The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has taken swift action by sacking national team coach Chris Hughton immediately after Ghana’s disappointing exit from the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast. The decision comes as a response to the team’s inability to progress beyond the group stage in the past two AFCON tournaments.

In an official statement released on the GFA website, the association announced the termination of Chris Hughton’s contract and the dissolution of the technical team. The GFA expressed its intention to re-strategize for the national team’s future.

“The Ghana Football Association wishes to announce that Chris Hughton has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the senior National team with immediate effect. The Executive Council has also taken a decision to dissolve the technical team of the Black Stars. In the coming days, the Ghana Football Association will provide a roadmap on the future direction of the Black Stars,” the statement read.

Ghana’s performance in the current AFCON has been subpar, with the team failing to secure a victory against Egypt, losing to Cape Verde, and squandering a two-goal lead against Mozambique, ultimately leading to their early exit from the tournament. Chris Hughton initially joined Ghana as the technical director in February 2022 before assuming the head coach role a year later.

Nigeria will play Cameroon in the Round of 16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The knockout tie was confirmed on Tuesday evening after defending champions Senegal defeated the Syli Stars 2-0 and Cameroon beat Gambia 3-2.

The result means that Senegal top Group C with nine maximum points, while Cameroon finish second with four points. Guinea also finished with four points, but have an inferior goal difference.

The Super Eagles finished runners-up behind Equatorial Guinea in Group A, following their 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau.

The last-16 clash between Nigeria and Cameroon will be played on Saturday, January 27 at 9 pm WAT.

President Bola Tinubu has assured traditional rulers in the South-South geopolitical zone that his administration is committed to addressing their concerns over development and environmental degradation.   

The President gave the assurance on Tuesday at the State House during a meeting with the South-South Monarchs Forum, led by His Royal Majesty, Major-General Felix Mujakperuo (Rtd), Chairman of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, and Vice-Chairman of the South-South Monarchs Forum.

The President told the Royal Fathers that his administration is diligently working, both domestically and internationally, to strengthen Nigeria's durability and approach to climate change, environmental restoration, infrastructure development, all while ensuring security and stability in the region.

Commending the monarchs for their understanding approach to his administration's ongoing economic reforms, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy, President Tinubu promised that Nigerians would soon enjoy the benefits of these tough, yet necessary decisions.

''We are working to revive the economy from the damage of several years. We seek your support, prayers, and understanding, and I am glad that the Vice-Chairman of the Forum served in an organization where we need intelligence to operate.

''You (the traditional institution) will be the source of the intelligence we need for the holistic development of our country, and anytime you need to tell us something, do not hesitate to reach out to this office. I will take on all of your concerns, and I will address each of them one by one.

''We cannot underestimate your contributions to the peace and stability of this country. Continue to uphold us in your prayers and in talking to our youths to keep faith with the country because light is already visible at the end of the tunnel," the President said. 

In his remarks, His Royal Majesty, Major-General Mujakperuo appealed to President Tinubu to follow up on all developmental efforts in the region to be sure that progress is tangible to the people.

"Mr. President, you know the problems of our region as an expert with experience in the energy industry. We see you working hard to solve our problems, and we are comforted that you have pledged to take on our concerns and bring a final solution to them," the South-South Monarchs Forum Vice-Chairman said.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President 

(Media & Publicity) 

Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security has advocated urgent measures to “reconcile tensions between democracy, governance and development,” and “a new compact with external partners to prevent a new Cold War in Africa.”

“The recent retreat from liberal democracy and growing instability in the West Africa sub-region and the wider Continent is taking place within a complex and dynamic global landscape characterized by an unprecedented convergence of multiple threat and opportunistic vectors, namely geopolitical and geostrategic shifts, economic downturn, currency fluctuations, digital. advancements, climate, and environmental concerns, and socio-cultural dynamics,” Dr Musah, a former Director, West African Division, United Nations, affirmed.

