The body of UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch was recovered Thursday from his sunken yacht off Sicily, as the search continued for the last of the six people missing.

Specialist divers were still looking for a missing woman, a coastguard official told AFP, with a source close to the investigation having earlier indicated Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter Hannah had yet to be found.

On Wednesday they pulled up four bodies from the wreck of the “Bayesian”, while another was brought to shore in Porticello, on the north of the Italian island near Palermo, Thursday morning.

The latest grim discovery brings the death toll to six, after the body of a man believed to be the yacht’s chef was found shortly after the ship went down in a storm before dawn on Monday.

The 56-metre (185 feet) British-flagged sailing boat had been anchored some 700 metres off Porticello, near Palermo on the north of the Italian island, when it was struck by a waterspout — akin to a mini-tornado.

It sank within minutes.

Fifteen people were rescued, including Lynch’s wife, but the businessman and his daughter were among six people reported missing.

‘Errors’

The passengers were guests of 59-year-old Lynch — a celebrated technology entrepreneur and investor sometimes referred to as the UK’s answer to Bill Gates — celebrating his recent acquittal in a massive US fraud case.

Lynch’s lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda, and Jonathan Bloomer, the chair of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy, were also among the missing.

Many questions remain about why the yacht sank, and on Thursday the head of the company which built the boat said the tragedy could have been avoided.

“Everything that was done reveals a very long summation of errors,” said Giovanni Costantino, head of the Italian Sea Group, which includes the Perini Navi company that built “Bayesian”.

He told Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper that bad weather was forecast and all the passengers should have been gathered at a pre-arranged assembly point, with all the doors and hatches closed.

Security camera footage of the ship from the shore showed the lights on its mast going out, which Costantino said indicated a short circuit, meaning that the ship had already taken on water.

“A Perini ship resisted Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 (hurricane). Does it seem to you that it can’t resist a tornado from here?” he told the newspaper.

‘Trapped like mice’
Costantino said it was “good practice when the ship is at anchor to have a guard on the bridge, and if there was one he could not have failed to see the storm coming”.

“Instead it took on water with the guests still in the cabin… They ended up in a trap, those poor people ended up like mice in a trap,” he said.

The “Bayesian” was built by the Italian shipbuilding firm Perini Navi in 2008 and boasted a 75-metre mast, the tallest aluminium sailing mast in the world, according to the Charter World website.

It was reportedly owned by Lynch’s family.

Lynch was acquitted on all charges in a San Francisco court in June after he was accused of an $11 billion fraud linked to the sale of his software firm Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard.

A co-defendant, former Autonomy executive Stephen Chamberlain, died after being hit by a car on Saturday in England.

Italian authorities have opened a probe into the sinking, while the UK’s marine accident investigation branch sent four inspectors to Palermo.

Vanguard News

Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has adjourned a hearing in the FCT minister‘s motion on the restriction order on participants of the hunger protest until Sept. 4.

The adjournment came after counsel to the FCT minister (claimant), Moses Ebute, SAN, told the court that he served the motion on notice on the respondents.

The counsel for the 1st to 4th respondents, Dr S.M. Oyeghe, did not oppose but asked for the motion to be served on them in court.

The other respondents were neither present in court nor legally represented.

Justice Oriji directed the claimant counsel to serve all the respondents, then adjourned until Sept. 4 for the motion.

The respondents in the suit are Omoyele Sowore, Damilare Adenola, Adama Ukpabi, Tosin Harsogba, persons unknown, Inspector General IG of Police, and Commissioner of Police.

Others are the Director General of the Department of State Services, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, and the Chief of Naval Staff as 1st to 12th respondents.

In his ruling on July 31, Justice Oriji recognised the rights of the protesters to embark on the protest, but restricted them to the stadium in view of the genuine fears expressed by the minister.

“In the light of the above, the court considers it appropriate and expedient to grant an order under the omnibus or general prayer to ensure that the rights of the protesters are guaranteed.

He added that the protest does not negatively or adversely affect the rights of other citizens to move about and to ensure that properties and other public facilities are not destroyed,” the judge held.

