The ultimatum issued to Niger Republic military leaders to restore sacked President Mohamed Bazoum to power expires tomorrow raising fears of war between Niger’s military and those of neighbouring countries.

ECOWAS defence chiefs on Friday said all is set for a military intervention in Niger Republic even as they harped on a comprehensive approach that encompasses political, security and diplomatic dimensions in addressing the situation.

The Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CDS) of ECOWAS countries made this known at the end of their three-day Extra Ordinary Meeting in Abuja.

ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, while speaking on the outcome of the meeting commended the military chiefs for taking time to produce a concept of operation for an eventual military intervention to restore constitutional order in Niger.

Musah said that all the elements that would go into any intervention had been worked out and were being refined, including the timing, resources needed and how, where and when to deploy such force.

He said that ECOWAS being a rule-based institution was determined to put an end to the military coup contagion in the region.

“But first, we are giving diplomacy every chance to succeed and there have been multiple approaches to the military Junta in Niger.

“The results of whatever has been achieved here will be presented very soon to the Heads of Central Government who will have the last say as to what we are going to do with regard to the situation in the Republic of Niger, provided that all diplomatic overtures do not yield result.

“So I want to, through this medium also appeal to the military in Niger to give peace a chance, and then think about their populations and do the right thing by immediately restoring constitutional order in their country.

“That is our message to them and if they don’t, then we will make them hand over to civilian authorities and that is the determination of ECOWAS and we want to send that message clearly across to all of them,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Kana, said that Nigeria was committed to restoring democracy in Niger, but said military option would be the last resort.

“Military option is the last option but the President has directed us, the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria to come together with other ECOWAS members,” he said.

Earlier, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff and President of the committee, General Christopher Musa, had commended ECOWAS for standing firm for democracy, adding that the militaries of the member countries were firmly in support of their stand.

He said that the committee collectively recognised the gravity of the situation in Niger and the urgent need for a well coordinated response.

Musa added that they also examined the immediate implication of the coup and its potential ripple effects across the ECOWAS region.

“We have also deliberated on the broader implication for democracy, peace and stability in West Africa and pleased to note that our discussions have yielded valuable insights and actionable recommendations.

“We have acknowledged the need for a comprehensive approach that encompasses political, security and diplomatic dimensions.

“It is imperative that we translate our deliberations into concrete actions that effectively address the crisis and prevent a recurrence in the future.

“Democracy is what we stand for and democracy is what we will sustain,” he said.

Musa said the military chiefs agreed that there was no alternative democratic principles and rule of law in the region, adding that the coup in Niger represented blatant disregard for the fundamental principles that underpin regional integration and stability.

“We must condemn such action and demonstrate our unwavering commitment to democracy,” he said, adding that regional security architecture should be strengthened to enhance collective response to security challenges.

According him, the meeting recognised the fact that the coup in Niger highlighted the fragility of the region.

“We must enhance intelligence sharing, joint training exercises and capacity building initiative among our defence and security forces to effectively combat threats to our collective security and enhance interoperability.

“We must intensify our diplomatic efforts to engage with all relevant stakeholders.

“Dialogue and negotiations should be at the forefront of our approach in resolving the crisis in the Republic of Niger.

“We must engage the tranditional authorities, civil society, organisation and all the key actors to foster an inclusive and peaceful transition process,” he said.

The CDS said the meeting urged member states to hasten the implementation of the recommendations and translate them into tangible actions for quick solutions to the situation in Niger.

“Let us seize this opportunity to make a lasting impact and ensure that the Republic of Niger and the entire region can progress on the path of democracy, peace, and stability.

“I urge you all to prioritise the implementation of recommendations that have been put forth during our deliberations.

“This requires a concerted effort and a sense of urgency. We must allocate the necessary resources, engage relevant stakeholders, and monitor progress to ensure that our decisions have a tangible impact on the ground,” he added.

Countries represented at the meeting included Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Gambia, Cote Devoir, Cape Verde and Benin while Niger, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso were absent.

The Nigerian Customs also on Friday closed all borders with Niger Republic.

Tinubu writes Senate

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday informed the senate of the proposed military operation by ECOWAS against the military government in Niger Republic.

The letter was read by the president of the senate, Godswill Akpabio.

Tinubu in the letter addressed to the Senate entitled: “Political situation in Niger,” informed the senate of the far reaching resolutions of leaders of the West African subregion , particularly the involvement of Nigeria which include, “military build up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant.”

The letter reads in part: “Following the unfortunate political situation in Niger Republic culminating in the overthrow of its president, ECOWAS under my leadership condemned the coup in its entirety and resolved to seek the return of the democratically elected government. In a bid to restore peace, ECOWAS convened a meeting and came out with a communique.

“1. Closure and monitoring of all land borders with Niger Republic and reactivating of the border drilling excercise.

“2. Cutting off electricity supply to Niger Republic

“3. Mobilising international support for the implementation of the provisions of the ECOWAS communique

“4. Preventing the operation of commercial and special flights into and from Niger Republic

“5. Blockade of goods in transit to Niger especially from Lagos and eastern seaports

“6. Embarking on sensitization of Nigerians on the imperative of these actions particularly via social media

“Military build up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant.”

Raising a Point of Order, Senator Abdul Ningi cited Section 5(5) of the 1999 Constitution and urged the Senate to be properly guided by the provision.

The provisions cited by Senator Ningi reads in part:”

(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (4) of this section, the President, in consultation with the National Defence Council, may deploy members of the armed forces of the federation on a limited combat duty outside Nigeria if he is satisfied that the national security is under imminent threat or danger:

“Provided that the president shall, within seven days of actual combat engagement, seek the consent of the senate and the senate shall thereafter give or refuse the said consent within 14 days.”

