and 30, 2025.

[Leadership]

In the world of fencing, 16-year-old Inkosi Brou’s dream of becoming a professional athlete is gradually becoming a reality, as evident in previous performances in a sport he first encountered through a profound moment of inspiration and childhood imagination. 

Though his name might be new to many, his story is a reflection of passion, perseverance, and the dedicated journey of a young fencer whose dreams are as sharp as his blade.

Growing up in the USA with Nigerian roots, Inkosi’s love for swords began long before he even knew what fencing was.

As a young child, he could often be found in his backyard or living room, wielding makeshift swords fashioned from cardboard, plastic, and whatever materials he could scavenge. These homemade creations were his playthings, his companions in countless imaginary battles, and his earliest introduction to the art of swordsmanship.

It was not until he was eight years old that Inkosi’s playful fascination with swords found its true calling. The catalyst for this transformation was none other than Ibtihaj Muhammad, a trailblazing fencer who represented the USA in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 

Watching Muhammad’s grace and skill on the international stage was a turning point for Inkosi. The young boy was captivated by the sport, its elegance, and the strategic precision it required. His admiration quickly turned into determination; he begged his mother to find a local fencing studio.

The search led to a studio where Inkosi borrowed his first saber and mask. The moment he donned the gear and felt the weight of the saber in his hand, it was clear: he had found his true passion. The studio became his sanctuary, and the sport, his new playground.

“I have always loved playing with swords. As a child I made swords out of cardboard, plastic, and anything I could find at home. I did not know anything about the sport of fencing until I watched Peter Westbrook Fencing alumna, Ibtihaj Muhammad, compete in the 2016 Olympic games in Rio De Janeiro. I was 8 years old and literally begged my mom to find the nearest fencing studio to our home. The day I stepped into that studio and borrowed my first saber and mask – I knew I had found home,” Inkosi recalled.

Today, Inkosi represents Nigeria on the fencing circuit, balancing his training and competitions with the demands of school and growing up. His journey from a young enthusiast crafting cardboard swords to a competitive fencer has been marked by dedication and hard work. 

He trains rigorously, honing his skills and strategy, with the goal of one day competing on the world stage and making his mark in the sport he loves.

Inkosi’s story is a testament to the power of inspiration and the transformative nature of pursuing one’s passions.

From the humble beginnings of homemade swords to the disciplined world of fencing, his journey embodies the spirit of determination and the pursuit of excellence. As he continues to sharpen his skills and chase his dreams, the fencing community watches with anticipation, eager to see where Inkosi’s remarkable journey will lead next.

However, Inkosi believes he has what it takes to make it to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

“My goals are to qualify for the LA2028 Olympics for Nigeria, and fence at a division 1 level at an elite Ivy League University, studying engineering and business. I train intensively four times a week with two different Olympians at the Peter Westbrook Foundation. I incorporate mental and physical work into my training, as well as open bouting and conditioning. With my intensive training schedule, along with my study habits, I believe I can achieve all my goals,” he said.

The grandson of the former Director General of The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), late Prof. Dora Akunyili, added: “Personally, making the 2028 Olympics for Nigeria is my biggest goal. This season, I reached the quarter-finals of both the Zonal Olympic Qualifiers and Senior African Championships, a major milestone in my fencing career, as they were my first senior international tournaments ever. Despite losing to make the semi-finals of the Olympic Qualifiers by 1 point, 15-14, I think my accomplishment outlines a clear path to my goals in the next 4 years, which is to fence at a Division 1 level at an elite Ivy League University and compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles for Nigeria. I also earned a silver medal at the FIE Satellite Senior World Cup, which was a major milestone for Nigerian fencing.”

[DailyTrust]

The Senator representing Borno South at the senate, Ali Ndume, has frowned at the rushed passage of the tax reform bills, saying that the hurry by the presidency and some lawmakers to pass the bills looks suspicious.

The tax reform bills which passed for second reading at the Senate on Thursday have triggered controversies since it was sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, with Ndume maintaining strongest opposition against the bills.

The National Economic Council also advised President Tinubu to withdraw the bills, but the President said he preferred that they go through the processes.

The lawmaker, while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, maintained his position and insisted that it is better for the Presidency to take the advice of the National Economic Council to withdraw the bill.

“It is not that I am totally saying that we should throw away the baby with the bath water, but since the governors who are our leaders, the National Economic Council and many individuals have said that it is not that we should throw away the bills, no.

“Withdraw the bill, do more consultations and then bring the bill again. Why are they in a hurry,” Ndume queried.

Backing up his claim that there is a rush to pass the tax reform bills, Ndume gave an instance of the Petrol Industry Bill which he said is more important than the tax bill, adding that it took years before it was passed.