He therefore ordered the 1st to 5th respondents to “use the Moshood Abiola Stadium” only for the protest.

In addition, the court ordered the service of processes in the suit as well as the confinement order on the respondents by placing the same in the newspapers.

The judge gave the order following an application to that effect filed by Dr Ogwu Onoja, SAN, on behalf of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

At the sitting on Aug. 13, the FCT Minister, through his lawyer, drew the attention of the judge to a statement issued by one Damilare Adenola in which she threatened that the nationwide protests may be extended beyond the initial 10 days.

Onoja argued that since they were not in court and no one knew their next plan of action.

”It would be in order to extend the order to ensure that peace in the FCT was not unjustly disrupted.”

In a brief ruling, the judge granted the request and affirmed that the order of July 31 remained valid and in force.

Oriji further ordered that the respondents should be served with the hearing notice before the next adjourned date.

He subsequently adjourned until Aug. 22 for hearing of the motion on notice.

(NAN)

FIVE days after Comrade Joe Ajaero, former General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and Deputy National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, made history as the first NLC President to be elected unopposed at the 13th National Delegates Conference in Abuja, on February 8, 2023, I sat down with him in Lagos for an exclusive interview.

Still basking in the euphoria of his victory, he was hopeful and bullish as he discussed the labour movement, what Nigerians should expect of his presidency and the impending 2023 elections. He was analytical and measured.

Declaring that the NLC under his watch will live up to expectations, Ajaero quipped: “I am assuring longsuffering Nigerian workers that I will be their voice. We will cry their cry. We will carry their burden. We will identify with them. If there is any way we have lost touch with the people, we are reconnecting with them. We expect that they will reciprocate. It is not always that we will be on the streets but if there is need for that, we will be on the streets and we are ready to pay the price, no matter how high, to make sure that Nigeria gets better.”

On the impending elections, Ajaero sounded a note of warning: “NLC will work with whoever emerges President in a free and fair poll in the interest of Nigerian workers. But the NLC, under our watch, will not keep quiet in the face of any electoral malpractice. We will not keep quiet in the face of people winning elections and they are not declared winners. We will not keep quiet while rigging becomes the order of the day. The NLC will show more than a passing interest. We want to know how the elections are conducted, how things are done and we want to ensure that things are done well.”

Despite the assurances, I knew that the tenor of Ajaero’s presidency will be significantly impacted by the outcome of presidential election, convinced that any of the four frontline candidates – Bola Tinubu (APC), Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (LP) and Musa Kwankwaso (NNPP) – who wins the election will naturally show more than a passing interest in the affairs of organised labour. But I was convinced that none of them, except Tinubu, will attempt an outright hostile takeover of the labour movement.

Under the watch of Obi, Atiku and even Kwakwanso, NLC will have its usual run-ins with the government which will typically flex muscles but ultimately sit down with the labour leadership for discussions but a Tinubu presidency will be a totally different ball game. Tinubu is one politician with fascist reflexes and takes no prisoners.

The issue of petrol subsidy has always been a volatile matter that galvanises organised labour into action. So, ordinarily, when Tinubu in his inaugural speech thundered that “subsidy is gone,” and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, subsequently jacked up the pump price of petrol, Nigerian workers would have poured out onto the streets.

Of course, the NLC leadership threatened strike. But the government swiftly swung into action, maximally deploying the devious instrument of ethnic baiting. Joe Ajaero, they lied, is an Obi and possibly Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, sympathiser who wants to call out Nigerian workers in his attempt to subvert the fledgling administration of Tinubu, a Yoruba. Suddenly, a proposed NLC action became an Igbo agenda. It worked. Even before the strike started, almost all the South-West state chapters pulled out. Ajaero, sensing a breakup of the NLC under his watch beat a tactical retreat. The proposed industrial action was called off.

Ajaero assured in our interview that he was ready to pay the price, no matter how high, to make sure that Nigeria gets better. I doubt if he ever imagined how high that price will be in a Tinubu Presidency.