In his response, the President of the Senate said his colleagues observation “is noted.”

There was no debate of the letter.

Niger cuts ties with France

The new military junta, led by former presidential guard commander, Abdourahamane Tiani, has revoked military cooperation pacts with former colonial power, France, as neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso did after their coups.

Paris shrugged that off, saying on Friday that though it had seen the statement by “some Nigerien army men”, it only recognised legitimate authorities. French officials also said that Niger’s ambassador to Paris was still in place, after the junta said it had ended her post.

France has between 1,000-1,500 troops in Niger, supported by drones and warplanes, helping battle groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in the Sahel region. The United States, Germany and Italy also have troops stationed in Niger.

Detained at the presidential residence in Niger’s capital Niamey, Bazoum, 63, who was elected in 2021, said in his first remarks since the coup that he was a hostage and in need of U.S. and international help.

“If it (the coup) succeeds, it will have devastating consequences for our country, our region and the entire world,” he wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece, backing ECOWAS’ economic and travel sanctions.

ECOWAS peace mission fails

The 15-member ECOWAS sent a delegation to Niamey on Thursday seeking an “amicable resolution”, but a source in the entourage said a meeting at the airport with the junta’s representatives yielded no breakthrough.

“All our efforts to meet with the leader of the junta failed,” the Nigerian presidential source said, adding they flew out in the early hours.

ECOWAS last week threatened to use force if Bazoum is not back in power by Sunday.

The junta has denounced outside interference and said it will resist any aggression. Tiani, 59, served as battalion commander for ECOWAS forces during conflicts in Ivory Coast in 2003, so he knows what such intervention missions involved.

Russia: interference in Niger by non-regional actors like U.S. is unlikely to help

Meanwhile, Russia, according to Reuters, said on Friday that any interference from non-regional powers such as the United States in Niger was unlikely to improve the situation there.

Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was responding to a question about a call from Niger’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, for the United States and the entire international community to intervene to restore constitutional order in his country.

“It is unlikely that the intervention of non-regional forces is capable of changing the situation for the better,” Peskov told reporters.

“…We are monitoring the situation very closely, we are concerned about the tension in Niger, and we continue to favour a swift return to constitutional normality without endangering human lives,” he said.

Niger’s regional and Western partners, including former colonial power France and the United States, have imposed sweeping sanctions on Niger in an effort to pressure the coup leaders to restore constitutional order after Bazoum’s ouster – the seventh coup in West and Central Africa since 2020.

But junta leader Abdourahamane Tiani, the former head of Niger’s presidential guard, has said he will not back down.

Tiani has the support of fellow juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso and also of Russia’s private mercenary Wagner group, which has fighters in Mali and Central African Republic.

In a Washington Post opinion piece, President Bazoum wrote: “With an open invitation from the coup plotters and their regional allies, the entire central Sahel region could fall to Russian influence via the Wagner Group, whose brutal terrorism has been on full display in Ukraine.”

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, last week welcomed the coup in Niger, and said his forces were available to restore order.

Food prices soar after sanctions on coup-hit Niger

Reuters reported on Friday that shoppers in Niger’s coup-hit capital Niamey face soaring prices for basic foods since the military takeover triggered trade sanctions from West African neighbours.

At one rain-drenched market, customer Ibou Kane said a sack of rice had gone up by more than a third to around 15,000 CFA francs ($25) since the coup prompted the ECOWAS economic and political bloc to close borders and sever commercial ties.

«Frankly, I›ve felt it in my pocket. And right now … we›re all stocking up,» Kane said.

Coup leader Abdourahamane Tiani, who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, has said foreign pressure will make coming weeks and months difficult for all Nigeriens, and called for unity.

There was no obvious panic-buying at Yantala market, but vendors and shoppers were all feeling the pinch. Cooking oil, too, was up to 33,000 CFA a can from 22,000 a few days before.

Standing by deep tubs of grains, merchant Boubacar Salou said he supported the junta›s rallying call.

«We mustn›t create panic now. Because this affects us all … It›s up to us to show that we are Nigeriens and that we must help those around us, and above all help the new government,» he said.

The closure of borders by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) poses a particular threat to landlocked and impoverished Niger. Even before the coup, around 3.3 million of Niger›s 26 million people were facing acute food shortages as a hunger crisis grips parts of the region.

‘AUTOCRATIC JUNTA’

The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights and Nigerien Association for Defence of Human Rights urged ECOWAS to reconsider to avoid worsening civilian hardships.

“We are deeply concerned about the consequences of these sanctions, especially their impacts on the supply of essential food products, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, petroleum products, and electricity,” said Sita Adamou, head of the Niger group.

“These measures have already begun to affect the Nigerien population, who are regularly facing food and health difficulties.”

From detention in the presidential palace, Bazoum also weighed in, writing in a Washington Post opinion article that Niger faced chaos from the coup, by encouraging Islamist insurgents and pressuring the local economy.

“These measures (sanctions) are already demonstrating what a future would look like under an autocratic junta with no vision or reliable allies,” he wrote. “The price of rice rose by 40 percent between Sunday and Tuesday, and some neighbourhoods have begun to report shortages of goods and electricity.”

Exacerbating the squeeze, various Western nations have already cut aid to Niger, which relies on foreign assistance for 40% of its budget. And the regional central bank cancelled a planned 30 billion CFA bond issuance earlier this week

The Senate has advised President Bola Tinubu to engage in diplomacy in order to return Niger Republic to democratic rule and restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to power.