Addressing the International Relations Society of UK’s Oxford University at its Corpus Christi College, on 19th January, under the theme “Regionalism in West Africa and Causes and Course of Recent Instability,” the ECOWAS senior official said, that while there might be no “single-factor explanation for the growing political and security malaise …the fledgling and stumbling liberal democracy in Africa requires urgent resuscitation through the infusion of local culture, traditions, and realities.”

He posits that “Strengthening electoral democracy by promoting good governance and development requires the collective efforts of all - governments, the citizenry, their organizations, and partners.”

Dr Musah listed major threats facing Africa and by extension, West Africa, as follows:

· The cumulative impacts of pandemics, poor leadership, and macroeconomic mismanagement amidst a global financial, economic, and social downturn.

· Governance and development deficits (State capture, economic mismanagement, currency instability, retreat from the periphery, marginalization, and selective provision of basic services; identity politics, youth crisis, and corruption.

· Manipulation of constitutional and electoral norms and the weaponization of the judiciary to enable unconstitutional maintenance of power.

· Asymmetric security crisis (terrorism, radicalization, and violent extremism, led principally by Al Qaida and Islamic State affiliates; identity-based violence (farmer-herder dynamics, inter-communal violence)

· Climate change as a threat multiplier (dynamics in Central Sahel and worsening cyclical floods and drought).

· Geostrategic interests and geopolitical shifts, tensions between growing interdependence amid the collapse of multilateralism and deepening multipolarity: Dynamics between the NATO Powers (Collective West); China, Russia, India (BRICS); Medium Powers (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar) threatening a return to proxy wars.

· Emerging strategic choices by leaders of the region towards traditional and emerging powers without a clear exit strategy from the dependency syndrome.

· Genuine changing sentiments from below towards traditional powers, the re-birth of nationalism, and the instrumentalization of insecurity and public moods by sections of the military and their associates, and

· Explosion of new technologies the pervasive influence of social media and the manipulation of opinion through misinformation and disinformation.

The Commissioner’s prescriptions to prevent Africa from becoming the theatre of a new Cold War, include the “need to reconcile the tensions between democracy, governance, and development through measures to enhance the production of democratic dividends.”

Other measures include the “Restoration of constitutional order in countries in transition (Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger) through dialogue and pressure, combating unconstitutional changes of government and manipulation of constitutional and electoral laws through a review of the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, as well as social and peer pressure on errant leaders.”

Civil society and private sector agencies should also be empowered in favour of democratic consolidation and inclusive economic development, the Commissioner said, while also advocating: “The enhanced operationalization of the ECPF (ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework) and the establishment of ECOWAS ECOSOCC (ECOWAS Economic, Social & Cultural Council) to be expedited.”

Ambassador Musah further called for the “Strengthening of counter-terrorism efforts - the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force in its kinetic mode and the coordination of disparate counter-terrorism efforts: In this regard, the timeliness of the recent UN Security Council Resolution authorizing the use of assessed contribution to sustainably fund African-led peace support operations cannot be overemphasized.”

Tracing the evolution of ECOWAS Post-Cold War trends, he said there was a “temporary shift towards a unipolar world under Pax-Americana amidst hopes for greater multilateralism (which) coincided with the virtual collapse of weak States and rebirth of liberal democracy in Africa due principally to pressures from below against autocratic, dictatorial, and military rule, amidst the weakening of external protection for such regimes. “

He also cited the “civil wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire (1989-2003); and the National Conferences (which) gave birth to liberal and illiberal democracies via multi-party elections.”

There was “ECOWAS’ pivot towards security engagements, bringing into sharp relief the obvious nexus between security and development,” Commissioner Musah said, adding that this was followed by the adoption of regional Protocols to reflect the changing dynamics.

These include the ECOWAS leaders “Declaration of Political Principles (1991); Revised ECOWAS Treaty (1993); Protocol Relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security (1999); Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (2001), which prescribes zero-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government), and the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework (2008).”