He recalled that the PIB was introduced to the National Assembly when he was in the House of Representatives, but wasn’t passed until years later when he had moved to the Senate.

The Senator said one of his grouses with the tax reform bills is the timing, noting that such bills shouldn’t be introduced when Nigerians are struggling to survive.

According to him, the opposition to the bills by him and some others is not because people do not want to pay taxes, but the wrong timing.

“I disagree with the timing because Nigerians are struggling to survive. Our forefathers were paying tax, in the North we pay taxes.

“So, it is not like we are running away from tax, we pay taxes, every responsible Nigerian will want to pay tax, but the timing is wrong,” he said.

Ndume, who said the best time to present the bills is when there is no hunger, likened the bills to giving someone something with a right hand and taking it back with the left hand.

He added that his opposition of the bills is because he does not want Tinubu to fail contrary to some insinuations that it is to hurt the President.

[DailyPost]

• Tinubu pledges skills development for out-of-schoolchildren

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with France in key sectors such as food security, energy, solid minerals, education and security.

Tinubu made the pledgeduring a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

The two leaders later addressed a joint news conference. 

The President, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also emphasised his administration’s commitment to skill acquisition training for Nigerians, especially children who have “been out of school for years”.  

Tinubu highlighted the vast and largely untapped potential within Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

He called on international investors to capitalise on opportunities in the sector.

“The French—Nigeria Business Forum is doing a lot already, but we need to do more on food security. We cannot help but invest in another country,” said the President.

Tinubu described Nigeria’s financial sector as a facilitator for foreign investment, particularly from French enterprises.

He said: “Nigeria’s financial sector is evolving and flourishing. We are also creating grounds for investment in Nigeria’s economy for French nationals, especially in food security.

“It is our responsibility to put together a food security programme for the private sector to come and invest in the country.

“We are working on stability and we are getting closer and closer, but we can do better and better.”

The President said Nigeria’s economy was being repositioned for more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) that would directly impact Nigerians.

“I can assure you that Nigeria is open for business and close to this, we have a vibrant youth population that is educated, and ready to be trained in various areas of entrepreneurship and development,” Tinubu said.

He implored the French government to extend to Nigeria, trainings that would develop its youth population.

“Furthermore, we should de-risk the opportunities in the solid minerals. We have the potential and we have agreed on a deeper and deeper relationship,” the President added.

Tinubu noted that Nigeria, like most African nations, has been preoccupied with tackling food insecurity.

He said: “A starved nation will not care about weather or environment, and in the 21st century, no child should go to bed hungry.

“If an African child is given a glass of milk in a class, there will be no problem in getting him to return and stay in school to learn. The more educated the children are, the better it is for us.” 

President Tinubu said the blue economy in Nigeria also provides a huge opportunity for investment, with unexplored potential in fishery.

“In Lagos, we have tamed the Atlantic Ocean. For us, fishery is an important aspect of investment.

“We want to assure the French investment community that Nigeria is open for business. It shall be easy in and easy out,” he stated.

Tinubu outlined plans to significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children through innovative return-to-class initiatives and skills development programmes.

“To bridge the gap for some who are of age, and have been out of school for a while, we will encourage skills development,” he stated.

The President told Macron and his wife, Brigitte, that Nigeria’s developmental potential hinges on a well-educated populace.

He said although “insecurity in some parts of the country makes it hard for children to return to school, we are gradually re-populating the classrooms.”

“We need skills development to bridge the gaps,” the President added.

He also highlighted efforts by his administration to enhance security across the country.

“With some more efforts, we will be able to get some level of stability. We had a very good harvest this year and as soon as more farmers can go back to the farm, we will have more stability in harvest and supply,” Tinubu said.

On global security, the President noted that there was a need for collective responsibility to fight terrorism.

“Nigeria is a partner in progress. We are ready to partner with France so that we can have security operations that will stop the challenge of migration,” he said.

President Macron acknowledged the state visit by Tinubu, saying it will herald deeper bilateral relationships between the two countries.

He emphasised collaborative growth in creative industries and youth-focused initiatives.

Macron acknowledged Nigeria’s vast growth potential and the importance of investing in educational initiatives.

He reflected on his formative experiences during his six-month internship at the French Embassy in Nigeria.

Macron also noted that global humanitarian challenges could only be solved with governments working together.

He said: “We have confidence that you, Mr. President, will reinforce our relationship with Nigeria, and it will cover the West Coast region, with ECOWAS playing the leading role.

“I will seek your leadership to work as partners of progress. You are the great leader of the great country in Africa.