The Red Chamber made the resolution after a four-hour closed-door session on Saturday to discuss the political development in the West African country.

The resolution of the upper legislative chamber followed an executive communication, which President Tinubu sought for the implementation of the resolution of ECOWAS on the political situation in Niger Republic.

The Red Chamber mandated its leadership to further engage with the President on behalf of the entire Senate to ensure how best to resolve the situation in the neighbouring country.

The Senate also called on the President as the Chairman of ECOWAS to further encourage other leaders of the bloc to explore political and diplomatic options and other means with a view to resolving the impasse in Niger.

The Red Chamber, while condemning the Niger coup in totality, commended President Tinubu and other Heads of State of the other States of ECOWAS for their prompt response and the positions taken on the unfortunate development in Niger.

Reading the resolutions of the senators after the meeting, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said that “The Senate recognises that President Tinubu via his correspondence has not asked for the approval of the parliament of this Senate to go to war as erroneously suggested in some quarters.

“Rather, Mr President has expressed a wish to respectfully solicit the support of the National Assembly in the successful implementation of the resolutions of the ECOWAS as outlined in the said communication.

“The Senate calls on the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the chairman of ECOWAS to further encourage other leaders of ECOWAS to strengthen political and diplomatic options and other means intending to resolve the political compass in Niger Republic.

“The National Assembly to the ECOWAS under the leadership of President Tinubu in resolving the political situation in Niger and returning the country to democratic governance in the nearest future.

“The leadership of the Senate is mandated to further engage with the president and commander in chief with on behalf of the Senate and the entire National Assembly on how best to resolve the issue given the hitherto existing cordial relationship between Nigeriens and Nigerians.

“Finally, the Senate calls on the ECOWAS parliament to rise to the occasion by equally condemning this coup and also positing solutions to resolving this compass as soon as possible.”

A ministerial nominee, Dr Bosun Tijani, on Saturday, apologised to the Senate over non-patriotic tweets he tweeted prior to his nomination by President Bola Tinubu.

Senator Abdulfatai Buhari representing Oyo North Senatorial District had quizzed the nominee when he appeared before the Senate for screening today.

“On the 21st of July 2019, Dr Bosun tweeted against Nigeria that he does not appreciate the Nigerian passport and Nigeria as a nation,” the Oyo Senator said after 46-year-old Tijani, tech advocate, read his profile to the lawmakers.

The lawmaker asked the nominee to clarify whether he still believes in Nigeria and the country’s passport.

Addressing the Senate, Tijani said he is very passionate about Nigeria and is committed to the country’s development. The nominee said he tweeted out of a frustrating experience with the Chinese Embassy.

“I tweeted in anger,” the ministerial nominee from Ogun admitted.

“I’m sorry,” he added.

Senator Ishaku Abbo representing Adamawa North Senatorial District defended Tijani saying that the nominee tweeted out of frustration and love for Nigeria.

Also, Senator Solomon Adeola from Ogun West Senatorial District defended the nominee from his state, saying his “youthful exuberance” and “shortcoming” should be forgiven.

In his remarks, the Senate President. Godswill Akpabio on behalf of the House accepted Tijani’s apology while asking him to take a bow and go

Between couples, married couples, are there sins that can undo the ‘I do’ or do them apart long before death arrives? Can you forgive your husband anything or everything? Are there things your wife will do and you’ll spit in the air and collect it with your face? Meaning: you are ready to go for broke and break everything. Are there things a wife should not do for love no matter how sane they may sound in a moment of passion and sacrifice? Sacrifice, what are the limits of sacrifice in a marriage?
If your husband gives you ‘gonorrhea, will you forgive him.
If he ‘mistakenly’ sleeps with your friend or sister, will you end the marriage or kick the intruders to the curb and take your husband back?
If your wife sleeps with your landlord to stop him from kicking the family into the street when you were down on your luck, will you ‘accept her sacrifice’ or see her as a tramp who slept with an old dirty goat and send her back to her parents?
Right now, I can’t really remember all the unforgivable sins in the world. It’s just six in the morning and my brain is still booting, after all. But I have just finished watching a movie that real got me thinking. See, each time I get an opportunity to counsel an about-to-marry couple, I always ask the question: Is there anything he/she will do that you cannot forgive? And I always get that frightened, shocked look that tells me I just asked a question they had no answer to, a bump on the road on this journey they were embarking on that they had not considered. Young love these days worry more about how romantic the proposal is, the photo-shoots and other shiny stuff. They hardly ever give serious thoughts to the marriage itself, which starts right after all the dazzling fireworks and dancing competition at the wedding reception.
But bumps,hard times are part of the journey called marriage. The rose-tinted glasses must come off at one point or many points in every marriage when the storms or confusing moments show up. That is when the couple get to know the strength of their bond, the depth of their vows and the length they’ll go to to stay together.
Take the case of Toyin and Gabe whose marriage ran to uncommon turbulence after about 12 years ran into turbulence .
The bills had been piling up for a while, and steadily too. The electricity, gas, rent, school fees, had all been unpaid for months. The only possession the family had that was fully paid for was the family car. Gabe was out of a job because of a downsizing wind that blew through the banking sector. They lived on their savings for a while but Toyin had been a full time housewife for a long time, perhaps for too long, really. She was a trained masseuse who had become rusty. That Monday morning, to worsen an already bad financial state of things, the children had to stay home because the fees for two previous school terms were outstanding. Third term usually is when school owners pull the rug from under parents who are owing, especially as the children approach promotion examination.
The children were unable to go to school.
There was no food at home.
The landlord had started bringing in prospective renters and buyers to inspect the house.
The food cabinets were empty.
They were owing every ‘omo ibo’ selling food stuff in the neighbourhood
And Bolu, the four-year-old baby of the family was running temperature.
You what they say, when it rains, it pours. Toyin knew it was time to get up and do something, anything. Her husband was incapacitated,financially. Gabe’s mood had become a permanent pendulum swinging between anger and prolonged deep, silent sadness. Toyin knew depression wasn’t far away and she was not going to watch her son die of malaria, was she? 
As a trained masseuse, she went job-hunting. And she got one, the very first day of the hunt. She could not believe her luck.  It was a well-equipped spa, demure but sophisticated. It had no massive signage and until you left the reception area, you would not feel the massive investment behind the small exterior. Toyin could not believe she got in that easy. There was no strenuous interview. No rigorous questions about references from her previous employers and all those stuff people who have not worked for years are subjected to when they return to the grind.
Nervous but excited, Toyin resumed a week later. And that was when she found out that her real job description was beyond the contract letter she was issued. The first thing she noticed was the five-star clientele; bankers, politicians, top police officers, people whose names she had only read in newspapers and whose faces she’d seen only on television. They all came for the ‘happy endings.’ Yeah, the spa treatment that ended with pleasurable sex, uninhibited sex. Did you gasp? Toyin wept.