He nearly lost his life when agents of the Imo State government led heavily armed police officers and thugs to abduct him from the Owerri secretariat of the NLC on November 1, 2023. He was mercilessly beaten and blindfolded before they took him away to an unknown destination where he was subjected to indescribable torture. At about 3.30 pm when worried colleagues finally made contacts with him, Ajaero had been severely brutalised and thoroughly humiliated. He was partially blinded and could hardly stand on his feet. The savagery was unconscionable. No other NLC president had been subjected to such demeaning ordeal, not even under military regimes. Till date, the police are yet to make any arrests, not to talk of bringing the pernicious characters who carried out the assault to book.

Then, on Monday, August 19, the Nigeria Police Force bared its fangs accusing Ajaero of committing heinous crimes that include terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion and cybercrime. In a letter signed by Adamu Muazu, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ajaero was ordered to appear before the Intelligence Response Team for interrogation on Tuesday, August 20, at 10 am even as they threatened to activate a warrant of arrest if he fails to honour the invitation.

These are crimes that attract severe punishment on conviction. The least, cybercrime, attracts punishment ranging from three to seven years imprisonment or fine options ranging from N5 million to N10 million; subversion attracts a fine of N5 million or seven years imprisonment; while as terrorism financing is a crime, punishable on conviction, with imprisonment for a term of not less than 20 years. Treason is punishable by death and treasonable felonies are punishable by imprisonment for life.

I doubt if there is any Nigerian that genuinely believes Comrade Joe Ajaero committed these crimes. Police know for sure that these are trumped up charges but they are pushing ahead believing that they will get away, once again, with their continued repression of every alternate voice. The idea is to put Ajaero away, if possible, for a considerable length of time because he is seen as the most potent obstacle to their anti-people policies. The Tinubu administration is busy dismantling all democratic guardrails, a prelude to erecting the pillars of a fascist Nigerian state. It is a patriotic duty to resist him. Sitting in our comfort zones and saying that it is not possible will be a grievous mistake.

Those who accuse Joe Ajaero of not pushing hard enough against the anti-people policies of the administration don’t appreciate what it means to be an NLC President in a Tinubu presidency. It is even worse that Ajaero is Igbo in a country where the presidency has unashamedly elevated the political and cultural polemics of ethnic baiting, racial dog whistles and threats to an art.

Ajaero has deployed wisdom and tact in navigating this very treacherous, uncharted waters. It has been a rather delicate balancing act to ensure that NLC is not splintered by the malevolent forces that are poised to do just that. He should not be vilified.

I have heard some Nigerians make snide remarks, insisting that it serves him right. Such people don’t get it. And to them, the 1946 post-war confessional prose by the German Lutheran pastor, Martin Niemöller, on the silence of German intellectuals and clergy following the Nazis’ rise to power and subsequent incremental purging of their chosen targets, group after group, should be instructive.

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

Niemöller, an anti-Communist who supported Hitler’s rise to power, an action tantamount to riding on the back of a tiger, got eaten, literally, when he decided to dismount. That is what happens when people prop despots either by their acquiescence or inaction. This is not about Joe Ajaero. It is about the fate of Nigeria’s democracy. Nigerians must resist this bourgeoning fascism before it is too late. It is a patriotic duty.

Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, says the budget for government agencies under the presidency will be on a needs assessment basis.

Gbajabiamila spoke with reporters on Wednesday in Abuja after touring agencies that directly report to the presidency.

He was accompanied on the tour by Ibrahim Hadeija, deputy chief of staff, and Olufunso Adebiyi, permanent secretary of the Aso Rock villa, among others.

Some of the agencies under the state house are the Nigeria Agriculture and Land Development Agency (NALDA), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

The chief of staff said resources are limited and must be allocated to these agencies based on actual requirements.

“In any country in the world, resources are limited. For us it is about prioritising,” the former speaker of the house of representatives said.

“Where are we so far? What have the agencies done? How have they measured up to their mandates and how important are their mandates in terms of the vision of this administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda?

“A lot of agencies are not properly funded. Do we merge some of these agencies, do we scrap some?