“We appreciate your visionary leadership and energy in transforming the economy of your country. We will work together for collective, global success,” he said.

The French leader assured that he would encourage more investments in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector. 

Both countries signed an agreement after Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Alake made a presentation on the sector’s potential.

President Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu were welcomed with full honours at Hotel Les Invalides and Palais De l’Élysée by Macron and his wife, Brigitte.

[TheNation]

The remaining states yet to implement the N70,000 minimum wage for workers are making last-minute moves to ensure the Nigeria Labour Congress does not embark on strike on Monday, December 1, The PUNCH has learnt.

The states yet to approve the monthly wage are Katsina, Cross River and Zamfara, after the Imo State Government sanctioned the implementation of the N70,000 wage on Tuesday.

It means 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory have now complied with the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act.

Many states agreed to pay above the N70,000 starting point with Lagos and Rivers offering the highest pay with N85,000.

Lagos also announced that its workers could smile to the bank with up to N100,000 monthly from the first quarter of 2025.

Workers in Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Oyo and Niger will earn N80,000 while Delta and Ogun states approved N77,000.

Ebonyi, Osun, Benue and Kebbi states approved N75,000; Ondo, N73,000; Kogi and Kaduna, N72,000; Kano and Gombe, N71,000.

Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Jigawa, Borno, Edo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ekiti, Bauchi, Yobe, Imo and Plateau states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, all settled for N70,000.

But despite the NLC’s warnings, trio Katsina, Zamfara and Cross River have yet to implement the new wage, which could lead to a shutdown of activities in the affected states from Monday.

On Monday, labour unions in Cross River, who are demanding a new wage of N70,000 from the state government, directed state civil servants to embark on a two-day warning strike over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage.

The warning strike was signed by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

This followed a staged walkout from a scheduled meeting held on November 18 with state government officials, who formed members of the wage implementation committee at the office of the state’s Head of Service, Innocent Eteng, in Calabar, the state capital.

According to the labour leaders, last week, when the committee sat for the first time, the meeting ended in a stalemate when they perceived delayed tactics by the government to postpone the meeting to January.

The state’s civil servants said they were utterly disappointed when Governor Bassey Otu announced a new minimum wage of N40,000 on May 1, during the International Workers Day celebration at the U.J Essueine Stadium in Calabar.

Otu said that due to the state’s lean resources, caused by the statutory federal allocation aggravated by the unfavourable state Gross Domestic Product, the new minimum wage of N40,000 would be in line with realities rather than sentiments.

While giving instances of Edo, Lagos, Rivers and other governors, the workers said they were of high hope before the unexpected announcement of N40,000.

The strike action, which was signed by the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, was set to commence from November 24 midnight to 26, 2024.

‘No going back’

The Cross River State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Gregory Ulayi, toild The PUNCH that the union would embark on an indefinite strike if the state government failed to implement the new minimum wage for the workers.

He noted that the two-day warning strike was embarked upon by workers in the state between Monday and Tuesday, which he described as a call to action to the government.

Ulayi said that after the two-day warning strike, all workers were mandated to return to work as they waited to hear from the state government.

“If the government does not negotiate and do the needful, we will embark on a total strike because it is a directive across the country,” Ulayi told The PUNCH

However, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Otu, Nsa Gill, told our correspondent that the state government had set up a committee to negotiate with the labour leaders, as part of last-ditch efforts to prevent the looming strike on Monday.

He said that despite the nationwide deadline for the implementation of the minimum wage, the Otu-led government was working to ensure payment of a minimum wage of N70,000 or even above.

“The state government has a negotiating team and they are at work. Though, they are yet to reach an agreement as at today (Thursday). The government is ready to pay the N70,000 new minimum wage, if not beyond,” he stated.

“We recognise the fact that there is a national deadline from the labour union, which is slated for December 1, 2024, for all the states to pay the new minimum wage.

“We are trying to see how to build a stronger economic foundation that can make us pay a living wage to our civil servants. Until the team finishes the negotiation, the amount will not be announced. Right now, they are still on the negotiation table for an amicable resolution.”

Katsina State is also likely to face labour’s wrath after its failure to implement the compulsory new wage bill for the state workers.

Multiple sources in the NLC secretariat in Katsina, the state capital, told our correspondent on Thursday that the state was yet to approve the payment.

Last month, The PUNCH reported that the Katsina State Government inaugurated a 15-member committee to guide the implementation of a new minimum wage of N70,000.

Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal, while inaugurating the committee, said the government was aware of the hardship being faced by civil servants in the state.

“You are all aware that His Excellency, the Governor, Mallam Dikko Umar Radda, has set up a committee to implement the N70,000 minimum wage consequential adjustment to all categories of workers in the state.