Toyin was married. She had never been unfaithful to her vows but her family was at the verge of losing their accommodation and faced with a ‘return-to-the village’ option. Her children had been sent home from school. She found herself between the devil and the deep blue sea. She decided to grab a life jacket and swim. It was a tough call and she told herself she would stop as soon as the overhanging bills were paid. She consoled herself that what Gabe didn’t see or know would not hurt him. The money was too good. The gifts from her clients were irresistible. Her first client was a member of the judiciary and he tipped her in dollars. Toyin sent her conscience on sabbatical and eased into the quick easy flow of cash. For two years, she deployed all manners of lies to cover her tracks. She bottled up her shame and paid the bills until the quicksand of karma consumed her. Happy endings do not always end happily, trust me.

One tragic Saturday, one of the masseuse gave one of the clients a happy ending that was too happy and the client joined his ancestors, right there on a VIP massage table. The place was raided and all the worms crawled out of the can. Toyin got caught in the melee, of course, and her marriage now hangs in the balance. Gabe could not believe his wife was nothing more than a ‘glorified prostitute’, an ‘olosho’ masquerading as a masseuse. He was angry, livid. He wept. He moved out of the house. Then he moved back and told Toyin to leave. The children were distraught. Everything indeed fell apart.

Did anybody remember the circumstances that led to Toyin looking for a job, in the first place? Did Gabe remember the days strangers walked through their home with the landlord showing their bedrooms and wardrobes to them as prospective tenants? Did Toyin’s husband realize how his children got to stay in school in spite of his joblessness? 
Maybe Toyin should not have taken the job?
Maybe she should not have allowed herself to be sucked in by the easy cash.
Maybe she should have convinced her husband to let them move back to the village, or at least out of the city.
Maybe she should have bought herbal concoction instead of taking Bolu to the hospital.
Maybe  Toyin should have pressured her husband to do ‘whatever his mates were doing’ to take care of their families instead of taking on the burden of  the family breadwinner.
Plenty of  ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’. 
Who would have thought that that normal job-hunting day would end, in tears, premium tears? But there she was, with the short end of the stick , a bewildered family and a furious , confused husband.
Let me state clearly here that Toyin is guilty of an offense. Adultery is adultery, irrespective of the reason or reasons behind the sin. She had a choice and she must own up to her failure to uphold her marital vows, with her full chest.
The issue here is forgiveness in marriage
Does she deserve forgiveness, a second chance, another chance? 
If you were in Toyin’s  husband’s shoes, would you forgive her or tell her to pack both her light and heavy bags  and return to her father’s house? 
What sins will you consider unforgivable between a husband and wife?
What can’t you forgive your spouse?
Should there even be unforgivable sins in marriage?

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There was an endearing folksiness about Bettina Stark-Watzinger's tweet following the Germany team's exit. 

“I really would have liked to see you win,” wrote the country's education minister. “Cheer up, we are nevertheless proud of you!”

Such chirpiness amid the angst – probably part and parcel of the minister's portfolio.

“Some things are just not meant to be," said foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. "Chin up, dear DFB women.”

This exit will resound in the corridors of the football federation. In the previous eight World Cups, Germany reached at least the quarter-finals.

And that's exactly where they appeared to be heading after they began the tournament with a 6-0 thrashing of Morocco.

But that was so last month. Ten days on from that annihilation, Germany were on their way home and Morocco – who edged past Colombia 1-0 – were into the last-16.

That unexpected passage combined with South Africa and Nigeria's progress prompted a paean from Patrice Motsepe who heads the Confederation of African Football (CAF) which runs the game on the continent.

Praise

"The Super Falcons, the Atlas Lionesses and Banyana Banyana have made the people of Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa, as well as the people of the rest of the African continent, very proud with their outstanding performances and hard-earned victories," Motsepe enthused. 

"The future of women’s football on the African continent is bright."

But to a certain extent the teams should be reaching the knockout stages. They all featured in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations last year and though none of the trio won their pool, they deserve credit for their belief especially Morocco.

On Monday, before hosts Australia face Denmark in Sydney, Nigeria's Super Falcons will take on the European champions England at Brisbane Stadium while on 6 August South Africa's Banyana Banyana will play the Netherlands at the Sydney Football Stadium.

That match will be followed by an intriguing clash between the defending champions the United States and Sweden.