“In 2025 we are not going to budget in a vacuum. We will budget based on needs assessment.”

At NALDA, the chief of staff said the Tinubu administration is committed to diversifying the economy in which agriculture has a major role to play.

“This government is particular about diversifying our economy and the role the agriculture sector has to play is very important,” he said.

“This government is focusing very seriously on agriculture and food security and we trust that NALDA will continue to be innovative in its operations, including developing greenhouses and supporting the cultivation of more arable land across the country.”

While visiting the NAEC office, Gbajabiamila reiterated the federal government’s commitment to developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes such as electricity generation.

[TheCable]

Following the seizure of the country’s assets based on the ruling of a French court, former Ogun governor Ibikunle Amosun, put out successive press releases clarifying his role in the embarrassing situation. The first, explaining his responsibility in the matter between Ogun State and two Chinese companies (which culminated in the seizure of three presidential aircraft), was just as self-indicting as the second, a rejoinder to economist Pat Utomi. Both succinctly summarise everything wrong with leadership in this part of the world and why we just never seem to move forward. It is no longer news that we have bad leaders, but it was always distressing to see—through their self-narration—that we are ruled by people who are unethical, unthinking, and unsophisticated.

After reading both press statements, I concluded that the Chinese company’s enforcement of the law against Nigeria should not stop at seizing foreign assets. They should take Amosun with them. They can put him on the plantation for all we care.

Now, let me say that I have taken note that Amosun’s statement on Zhongfu’s duplicity, as much as they give him away as a poor administrator, is also one-sided. Until an investigative journalist can obtain and analyse the legal documents in the four Nigerian courts (where Zhongfu lost their cases) and the Paris arbitration tribunal (where they won) to provide a comprehensive picture of what unfolded, all we have to go by are the self-vindicating statements of each party. I should also add that this is not a defence of either Zhongfu or Utomi. Today, I am not particularly interested in the details of their deals with Ogun to take sides; I am only concerned with the naïve actions of the people who make the decisions that affect our lives.

In his press release, Amosun stated that two Chinese organisations fought over the lawful representative of the original joint venturer, Guangdong Province, China, and the right to manage the Ogun Free Trade Zone. Here is where it gets funny: 

Zhongfu International Investment FXE, pretending to be a concerned and genuine tenant and Zone stakeholder, volunteered very damaging and destructive information about the official representatives of Guangdong Province, the Joint Venturer and lawful Zone Managers, China Africa Investment FXE and subsequently requested to be appointed as Interim Zone Managers.

If a rival agency provides “damaging and destructive information” about its rival, common sense should tell anyone that whatever they are “volunteering” cannot be merely for charitable purposes. Amosun must have been wearing that his signature cap too tight for air to be let into his head because he apparently favoured the gossiping party for no reason other than their takedown of their opponent. According to him, it was only later that they discovered the information was a “tissue of lies.” When I read the part where he stated that unknown to the Ogun Government at the time, Zhongfu International Investment FXE merely sought to de-market China Africa Investment FXE and to surreptitiously covert the state-owned assets of Guangdong Province in China together with the zone ownership and management rights of their business rival, I thought Amosun should be flogged in the market square.

For a state government with an entire bureaucracy at its disposal, it should not have been “unknown” to you that you were being manipulated.  You could have done due diligence by carrying out an independent fact-finding mission before taking decisions rather than letting a self-interested agent do your homework. Also, between 2012 when you appointed Zhongfu as “interim managers” and 2016 when the Chinese government clarified that China Africa Investment FXE was the rightful investor, you did not do any independent work to ascertain the truth? If it would take the Chinese government for you to know what was true, why did you not contact them all along?

But that is one part of his self-indictment. The second part is revealed in his release where he responds to Utomi. He says, Before I came into office, the Ogun State House of Assembly had passed a persona non grata on Utomi, and put its resolution in the state’s black book. So, I was curious when I became governor and called Utomi to ask what the issue was. This was entirely at my discretion and not because he reached out to me. But I reckoned that as one with some degree of name-recognition, that should not be, and I wanted to know what happened.