Dr Musah noted that until 2021, all 15 ECOWAS Member States were governed by leaders chosen through multiparty elections, and “for the first time West Africa, and Africa as a whole, witnessed the defeat of incumbents at the ballot box. To compare: Only one recorded peaceful alternation of power until 1991. Since then, there have been 31 across the continent.”

He said, “The façade of democracy was unfortunately also underpinned by serious governance and development deficits: marginalization, youth unemployment, and ethnic and religious tensions,” adding: “The end of the first Decade and the beginning of the second of the 21st Century witnessed accelerated instability characterized by the impacts of the Ebola and COVID pandemics, financial, food, and social crises, governance deficits and intensification of terrorism and violent extremism, and the re-entry of the military into politics.”

There have been at least nine reported successful or failed military incursions into politics in West Africa since 2020, with four countries currently under military rule (Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger).

The Commissioner’s presentation was made against the background of worsening insecurity and disputed electoral processes in the region (Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Liberia), with only Liberia producing a transfer of power from a ruling party to the opposition, as ECOWAS struggles to douse simmering political tensions in Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, and Senegal.

The regional organization has successfully negotiated political exile in Nigeria for Sierra Leone’s former President Ernest Bai Koroma, who was slammed with treason charges by the government of his country over an alleged coup attempt last November 26th following disaffection from the June 24th presidential election.

ECOWAS is also currently seized with developments in Guinea Bissau where President Umaro Embalo, in a recent controversial decision dissolved the opposition-controlled National parliament causing political disaffection in a country that operates a semi-presidential system that allows the party that controls the legislature to name the Prime Minister in addition to the control of the National Guards, while the President has authority over other national armed services.

In Senegal, which has crucial elections on February 25th, 2024, the Constitutional Court on Saturday disqualified two major opposition presidential candidates following the government’s recent decision to sack members of the national electoral commission after it included the name of a controversial opposition leader on the electoral list.

The Gambia is another ECOWAS member State under close watch amid opposition allegations that President Adama Barrow could be gunning for a controversial third-term mandate.

Describing “citizen apathy” as “the accelerator of bad governance…,” Dr Musah acknowledged that “the political, economic, and social conditions in the region are dire but not irreversible.”

“Restoring confidence in governance in the region requires a compelling strategic approach, as well as a multidimensional, multi-actor, and multiagency effort by all critical local, national, and regional actors in a strategic partnership with the African Union and the United Nations,” he affirmed.

But more than ever before, elections have become triggers and drivers of divisive and deep-rooted political crises in Africa, exacerbated by the undemocratic influence of money and overbearing interference of the judiciary.

Consequently, analysts have warned against the dangerous trend of major election outcomes being decided by the courts instead of through the ballot box, with wealthy politicians encouraged by their brazen assurance to buy court judgments after rigging elections and blatantly taunting their opponents “to go to court.”

Ejime, a former War Correspondent, is a Global Affairs Analyst and Consultant on Peace & Security and Governance Communications

A retired Assistant Inspector General of police was recently in the news having been found in the possession of a stolen vehicle. Although he claimed to have purchased the vehicle from a market auction, thereby having acquired a good root of title to the sport utility vehicle (SUV), he also claims to have no idea that the vehicle was stolen before it was auctioned. 

Readers should take note that buying a stolen item even at the auction is a criminal offence punishable with prison terms in Nigeria. There are a lot of cases with similar facts where the courts have convicted persons simply because they received or bought a stolen item. Some of these convicts are ignorant of the fact that the goods they bought or received were stolen but as we say in law; “ignorantia numquam excusat ante legem” (ignorance is never an excuse before the law). 

In October 2022, three friends were arraigned before the Grade I Area Court, Kado in Abuja for allegedly buying stolen goods. They were subsequently convicted by the court for criminal conspiracy and for receiving stolen property. Also, back in 2011, An Area Court in Jos sentenced two traders, Imirana Samaila and Mohammed Sani to three years imprisonment for buying stolen motor spare parts. 