“This includes the state civil servants, the Local Government employees and other categories of workers. The government is aware of the hardship being encountered by the civil servants,” he stated.

Led by Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Faskari, the committee was given three weeks to present strategies and recommendations, including the consequential adjustments for all categories of workers.

The committee includes prominent state officials such as the Head of Civil Service, Falalu Bawale; the state Commissioners for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Others are the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labor Matters; as well as representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, among others.

However, the latest reports suggest the committee has not been able to approve the wage.

“Katsina State is yet to implement the new minimum wage though the state has set up a committee in that regard,” a top NLC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, told The PUNCH.

“Negotiation between the labour unions and the government committee members are still ongoing. Anything can happen between now and in four days to come (as at Thursday), which is the December 1 deadline.”

Meanwhile, the Zamfara state Government says it has concluded arrangements for the implementation of the new minimum wage adding that it had been talking with the labour leaders in the state.

Speaking to The PUNCH, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Media and Communications, Mustafa Jafaru Kaura, said the state government would implement the new wage as soon as possible.

He said, “The state government has already set up a committee to work out modalities for the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000.”

He stated that the state government wanted to know the exact number of its civil servants and the amount involved before settling the new wage.

Kaura added, “The committee has gone far in its assignment and I am telling you that as soon as the committee finishes its assignment, Governor Lawal will surely implement the new wage.”

Kaura stated that members of the committee included labour leaders and other stakeholders who were given the responsibility to work out the modalities on how best to implement the new wage.

He stressed that the state government would never fail the civil servants, adding that “Governor Dauda Lawal is one of the civil servants’ friendly governors in the country.”

“Zamfara workers will never be left out in terms of the new minimum wage,” he added.

“I want you to remember that when he assumed office as the Governor of the state, he met the state’s civil servants collecting  N18,000 as minimum wage.”

“He quickly directed the state’s ministry of finance to start implementing the N30,000 minimum wage which was done.’’

“So, I am assuring you that, the Governor will soon implement the new minimum wage for N70,000,” Kaura said.

Earlier in November, Governor Lawal reiterated his government’s resolve to pay the minimum wage after working out all necessary modalities.

He said, “We have to know what comes in, the number of our workforce, and what we will pay as minimum wage,” adding, “The welfare of my workforce has been my priority since I assumed office.”

 “When we came on board, for four months workers of the state had not been paid their salaries, and the first thing I did was to pay the workers.

“Today, as from the 25th of every month, I make sure that workers are paid. So, in other words, I spend about N5bn on wages every month. I paid my workers. I improved the salaries of local government staff as well as paid pensioners.

“So every month, I boost the state’s economy. If you go around, you will see how small traders are making brisk business from the goods they display in markets and streets.”

Commenting on the backlog of pension arrears he inherited from previous administrations, he said that out of the N13bn pension liabilities, he was able to settle over N11bn.

[Punch]

A lot has been agitating my mind in recent times on the state of our union and why evil seems to continually thrive over good. Why is it that the things which disqualify people in other climes from holding public office are exactly what is needed by an average Nigerian politician to be considered astute?

In other climes, hardly will a certificate forger make a successful career in politics. In Nigeria the reverse is the case. Many of those in public office in Nigeria today forged their academic qualifications even when the bar is so ridiculously low that all you need to be president is the West African School Certification Examination, WASCE. You don’t even need to pass.

Chapter VI, Part I, Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution clearly states that a person may be qualified for election to the office of the president if: They are a citizen of Nigeria by birth; They have attained the age of 35 years (40 before 2018); They are a member of a political party and are sponsored by that political party; They have been educated up to at least School Certificate level or its equivalent.

To be a successful politician in Nigeria, your integrity quotient must be very low or you have the backing of an unscrupulous godfather who has the capacity to break bones and whip naysayers into line.

Sometime in 2005, Senator Nuhu Aliyu, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG, was surprised that some of his colleagues in the Red Chamber with the appellation, ‘Distinguished’, prefixing their names and the swagger of making laws for the good governance of the country, were people he had arrested, questioned and detained as the head of the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, of the Nigeria Police Force, Alagbon, Lagos.

In any other country, such a bombshell would have been enough to trigger a commensurate reaction from the system and the people. Not in Nigeria. There was no outrage, not even from the decent members of the Senate whose reputations were being tarnished by association. Instead, Aliyu’s charge withered under intense pressure from colleagues.

Last year, Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa confessed on the floor of the Senate that his wife, Zainab, used her position as a judge to favour his colleagues in the Red Chamber.