"We could be going home," said Megan Rapinoe after the side scraped into the last-16 with a 0-0 draw with Portugal on 1 August.

"We have to keep perspective. I've never been at a tournament where you think you're doing amazing all the time," added the 38-year-old who won the title with the US in 2015 and 2019.

"There's always someone saying: 'You're not good enough. You're not playing well enough.' We're through to the next game and that's the most important thing. You know that's what it's really all about."

Truly sagacious especially when three of the world's top 10 teams – Germany, Canada and Brazil – have been dispatched.

Departure

Brazil's departure meant the end of the veteran striker Marta.

 "Twenty years ago, nobody knew who Marta was at my first World Cup," she said – speaking in the third person. "Twenty years later, we have become a reference for many women all over the world, not only in football.

"The only old one in the team is me, most of the others are young girls with enormous talent, it's just the beginning for them.

"Marta ends here, there is no more World Cup for Marta."

At 37, she leaves as the tournament's most prolific scorer with 17 goals during her six World Cups.

Jamaica did for Marta with a 0-0 draw that took them from Group F into the knockout stages for the first time. Their clash with Colombia on 8 August at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium should be intriguing.

"I said if after the first game that we're here to shock the world," said Jamaica midfielder Drew Spence.

"And I think we've done that. The country is so small but look at what we've done. We've got out of one of the toughest groups. Everyone wrote us off but we're really proud of one another."

Morocco's clash with France at the Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide will end the last-16 action on Tuesday afternoon. France will go into the game as favourites .

France boss Hervé Renard vented his spleen after the 6-3 victory over Panama which secured their status as Group F winners.

"We were 5-1 up, with the game in the bag," said Renard. "You see this often in football. It was poor attitude from the girls for a few minutes that let them come back and score two goals.

"The devil is in the detail in games like this, and this shows the younger girls not to take anything for granted."

Dedication

Renard's counterpart at the helm of Morocco, Reynald Pedros, assured himself of everlasting royal patronage by dedicating qualification to the last-16 to King Mohammed VI.

"He supported us after the defeat to Germany," said the 51-year-old Frenchman. "We knew that he was behind us and gave us a lot of strength for the other games."

The king has also obtained a good boast. Morocco became the first Arab country to reach the last-16.

"It's absolutely brilliant," added Pedros who has been in charge of the national team since November 2022.

But outfoxing Renard on Tuesday would appear – on paper – to be beyond the Moroccans. France lie fifth in the Fifa world rankings – 67 places above Pedros's players who will go into the game as underdogs.

"I know the France team well," said Pedros. "It's a squad with lots of good players with lots of experience but if we show the same resolve and desire we can do something. It's the knockout stages from here," Pedros added. "Anything can happen."

Just the sort of stakes and spectacle the tournament needs.

[RFi]

Life is funny. I am trying not to say it is a b**ch. But its twists and turns, often times, leave one breathless. And wondering. And asking questions which answers leave one more confused.

Or, how does one explain and/or understand the story of the immediate past Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle and the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa? It is  unprecedented. And  makes any  Nollywood block buster green with envy.

Their story, known to Nigerians, still needs retelling because it passes all understanding. By retelling it, perhaps, one would manage to make a head and a tail out of it. For me, it took time to sink. And since it sunk, I have been singing my late mother’s favorite song.  Literally translated from Igbo to English it says: “Nobody should boast with the World. Don’t boast with the world because it could suddenly turn upside down, and leave one confused.”

The song tells the story of Matawalle and Bawa. For, honestly, not a few Nigerians are confused. Both men, prominent Nigerians. Powerful. Members of Nigeria’s powers-that-be.

A couple of months ago, precisely in the month of May, both men were in the news, flaunting their powers. Bawa seemed more powerful and more sure-footed than Matawalle. It didn’t matter  that, at the time,  Matawalle was a State Governor, with Executive powers. The guys love to be called Executive Governors. But power pass power. Bawa was in a position to make Matawalle shake and cringe. He was in a position to scare him. He was in a position to lock him up. And Bawa never hid it. He flaunted it. And taunted Matawalle with it.

Matawalle was in a disadvantaged position. He had just lost his second term bid to Zamfara State’s Governorship seat. Big deal. To lose all that executive power. The loss not only embarrassed him, it hit him hard and left him confused. So confused and uncoordinated was Matawalle after his loss that he held everybody, but himself, responsible.

He even neither spared then President Muhammadu Buhari nor the whole of the Presidency. Matawalle pointedly held both responsible for his misfortune.

He said the Presidency worked against his re-election bid. Meaning that even though he is of the  APC, the Presidency worked with the opposition to defeat him, to reduce him to the unenviable status of a one-term Governor. He said his sin was joining two other others – immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and incumbent Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello – to take Buhari’s Government to the Supreme Court over the Naira redesign and the unprecedented cash crunch  and suffering that came with it.

Not a few people dismissed him as a drowning man, clinging to any straw to survive, especially, with the EFCC on his neck. Others said his statement was to curry the favour of then President-elect, Bola Tinubu,  who like Matawalle and his two colleagues, was  against the Naira redesign and the declaration of the old Naira notes as illegal tender.

It was at that most frustrating period of Matawalle’s life, when he was at his most vulnerable, that the EFCC, under Bawa struck. While Matawalle was lamenting his loss at the Governorship  polls, EFCC accused him of monumental corruption. The Commission gave him the treatment it gave former Governors Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State and Willie Obiano of Anambra State.

While both Fayose and Obiano still had some weeks  to stay in office, the EFCC gave them notice that they would be guests in their cells as soon they leave office. Meaning: Exiting from the luxurious life in Government  House to the EFCC cell. Seems like descending from Heaven to hell.