This offence of receiving stolen goods contravenes the provisions of Sections 97 and 317 of the Penal Code (which is applicable in Northern Nigeria) and Section 427 of the Criminal Code Act (which is applicable in Southern Nigeria). 

Section 427 of the Criminal Code act states that “any individual who obtains any property through any act establishing a felony or misdemeanor, or through whatever act performed outside of Nigeria that would have constituted a felony or misdemeanor if done in Nigeria would have constituted a felony or misdemeanor, and which is an offence under the laws in force in the place where it was done, knowing the same to have been so obtained, is guilty of a felony”. This statute places the punishment of seven years jail term to life imprisonment for the offenders. 

For a receiver of a stolen item to be prosecuted, the prosecutor must prove that the item in question was indeed stolen and in the case of BABAGANA v. STATE (2020) LPELR-51431(CA) the court of appeal itemized six ingredients that must be proven or be present before an item will be deemed to have been stolen and according to the appellate court, those ingredients are; 

1. That the property in question is movable property.
2. That the property was in the possession of a person. 
3. That the accused person moved the property whilst in the possession of the person. 
4. That he did so without the consent of that person. 
5. That he did so in order to take the property out of the possession of that person. 
6. That he did so with the intent to cause wrongful gain to himself or wrongful loss to that person.

The only time that a person can purchase a stolen property and will not be prosecuted is when the purchaser purchases the item from market overt because it is deemed that a reasonable person will presume that any good sold on market overt has a good root of title. A buyer in a market overt acquires a good title to the goods.

Stanley Alieke is an Abuja based legal practitioner.

Infoitooknow@gmail.com

The Niger State Government has filed lawsuits against North-South Power Company Limited and Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited at the Federal High Court in Minna for nonpayment of ground rents and land charges spanning from 2017 to 2022.

The lawsuits also involve the Federal Ministry of Power and the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company.

The State Internal Revenue Service, acting as the plaintiff, is seeking approximately ₦140bn owed by the power-generating companies to the state during the specified period.

In two separate cases, the State Internal Revenue Service has asked the court to declare its authority to demand all outstanding ground rents and land charges related to the landed property and facilities utilised by the defendants in the state.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Mohammed Ndayako, SAN, and Aliyu Lemu, SAN, are seeking a court order directing the defendants to pay the accrued charges.

Additionally, they request the court to instruct the defendants to pay ten percent interest per annum on the judgement sum until fully settled and cover the litigation costs.

In the first case, involving North-South Power Company Limited, the defendant was absent from court, while in the second case, involving Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, its counsel was present.

Justice Abdullahi Mohammed Dan-Ige has adjourned the case to February 19, 2024, to allow for the service of court processes to the absent defendants.

[Leadership]

A former presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, has revealed why the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, had issues with him till death.

Adesina disclosed that he endured a strained relationship with Kyari from the onset of his appointment.

He noted that the late Chief of Staff refused to grant him unhindered access to the President, despite Buhari’s directive to that effect.

In his book, ‘Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023)’, Adesina claimed that Kyari deliberately prevented Buhari from funding the operations of the presidential media office for five years.

Adesina said in the book, “In June 2015, I had done a memo to the President, recommending some people to be taken on as staff in the Media Department. They had gone through the campaign and struggles with us and pedestaled themselves as dyed-in-the-wool Buharists. They were from different parts of the country.

“I explained that much to Mr. President the day I took the memo to him. He thanked me and said he would pass it to the SGF (Secretary to Government of the Federation) when he appointed one, so it would be on record. Fair enough.

“When a COS (Chief of Staff) and SGF were appointed, the President directed the memo to the COS. Also in order. But Malam Kyari just sat on it for the next one year. He did not say anything on it.

“Eventually, my colleague, Garba Shehu, went to see him. And he confessed to Shehu that he shunned the memo because I had taken it directly to the President. But the June date on it was clear. He had not even been appointed then.