Zainab Bulkachuwa, a former president of the Court of Appeal – the first female to hold the position – presided over some landmark election cases with rulings that defied logic, the same way the incumbent Chief Justice of Nigeria’s judgement on January 14, 2020 sacking Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha and declaring Hope Uzodimma winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election didn’t make any legal sense. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun read the unanimous judgement of the seven-member panel.

Speaking at the Senate valedictory session, Bulkachuwa said he often influenced his wife’s decisions while she was in office.

“Particularly, my wife, whose freedom and independence I encroached upon while she was in office,” the All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmaker said. “And she has been very tolerant and accepted my encroachment and extended her help to my colleagues.”

So alarmed was the then Senate President Ahmad Lawan at what in other climes would have been the biggest scandal of the Fourth Republic, that he interjected before Bulkachuwa spoke any further. “Distinguished, I don’t think this is a good idea going this direction.”

But Lawan needed not worry. Nigerians knew, as a matter of fact that most, if not all judgements in such matters are procured. Even Lawan knew because as at the time he was interjecting he had just procured a fraudulent mandate from the judiciary in an election he was not even a candidate going by the provisions of the Electoral Act.

In her seminal autobiography, Bold Leap, Chris Anyanwu, an ace broadcaster, sublime journalist and media entrepreneur, who ventured into the murky waters of Nigerian politics and succeeded as a two-term senator labelled what she saw “political voodooism.”

Lifting the veil on the intricacies of election chicanery and subterfuge in Nigeria, Senator Anyanwu wrote: “Everything is bought. You buy votes to be nominated. You buy votes to be elected to office. And then you must pay to defend yourself from frivolous court cases and bad judgments. It is an all-round corrupting, wearying and spirit-crushing experience.”

On the disgrace that Nigerian courts have become, she pulled no punches. “Unfortunately, the Nigerian judiciary seems to have been infected with the national malaise of corruption so that there is never a guarantee that anyone who comes for justice can get it without financial inducement.”

Senator Anyanwu said the rot starts long before the general elections are held. “Congress is the fountainhead of Nigeria’s election mess,” she wrote. “The system is set up for failure from the foundation. The evolution process is flawed, rigged by manipulation, warped by corruption and the good people undermined and alienated by the fraud, occultism, crookedness, violence and psychological terror.”

This explains why Nigeria is not making any progress despite the so-called 25 years of democracy and will not make any progress unless something drastic is done to halt the ominous drift into the unsavoury chasm of criminality.

Nigeria will not make progress in the circumstance because no one steals political power and uses it for public good. Nigeria’s democracy has essentially become a criminal enterprise and that felonious and immoral substructure must be effectively dismantled before any kind of progress can be made.

Now, decriminalising the country’s political space will be no mean feat. And we cannot pray ourselves out of the quagmire because those who control the levers of power did not get there by accident. They have used 25 years to perfect their trickery and consolidate their hold on power. The heist is almost complete.

Today, we have an Inspector General of Police, who, statutorily, is no longer in service and therefore ineligible to remain in office. But he has been “illegally awarded” four more years because he is considered a safe hand. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is brazenly being populated with card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, contrary to the dictates of laws of the land.

The judiciary is effectively in the column of these astute politicians with the “minister of court affairs” doing a yeoman’s job by constructing for the hapless judges plush houses. Today, everything is being done to ensure that Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, takes over as the president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW. Strenuous effort is deployed by the powers that be to harass the de jure national president, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, out of office.

Recently, MC Oluomo claimed that he was elected unopposed as the union’s national president in Osogbo and he is still parading himself as such, even when a three-member Appeal Court panel comprising Justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi, nullified his so-called presidency and reaffirmed Baruwa as the legitimate NURTW president.

The only reason that the powers that be are going to this extent to destabilise the NURTW is perhaps because of the politics of 2027. Sure of the judiciary, police and INEC, they want to ensure that the fourth leg is in place by bringing in a man who will be in-charge of the thugs.

This is the nature of politics in Nigeria. It is the criminal enterprise that Chris Anyanwu saw and wrote about in her new book. And that explains why rather than making any progress, every New Year ushers in more horrendous misery. No progress can be made in the circumstance unless this fatuous estate of criminality is decriminalised by taking politics out of the hands of quislings who are ruining our collective patrimony.

Unto us, a man-child is again born by the United States, US, electorate. Donald Trump is actually a reincarnation sent to upset the world.

Friends like the European Union and neigbouring Canada are jittery for he is unpredictable and, foes like China are girding their loins. Trump is the weird one the incompetent and visionless Biden administration has given a smooth ride back to the White House.