However, Fayose did not give the Commission the joy to hunt  him down and arrest him. As “crazy” and defiant as ever,  he packed a bag, and the minute he handed over to his successor, he headed to the EFCC Head Office in Abuja, donned a T-shirt on which was written – “EFCC here I come.” He pulled the rug off EFCC’s feet. And made his ordeal very ordinary. The story the next day was Fayose’s “EFCC here I come”  t-shirt.

Obiano was not as smart as Fayose. He gave the Commission the joy to embarrass and arrest him at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on his way to the United States of America, the very day he handed over to his successor.

So, it was the same treatment the Commission promised Matawalle. It gave the then Governor notice of his would-be arrest, notice that he would  be its guest as soon as he hands over to his successor. But the Commission did not reckon with Matawalle’s state of mind at the time. For, him, it was like a case of “he that is down needs fear no fall.” Or even more appropriately put: “If I have to go down, I will not go down alone.”

So, he faced the  Commission head-long. He fought back in a most vicious unexpected manner. He went for the Commission’s jugular. He, frontally, attacked its Chairman, Bawa, and put him on the defensive.

Matawalle revealed he had been discussing some untidy business with Bawa. The contents of his alleged  discussion with Bawa were unsavory.  He accused Bawa of corruption. Proof: He revealed that Bawa, allegedly, asked him for  bribe to the tune of two million US Dollars so as to stop his (Matawalle’s) investigation by the EFCC. Meaning that Bawa asked Matawalle to buy his “freedom” and a clean record from the EFCC.

When an obviously embarrassed Bawa recovered from the weight of the allegation and challenged him to show proof, Matawalle, with no blink of the eyes,  said he had evidence to prove his allegation against Bawa. Case closed!

Then, Bawa took a second hit.  About the same time,  a group addressed a Press Conference, and alleged that Bawa went on a religious pilgrimage to Saudi with about 18 members of his family and that all basked in luxury. The group alleged that  the 18 family menvers stayed at the luxurious Sheraton Hotel which cost it put at 1,500 US Dollars per room, per night. Many people alleged the group was sponsored by Matawalle.

Yours sincerely did not believe any of the allegations against Bawa. I had argued then that Bawa, considering the office he held, would be dumb to ask a Governor, under his investigation, for a two-million US Dollars bribe. I, also, doubted that Bawa would pay such a huge amount of money for 18 members of his family on a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Whatever, the damage had been done.

Bawa  became so weakened by Matawalle’s unexpected hit that he did not make a go at Matawalle, as promised, when Matawalle lost his immunity on handing over to his successor. Opinion was that  Bawa was busy trying to extricate himself from Matawalle’s weighty below- the- belt bribery allegation.

Unless I missed it, I never really read where Bawa seriously denied the allegations by putting his job on the line. In some climes, he would have stepped down from office and offered himself for investigation, over such embarrarrassing allegation. That’s taking one’s credibility serious.

In same manner, I neither saw, nor read any proof/ evidence against Bawa from Matawalle. In other climes, he would have been made to make public such evidence  given the seriousness of the allegation which shook the foundation of the Federal Government’s fight against corruption. The allegation shook the credibility of the EFCC and  the people’s trust in the Commission.

Or, did Matawalle present his alleged damning evidence/proof, against Bawa, privately, to the appropriate authorities?

That would still not be right. He did not make his allegation privately. He dumped it on the public, in the public arena. So, the public deserves the right to know the details.

I may be wrong, but it must be why we are witnessing this bizarre twist of fate in the case of Matawalle and Bawa where the later has been given a golden handshake, and the former kept in the custody of Security Agents, uncomfortably lying down in the bed he had prepared for the former Governor.

Such drastic change of fate.

Bawa, Matawalle’s hunter, is now the hunted. Bawa has been suspended from office by President Bola Tinubu, and Matawalle,  nominated a Minister in Tinubu’s Cabinet. Bawa has been in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, for eight weeks and counting, and Matawalle, free as air, preparing to move into a Minister’s office.Does anybody still remember he was under EFCC’s investigation? Soon, he will be addressed as His Excellency, the Honourable Minister. And Bawa? The sacked Chairman of the EFCC. That Commission has gradually become the nemesis of its Chairmen. They never leave the seat in a tidy manner.

I cannot begin to imagine what Bawa, wherever he is now, is thinking, or doing, since after Matawalle’s nomination as a Minister. In his shoes, many would walk the wall. Many would curse the day they met a Matawalle and accused him of corruption.

Speculation is strong that one of the reasons Bawa was suspended from office and put in custody, is Matawalle’s bribery allegation against him. True?

Whatever, what has happened, in a layman’s interpretation, is that Matawalle is clean, and innocent of the allegations against him by the EFCC under Bawa. Otherwise, why was he cleared for a Ministerial appointed by both the DSS and the same EFCC? Or, are there more to all these than the public is allowed to know? Is this a case of “the more you look, the less you see?” Nigeria! The joke is on us!!

Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, is turning up the heat on the military government that deposed President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger republic with a host of new sanctions and a letter to Nigeria’s Senate seeking approval for military intervention to restore constitutional order in Niger.

The letter was sent to the Nigerian Senate just as ECOWAS Defense chiefs were ending their strategy meeting on possible intervention in Niger.

But it appeared yesterday that the leadership of some countries in the region may be developing cold feet and are expressing a preference for a diplomatic solution.

According to a report by France24 quoting Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, the defence chiefs after their meeting in Abuja, drew up a plan for a possible military intervention if coup leaders do not stand down.