What you quickly notice is that in his reply to Utomi is the change of tone. In the first statement, he was careful to assume corporate responsibility for the decisions that led to the Nigerian embarrassment. He made sure to use the pronoun “we,” and to state that this and that action was taken by “Ogun” or “our administration.” When he got into the spat with Utomi, he dropped the façade and reverted to the personal pronoun. Unlike the first where he was careful to spread responsibility for the failure of intelligence that has brought Nigeria to this point, the second revealed him as a governor who basically ran a one-man show while in office.

He left me wondering, why would you—as a governor—be curious about the legislature blacklisting an individual to the point of contacting the person? If you need to find out anything, why not read the records? I am sure Ogun lawmakers did not just blacklist Utomi; there had to be a documented reason somewhere. It was not enough that he reached out to someone on the state’s black book, but he also offered them N100m.

He said by their assessment of the project, the expenditure could not have exceeded N35m or at most N50m. So, how did he arrive at N100m as compensation? What bureaucratic procedure reviewed the project and thought N100m was due to the blacklisted Utomi as compensation? The only reason anyone would have needed to award a governor a plaque to cajole him to pay the N100m balance must have been because he personalised the government, and administrative decisions were based on his gut instinct rather than official procedure. Even you confirmed that by saying, But I did not change my position on the refund of N100 million as against his N200 million claim.

And then, the finisher: I challenge everyone, including journalists, to let us meet at the construction site and see the N200 million investment he claimed to have made there. Let them also ask what benefit the project would have been to Ogun State. But this again proves how poorly he thinks and decides. To calculate whether the project was worth the N200m Utomi claims or not, he asked us to meet at the site and assess with our eyes. For a chartered accountant, one would have expected he would provide us with audit documents. Was that how he arrived at the “N35m, or at most N50m” value of the project? He went there and used his eyes to “see.” Now you see why his calculations had a yawning disparity of N15m. If this is how he makes decisions, it is unsurprising that Zhongfu could turn him around.

Then he says after using our eyes to calculate, we should ask “what benefit the project would have been to Ogun State.” So, he did not think that the project would benefit the state, but he offered N100m for it. What kind of administrator does that? If Amosun could arbitrarily spend N100m on a “useless” project, who knows what else he wastefully expended the money that could have benefited the poor people of Ogun State on?

Honestly, the Chinese can keep him as part of enforcing the arbitration award. Except that he is not an asset—not to Nigeria, and definitely not to the business-savvy Chinese.

Some users across social media platforms such as X, Facebook and Instagram, have expressed disappointment at the recently increased fees for Nigerian Standard Passport.

The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Immigration Service – the national agency mandated to issue passports to applicants, on Wednesday, announced that the upward review of the passport fees was necessary to maintain its quality and integrity.

The increased fee, effective from September 1, 2024, will cost  N50,000 for a 32-page passport booklet with five-year validity which was previously charged at N35,000.

Also, a 64-page passport booklet with 10-year validity will cost N100,000; an increment of N30,000 from its previous N70,000 charge.

Part of the concerns raised by some of the social media users range from corruption of some NIS officials who charge extra, unofficial fees; to the economic hardship in the country, inflation, insensitivity of the government to the masses, among others.

On X.com, Callme_Wéalth EndSars, tweeting as #Lexyzdoo, wrote, “Online 50k, offline 100k for 32 pages.”

A Facebook user, Taiwo Olaoye, stated, “Without the hiked-up fees, you still have to pay an arm and a leg as bribery for them to do their jobs. That’s why my passport will forever remain expired. It will end up being expired in five years anyway.”

A tweep, Asiwaju Arowopoko, tweeting as #souqueasnaf, stated, “I can bet that some people paid more to get their passports done expressly. If it’s 50k and 100k for 32 and 64 pages respectively, and we will get it done seamlessly without paying a bribe or extra cost, then it’s ok.”

One Shedrach Onyekonwu on Facebook, criticised the fewer number of days to implement the passport fee review, compared to that of the national minimum wage, saying, “It takes just a publication of this nature to announce an upward review of fees to be implemented in 10 days but takes endless meetings to sign new minimum wage with no date in sight for its implementation.”