The re-emergence of Trump once again raises the question: is it true that the Western democracy that produced Adolf Hitler is the best humanity can offer? This democracy, rather than concentrate on the qualitative development of society based on the greatest good for the greater majority, emphasises a lot on the ballot, and letting the votes count. This is equated with the will of the people and is sacrosanct.

This November 4, 2024, Americans were, like the Biblical Jews, asked to vote for two contrasting candidates. Where Kamala Harris was an attorney and minister in the temple of justice upholding the law, Donald Trump was a crooked businessman already convicted for falsifying his business records and had even carried out treasonable felony. Where the former has a record of bringing criminals to justice, the latter already had 34 felony convictions. Where Kamala was for human rights, justice, equality and respect for women, Trump has no affinity with human rights, justice or equality, nor respect for women.

A total 76,962,889 Americans voted for Trump, giving him 312 electoral votes to Kamala’s 226 electoral votes.

Previously, in the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton with 65,845,063 votes or 48.2 per cent of the total vote, lost to Donald Trump with 62,980,160 votes or 46.1 per cent of the votes. These are the unique qualities of the American democratic system and the preferences of its electorate.

Trump had threatened his European allies that if he won the election they would have to “pay a big price” for not buying enough American exports. A panicky British government sent party strategists to openly work for Harris.

So, when Trump won, French President, Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, warned that he might be a danger to Europe. The latter said: “The European Union must stand close together and act in a united manner.”

Trump, even as President-elect has gone to work, doing what he is best known for: unsettling an unsettled world.

This Monday, November 25, 2024 when Trump threatened China, Canada and Mexico with trade sanctions, the latter, Australia, Turkey, Indonesia and South Korea under a coalition called MIKTA, were engaging Nigerians in Abuja. So, while the US is playing the usual politics of the big powers, those countries are jointly trying to build a global structure of middle powers that can balance out the world.

A boastful Trump had bellowed that when he returns to office on January 20, 2025: “I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25 per cent tariff on all products coming into the United States. This tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular Fentanyl and all illegal aliens, stop this invasion of our country!” He added: “Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. It is time for them to pay a very big price!”

 Trump also declared: “We will be charging China an additional 10 per cent tariff, above any additional tariffs”, until it cracks down on fentanyl smuggling.

China responded by warning the man-child that a trade war would harm all. Its embassy in Washington declared: “The idea of China knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States runs completely counter to facts and reality. China believes that China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. No one will win a trade war or a tariff war.”

Canada took a different path, pleading with Trump. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a phone call tried to shift the blame on Mexico. He said compared to Canada, most of the illegal immigrants Trump is complaining about, cross through US-Mexico border.

But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was defiant. She warned Trump: “For every tariff, there will be a response in kind.”

She told the bully: “It is not with threats or tariffs that the migration phenomenon will be stopped, nor the consumption of drugs in the United States. Seventy per cent of the illegal weapons seized from criminals in Mexico come from your country. Tragically, it is in our country that lives are lost to the violence resulting from meeting the drug demand in yours.”

The Leader of the Mexican Senate, Gerardo Fernández, in supporting President Sheinbaum, asked: “What tariffs should we impose on their [America’s] goods until they stop consuming drugs and illegally exporting weapons to our homeland?”

This promises to be a bruising war as the three countries being threatened account for about 40 per cent of the $3.2tn of goods US annually imports.

The five-country MIKTA alliance founded on September 25, 2013 said in Abuja that they are working for a different trajectory for the world.

Their ambassadors met a cross section of Nigerian industrialists, technocrats, politicians, diplomats and mass media influencers to talk about their mission, explain how they developed, present opportunities being offered by each of them, and inviting Nigerians to do all-inclusive businesses with them.

Australian High Commissioner, Leilani Bin-Juda, said her country’s commitment to sustainability and green energy is an example for other countries. She informed that Australia’s contribution under the Paris Agreement is 43 per cent reduction from 2005 levels to net zero by 2050. The plan, she said, includes an 82 per cent target for renewable energy by 2030. Australia, she said, is offering Nigeria technology that allows remote and rural households to be electrified.

South Korean Ambassador, Kim Pankyu, talked about his country’s journey from a war-torn, impoverished and authoritarian state into a developed one. Ambassador Hidayet Bayraktar of Turkey said his country had emerged as a vital trade and investment hub, and bridge between Europe and Asia.

Ambassador Alfredo Miranda of Mexico informed that his country has become a manufacturing powerhouse and global leader in electronics, automotive and aerospace production.

Indonesian Ambassador, Usra Hendra Harahap, said his country’s success in balancing security efforts with economic priorities would be beneficial to Nigeria.

It remains to be seen how such alliances would operate in a world under the shadow of Trump.