“All the elements that will go into any eventual intervention have been worked out, including the resources needed, and including the how and when we are going to deploy the force,” said ECOWAS commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah.

ECOWAS will not divulge to the coup plotters when and where it will strike, however – a decision that will be taken by the heads of states, Musah added.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, at the end of the meeting, said the Coup d’etat in Niger Republic was a blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of ECOWAS integration and stability.

General Musa who is the chairman, Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff (CCDS) ECOWAS, stated this at the close of a 3-day extraordinary meeting with his colleagues from the region on the political situation in Niger Republic.

He advised that dialogue and negotiation should be at the forefront of the regional body’s approach in resolving the crisis in the Republic of Niger.

Present at the meeting were defence chiefs from Nigeria, Benin, Ghana,Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire, Cabo Verde, Senegal and Guinea Bissau.

However, those conspicuously absent were defence chiefs from Niger, Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.

General Musa said the committee recognised the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for a well-coordinated response. 

He added that the discussions have yielded valuable insights and actionable recommendations. 

“We have acknowledged the need for a comprehensive approach that encompasses political, security, and diplomatic dimensions. It is imperative that we translate our deliberations into concrete actions that can effectively address the crisis and prevent a recurrence in the future.”

He charged the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defense Staff to continue to serve as a platform for regular engagement, information sharing, and joint planning.

“We must leverage our collective expertise and resources to address emerging security challenges promptly.”

Security experts are however engaged in debate on the wisdom of a military intervention and whether the steps that are being taken by ECOWAS leaders are real or just a bluff”, he noted.

Prof Femi Badejo, a former lecturer at the University of Lagos and also one-time deputy special representative of the UN secretary general for Somalia believes a military intervention in Niger would be unprecedented for ECOWAS.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend, he acknowledged humanitarian interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, in which case, people moved in to save lives.

“But that is not what we are facing in Niger, where it is not a humanitarian problem.

“It is a political problem of wanting to restore the overthrown government of President Bazoum. It would be speculative on my part to say that ECOWAS would go ahead and intervene militarily because I don’t know if it is a bluff.

“What does it cost you to get Senate approval? What does it cost you to push in the media that there is a plan of attack? Not much. But I can’t say, only those who are close to policy.  How many countries are interested and are going to show up and be counted on the battlefield?” He asked.  

Speaking further, Prof. Badejo said, “I think that we should pursue diplomatic settlement because spilling of blood will not necessarily restore Bazoum to power. There is nothing that guarantees that he can come back in place with an attack. All those people who have been rounded up; they are at the mercy of the coup plotters. So, I don’t know what will be achieved at the end of the day.”

Dr Johnson Sandy, the chairperson for the Regional Center for Governance and Security Cluster and also the current the chairperson of the African Union Economic Social and Cultural Council, is convinced that a military intervention will take place because the international community, particularly the United States of America, will not let the coup in Niger stand.

He noted that the country, unlike Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, is a regional base in the fight against terrorism.

Speaking from Sierra Leone, he said political stability in Niger matters to Nigeria and the rest of West Africa and Sahel now.

And on the other hand, political instability in Niger, he said, has implications for the global fight against international terrorism, violent extremism in the Sahel and in the Lake Chad Basin.

Dr. Sandy said, “President Bazoum -has he proved to be a strong ally in the fight against transnational organized crime and terrorism and global jihadist movements operating in the Sahel.

“France, USA, India, China, Germany etc, have deployed, for several years now, military stabilization forces – with extensive bases in Niger.  It appears there is an increased level of trust and confidence by the West and ECOWAS in the strategic leadership in the 2 years of President Bozoum’s government.

“Regional analysis suggests that he has been an outstanding minister Defence and lately President – commander in chief of the Niger armed forces. Thus, with his leadership, a collective security approach in the fight against international terrorism has been successful in the last two year.”

The request by President Tinubu to the Senate however suffered a setback after some northern senators, led by Abdul Ningi cautioned against the use of force in Niger, saying they “take cognizance of the efforts of the ECOWAS leaders under the chairmanship of our Dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in resolving the situation in Niger Republic. 

“The emphasis, however, should be focused on political and diplomatic means to restore democratic government in the Niger Republic.

“We also take exception to the use of military force until other avenues as mentioned above are exhausted as the consequences will be casualties among the innocent citizens who go about their daily business. Besides, about seven northern states shared the border with the Niger Republic namely Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa. Yobe and Borno will be negatively affected,” spokesman of the group,” Sumaila Kawu added.

ECOWAS leaders gave Abdourahamane Tchiani a one-week ultimatum to return Bazoum back to power or face military action.

 The one-week deadline comes to an end on Sunday.

Benin Republic and Senegal have however come out strongly in favour of a diplomatic solution, but maintain a position of support should ECOWAS seek to use force.

President Tinubu also informed the Senate that ECOWAS borders are now closed to Niger Republic following the seizure of power by the country’s military.

Tinubu informed the Senate about the cutting off of electricity supply to Niger, adding that more sanctions are underway. 

The letter by Tinubu, which was read on the floor of the apex legislative chamber during plenary by the president of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the ECOWAS States will insist power returned to the democratically elected leaders of the country. 

Aggrieved military junta had on July 26 toppled the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, and took over the leadership of the country. The soldiers were his guards. 

President Tinubu who is also the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, had met with some other ECOWAS leaders on Sunday July 30 to discuss appropriate ways to restore democracy in Niger. 

‘Devastating Consequences’

Detained at the presidential residence in Niger’s capital Niamey, Bazoum, a 63-year-old philosophy graduate elected in 2021, said in his first remarks since the coup that he was a hostage and in need of U.S. and international help.