“The second had to do with funding of the Media Department. There was no budget line, and funds were usually provided by the Office of the NSA, as needs arose. I had consulted with two of my predecessors, Dr. Reuben Abati, and Ima Niboro, who had briefed me.

“Media and publicity is not cheap, not anywhere in the world, but it would amaze you that we operated for five years without a dime. After the NSA was appointed, I went to meet and brief him about how publicity was usually funded from his office. It was a Friday, and he promised that anything that would make me and the man we had come to serve succeed, he would do.

“Exactly a week later, after the Jumat service, the NSA walked into my office, with his two hands in the air. I asked what the matter was. He told me he had received a memo from the President, directing that nothing, absolutely nothing, must be funded from his office, except security. In the light of that, the promise he had made me was no longer tenable.

“I thanked him and said I would meet the President. And I did. That very night, in the house. I remember that it was only myself and General Dambazau that were waiting to see him. He is a senior friend, and I told him the purpose of my visit.

“He was quite surprised that over three months media and publicity was not being funded yet.

“He asked how we were doing it, and I said myself and Shehu were using goodwill.

“When I met the President and told him of my encounter with the NSA, he confirmed that he gave the directive, and explained why.”

He quoted Buhari as saying, “A lot was done through the Office of the NSA, and there were no records. I do not want that. We will institute a probe into the activities of the office (it was eventually done), and you will see what happened there. I don’t want the media funded from there again.

“Meet the Chief of Staff and let him design how we would be funding media.”

Adesina narrates further: “The next day, I went to see the COS in the office. I had just started talking, when he impatiently started to say: ‘No, no, no. Media is not funded from here. Media is not funded from here.’ He would not even give me a chance to talk. And lest I appear as someone just after funding, for what I would gain, I left his office and never went back to the President. For the first five years, the media did not receive one naira, till the SGF, Boss Mustapha, heard about it and designed a budget line from his office.

“It was not up to what was required, but it was better than nothing.

“Third encounter. A retired General, someone well respected in the country, had wanted to see the President.

“Many times, he applied through the office of COS, which is the proper channel. He never got feedback. So he phoned and asked me to intervene since the issue he wanted to discuss was quite serious. I went to the President, and mentioned the General, and why he needed to come see him.

“The President just said: ‘Tell SCOP to schedule him for 8:00 pm tomorrow in the house.’ I passed on the word and left for my office. I had not been seated for five minutes when my intercom rang. It was the COS who wanted me to come to his office.

“He started screaming as I entered: ‘Why did you get an appointment for Gen..? Why did you? You always go behind me to relate with the President. You have to stop it.’

“Remember the President’s instructions to me the day I resumed work: ‘Do not let anybody stop you from seeing me. Anytime you need to see me, just come.’ I never abused that rain check but went to see the President only when it was totally necessary, throughout the eight years. And he was always gracious to me.

“But apparently, it became an issue with Malam Abba, so we were not quite chummy, but we were also not enemies.”

[DailyPost]

Africa’s best footballer of the year, Victor Osimhen has confirmed to the media that he has made his decision on the next step to take amidst his club crises.

He disclosed this during an interview with CBS saying, “I have already made my decision on the next step to do at the end of the season. I already made up my mind. I already have my plan, I know what I want to do, the next step I want to take.”

When questioned about speculations regarding his potential move to Premier League clubs such as Chelsea and Arsenal, the Napoli striker responded by stating that nothing is confirmed at the moment.

He expressed his intention to focus on finishing the season strongly with his current club and indicated that he will make decisions about his future plans afterward.

He said: “I think 60% of the people mention the rumours about me linked with the Premier League”

“Premier League is one of the biggest leagues in the world. I want to finish the season with Napoli strong and then come up with the decision I’ve already made.”

Recall that Victor Osimhen signed a fresh contract with Napoli a month ago, securing his commitment to the club until 2026.

[TheNation]