•Solicits more investment in food security, sold minerals, others

President Bola Tinubu, Friday, at the prestigious Palais des L’Élysée, told France President, Emmanuel Macron, that a starved nation will not care about weather or environment, and that in the 21st century no child should go to bed hungry.

President Tinubu at a high-profile meeting with President Macron also affirmed Nigeria’s strong commitment to enhancing cooperation in key sectors such as food security, energy, solid minerals, education, and defense. At a joint press conference, President Tinubu highlighted the vast, yet largely untapped potential within Nigeria’s agricultural sector and beckoned international investors to capitalize on the nation’s welcoming investment climate.

Tinubu in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said: “The French-Nigeria Business Forum is doing a lot already, but we need to do more on food security. We cannot help but invest in another’s country.”

He emphasised Nigeria’s flourishing financial sector as a facilitator for foreign investment, particularly from French enterprises, as part of the drive to bolster food security.

“Nigeria’s financial sector is evolving and flourishing. We are also creating grounds for investment in Nigeria’s economy for French nationals, especially in the area of food security.

“It is our responsibility to put together a food security programme for the private sector to come and invest in the country.

“We are working on stability and we are getting closer and closer, but we can do better and better,” the President stated.

President Tinubu said Nigeria’s economy was being repositioned for more Foreign Direct Investment that will directly impact the livelihood of the citizens.

“I can assure you that Nigeria is open for business and close to this, we have a vibrant youth population that is educated, and ready to be trained in various areas of entrepreneurship and development,” he said.

The President implored the French government to extend to Nigeria trainings that will develop the youthful population.

“Furthermore, we should de-risk  the opportunities in the solid minerals. We have the potentials and we have agreed on a deeper and deeper relationship,” the President added.

President Tinubu noted that Nigeria, like most African nations, had been preoccupied with tackling issues of food security.

“A starved nation will not care about weather or environment, and in the 21st Century no child should go to bed hungry,” he told the French President, and his delegation.

“If an African child is given a glass of milk in a class, there will be no problem in getting him to return and stay in school to learn. The more educated the children are, the better it is for us,” he said.

On security, the President said: “Nigeria is a partner in progress. We are ready to partner France so that we can have security operations that will stop the challenge of migration.”

President Tinubu said the blue economy in Nigeria also provides a huge opportunity for investment, with unexplored potentials in fishery.

“In Lagos, we have tamed the Atlantic ocean. For us, fishery is an important aspect of investment.

“We want to assure the French investment community that Nigeria is open for business. It shall be easy in, and easy out,” the President noted.

President Macron acknowledged President Tinubu’s state visit as a milestone heralding deeper bilateral relationships, particularly emphasizing collaborative growth in creative industries and youth-focused initiatives.

The French President noted that the global humanitarian challenges could only be solved with governments working together.

“We have confidence that you, Mr President will reinforce our relationship with Nigeria, and it will cover the West Coast region, with ECOWAS playing the leading role.

“I will seek your leadership to work as partners of progress. You are the great leader of the great country in Africa.

“We appreciate your visionary leadership and energy in transforming the economy of your country. We will work together for collective, global success,” he said.

President Macron had earlier assured that he would encourage more investments in the solid minerals sector, with the signing of an agreement, during a political meeting where the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, made a presentation on the potentials.

Earlier, President Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu were welcomed with full honours at Hotel Les Invalides and Palais De l’Élysée by President Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron.

[Vanguard]

A dilapidated federal road, 83 kilometres long, which connects Akwa Ibom with Cross River state, has become a source of embarrassment to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Constructed in 1975, the road has been in a terrible state of disrepair in the last 25 years, forcing the people of the two states to resort to water transportation – long discarded since the 1970s – as a mode of transport. Last week, the senate passed a motion calling for the inclusion of the road in the 2025 Appropriation Bill with adequate budgetary provision.

It was sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong from Cross River South and co-sponsored by Senator Ekong Sampson, from Akwa Ibom South. On the same day, the house of representatives passed a similar motion and went further to direct its committees on public procurement and works to investigate the abandonment of the contract for the reconstruction of the road which was awarded to three construction firms – Julius Berger; Sermatec and CCEC – by the Muhammadu Buhari administration five years ago. The motion in the house was moved by Unyime Idem from Akwa Ibom state.

‘’The Senate President spoke passionately during the debate on the motion, telling us about all his previous efforts in getting the road fixed and how he had spoken with the relevant government officials and agencies about the road; yet nothing was done,” Senator Sampson told me. He stressed that the senate president was very concerned about the state of the road which is the only land connection between the two states. Essentially, the senate president was lamenting in frustration to his colleagues that all his efforts to get the road completed were to no avail.