“If it (the coup) succeeds, it will have devastating consequences for our country, our region and the entire world,” he wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece, backing ECOWAS’ economic and travel sanctions.

Russia, whose private mercenary Wagner group has cheered the coup, said on Friday any interference from non-regional powers such as the United States was unlikely to help and repeated its call for a return to constitutional rule.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner which has forces in Mali and the Central African Republic, last week said his forces were available to restore order in Niger.

The 15-member ECOWAS bloc sent a delegation to Niamey seeking an “amicable resolution”, but a source in the entourage said a meeting at the airport with the junta’s representatives yielded no breakthrough and they flew out in the early hours.

“All our efforts to meet with the leader of the junta failed. He rather sent five-member representatives to meet with us,” the Nigerian presidential source said.

“After the meeting that ended at midnight, they said they heard all we have said and that they will get back to us. We left Niamey immediately.”

The junta has denounced outside interference and said it will resist any aggression. Tiani served as battalion commander for ECOWAS forces during conflicts in Ivory Coast in 2003, so he knows what such intervention missions involve.

Support for him from fellow juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso also undermines West African unity over Niger.

The Niger junta has cited persistent insecurity as the main justification for seizing power, even though data on attacks shows security has actually been improving.

On Friday, they cut off diplomatic relations with Nigeria after peace talks initiated by the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) to resolve the ongoing crisis in the country appear to have failed.

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military regime led by General Abdourahmane  Tchiani to reinstate  the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to avoid possible intervention by the bloc to restore democratic order in the beleaguered country.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu had sent a high-powered delegation led by Nigeria’s former head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar to the country to meet with the coup leaders on Thursday which only met with representatives of the junta.

Subsequently, Niger severed ties with Nigeria, Togo, France, its coloniser, and the United States.

“The functions of the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors of the Republic of Niger to France, Nigeria, Togo and the United States are terminated,” Radio France International quoted one of the putschists as having said on national television.

The democratically elected president, Bazoum, who was toppled on July 26 has been held hostage by members of the Presidential Guard that overthrew him and subsequently Tchiani has been announced as the head of state.

Meanwhile, the US has thrown its weight behind the ECOWAS led by the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu to reinstate Bazoum.

In a statement by the White House on Thursday, US President, Joe Biden called for the immediate release of Bazoum.

Biden said that freeing Bazoum from detention is imperative for fundamental democratic values, and standing up for constitutional order, justice, and the right of peaceful assembly, which are foundation to the partnership between Niger and the US.

“I call for President Bazoum and his family to be immediately released, and for the preservation of Niger’s hard-earned democracy.

“The United States stands with the people of Niger to honor our decades-long partnership rooted in shared democratic values and support for civilian-led governance,” he said in the statement.

Customs To Ensure Border Closure Compliance

Meanwhile, the acting Comptroller General of Custom (CG), Bashir Adeniyi, has expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance at the Illela border in Sokoto state, between Nigeria and Niger Republic.

Addressing residents of the community while monitoring the level of compliance in accordance to the sanction imposed by ECOWAS on the military junta that ousted President Mohammed BAzoum on Friday, the acting CG assured that the closure was for a temporary period.

He said, “The decision to close the border was reached to avert any crisis that may arise in the country due to what is happening in Niger Republic over change of leadership.

“The decision was as a result of the commitment of ECOWAS to promote unity among the ECOWAS nation. Mr President is an apostle of regional trade and as the current chairman of ECOWAS, it is his duty to promote regional trade within the ECOWAS region.”

[Leadership]

KEY POINTS

• Several upcoming Women's World Cup matches feature former colonial powers playing against countries they colonised.
• In these games, France will face Morocco, South Africa will play the Netherlands and England will play Nigeria.
• The games have been labelled "coloniser derbies", "colonial derbies" or "decolonisation derbies".

A Flourish data visualization

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has regretted the impending exit of British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline from Nigeria after 51 years.

This follows the company’s announcement of plans to end its prescription medicines and vaccine production in the country.

The PUNCH reports that the multinational pharmaceutical company said it would transition to a third-party direct distribution model for its pharmaceutical products.

Reacting to the development in a tweet on Friday night, Obi said that the company’s reason for leaving Nigeria is even more disheartening as they no longer perceive a prospect for the country as a business environment that would be anchored on productivity.

According to him, these are some of the consequences of the cumulative poor management of our economy.

“As a result, millions are losing their jobs and our poverty index is worsening, even though we’re already being perceived as the world’s poverty capital,” the post read in part.

He further wrote, “The multinationals that are leaving our country have not only created jobs but have created immeasurable training that contributed immensely to our human capital development over the years.

“Now they are leaving our shores one after the other. GSK which has a manufacturing facility in Agbara, Ogun State on over 25 hectares of land had directly employed over 400 highly technical workers like pharmacists, microbiologists, biochemists, chemists, dentists, doctors etc, and also employed over 1000 other staff.

“It indirectly provided jobs and business opportunities for thousands of Nigerians across the nation. They are now leaving all these behind, and pushing more people back into unemployment.

“I have consistently maintained that in turning our nation around, we must move the economy from consumption to production, part of which included encouraging and supporting local and foreign investments, like GSK, in the country.

“The creation of an environment that creates and sustains multinationals to invest in our country is key to our dream of greatness. In the new Nigeria that we seek to create, the emphasis on production will encourage investors to stay and expand on our shores.”

GlaxoSmithKline was incorporated in Nigeria in June 1971 and commenced business the following year.

[Punch]