‘’On my part,’’ Senator Sampson continued, ‘’I explained to the Senate that completing the reconstruction of the road would be a big relief to our people, and a source of pride to the Senate President in particular and the Senate as a whole.’’ In other words, Akpabio’s reputation as the political leader of the south-south geopolitical zone and the nation’s third most important political leader is, in a way, linked to his ability to get the federal ministry of works to deliver on this all-important highway. He deserves to be treated with some respect like his predecessors. Many in Akwa Ibom are perplexed that Akpabio is lamenting and bemoaning about the poor conditions of a federal road in his constituency when he is supposed to be a very influential ally of President Bola Tinubu.

In public, Senator Akpabio cuts the picture of a big fan of President Tinubu; a loyal associate of the administration and an unapologetic defender of all of the government’s unpopular policies. He even goes beyond the normal course of duty to fawn over the First Family. Recently, he was said to have represented the president’s wife at a function during the last National Day celebrations. I had noted then that it was not proper, as far as the principle of separation of power is concerned for the senate president to represent the president, talk less of his wife, at events.

But the man could care less. Akpabio will go to any extent to publicly display his faithfulness to the president, sometimes acting in a manner, to the discomfiture of some senators, which blurs the line separating the two branches. Yet, despite his fawning adoration for all things Tinubu, why does the senate president now have to beg for a federal road in his constituency to be repaid?

Why is he lamenting, complaining and even voicing out his frustrations about the road and how his efforts have come to nothing? What is the value of his loyalty and what is the worth of the high office he occupies if the minister of works, for example, is not sympathetic to him? This same minister of works, Engr David Umahi, was the chairman of Akpabio’s campaign committee when he was running for senate presidency. Why is the senate president begging Umahi now?

Since 1999, no president or any minister messes with the senate president. Previous occupants of the office were highly regarded by the executive branch. In his eight years as Senate President, David Mark (2007-2015) commanded the attention and respect of his colleagues in the chamber and those of the ministers and the President. President Jonathan held David Mark in awe and admiration.

It was therefore not a surprise that President Jonathan was all too happy to take care of many federal roads in and around Benue, Marks’s home state. President Buhari respected and loved Senator Ahmed Lawan to a fault (It is no longer a secret that Buhari actually preferred Lawan as his successor). The president also ensured that all federal roads in Yobe in particular and north-east in general were in good condition. Yobe is the home state of Senator Lawan.

On July 17, 2021, Lawan specifically thanked President Buhari for considering Yobe state for federal projects. Speaking at the construction site of Gasamu-Gogaram Road in Jakusko LGA, Lawan described the project as a major infrastructure that would enhance the development of the area. Lawan listed many other projects the Buhari administration was executing in his state (Punch newspaper, 18th July 2021). Among the roads reconstructed in Benue state and other projects executed in the State by the Jonathan administration was the Oturkpo-Oweto Road (section 1) which passes through Senator Marks’s community.

So, why is the Tinubu team treating Akpabio less elegantly, as if he is a lesser senate president?

As I have said before, the Akwa Ibom people and their government have so much expectation of the senate president’s high office. They think that he can swing things for them. There are no fewer than five federal roads leading in and out of Akwa Ibom and they’re all in a very poor shape.

There’s the Ibom Deep Sea Port project on which we expect federal support through Akpabio’s facilitation. It would is therefore a major heartbreak if our revered Senate President is wringing his hands in lamentation over a mere 83 kilometres of road. Who will help us?

ETIM is a journalist and author

The Lagos state task force says its operatives have arrested four suspected traffic robbers targeting motorists.

Adetayo Akerele, chairman of the task force, said in a statement on Thursday that the suspects are Ismail Akinlade, 26; Rasak Abiodun, 25; Adefabi Gbolahan, 25; and Rilwan Olaloye, 20.

Akerele said the suspects were arrested in the Mushin area of Lagos following investigations that uncovered their hideout.

He said the task force had been closely monitoring miscreants operating in certain areas of the state.

He added that one of the suspects, Akinlade, admitted, “they typically hand over stolen phones to their leader,” who is currently at large, to sell the items.

Akerele said the suspect also disclosed how they take advantage of bad road sections to target motorists, striking when drivers are forced to slow down.

The chairman said after extensive manhunts and intelligence efforts, agency officers tracked a stolen phone to the Idi-Oro axis in Mushin, where the suspects were apprehended.

“These individuals reportedly target distracted motorists, stealing phones, bags, and other valuables from vehicles while distracting the occupants,” he said.

“They have all been interrogated and will be charged in court immediately.”

[TheCable]