Another tweep, CitizenOlu, tweeting as #jagabanolu, wrote, “What kind of rubbish is this policy? In this economy with a 70k minimum wage, a passport will now cost 50,000! This is a very deliberate policy that shows some elites in power truly must be living in a different reality!”

An X user, Adewale ‘Damilare, tweeting as #dammygtnet, said, “Una dun increase money for passport issuance again. You guys are testing our patience!”

Another tweep, Hemjay of Life, with the username #MuritalaMujeebA, tweeted, “And it is not as if your useless officers will not still collect bribe at point of biometrics oo.”

An X user, E.J, tweeting as #Enwagboso, asked the FG to delay the effective date of the new passport fees to 2025.

He wrote, “The 10-day notice for the passport price increase is an example of the government’s lack of empathy and consideration for its citizens. #officialABAT and #nigimmigration should know this. I recommend reviewing the pricing strategy and considering a reversal or, at the very least, a delayed effective date of January 1, 2025.”

A Facebook user, Celestine Uzodike wrote, “Every agency is in a hurry to extort the masses at this crucial period. Very insensitive Govt.”

Another Facebook user, Emecheta David, queried, “So to maintain the integrity of the passport, you’ll increase the price? Which integrity does the Nigerian passport possess that you are maintaining?”

An Instagram user, #l_ayk_an, wrote, “Making japa expensive but yet making Nigeria worse and unlivable.”

Another user, identified as #officialcollinzo, said, “Very soon to breath for this Nigeria go be 1k per 1hr.”

According to the Henley Passport Index, the Nigerian passport was ranked 92nd out of 199 passports, highlighting the challenges its citizens face regarding international travel freedom.

[Punch]

AS the 2024 governorship election and race slated for September 21st come closer, the spotlight shines brightly on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, a standout leader poised to make a significant impact. While the likes of Monday Okpevhbolo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, and others may be vying for attention, Dr. Asue's exceptional qualities and track record set him apart from the rest.

Dr. Asue's manifesto is a masterclass in visionary leadership. His manifesto promises to tackle food security challenges, address wanton security concerns, drive economic growth, improve healthcare, and enhance education. His commitment to fixing decayed infrastructure, job creation, empowering marginalized communities and promoting social justice resonates deeply with me as a legal practitioner in particular and with the Edo people in general. Asue's manifesto is a testament to his dedication to creating a better future for all in the face of global economic stagnation.

Dr. Asue's impressive track record speaks for itself. His achievements in his previous position as captain of industries and chairman of several national and multinational institutions like the Sterling Bank, Okomu Oil Plc, and Nigeria Brewery demonstrate his capacity for effective leadership and problem-solving. His accomplishments, such as the revitalisation of most of the comatose companies he headed in the past, where he showcased his ability to drive results and make positive impact, signposted him as the perfect and most credible candidate of the People's Democratic Party as against the APC and Labour Party candidates without tangible records of achievements.

For the record, Dr. Asue is not a newcomer to the scene. He has been tirelessly working on the ground, building relationships, and understanding the needs of the people through the Alaghodao submit, which he has been chairing for the last seven years under the dutiful watch of Governor Godwin Obaseki. His commitment to continuity ensures that the progress made so far will not be disrupted but rather built upon.

Dr. Asue's leadership style is characterized by unity and inclusiveness. He believes in the indivisibility of affinity that exists amongst us and he is committed to bringing people together and fostering a sense of belonging across the state. His dedication to inclusivity is visible in his manifesto, purposely driven towards ensuring that every voice is heard and valued in the state as governor.

Asue's unique blend of vision, expertise, and passion makes him the ideal candidate for the challenges ahead. His impressive manifesto, built on the key pillars of compulsory education for all, industrialization, job creation, security, food sufficiency and the rest, resonates with the people and inspires hope for a better future for the state. His achievements in all his previous engagements demonstrate a consistent pattern of excellence, innovation, and dedication to the greater good.

While others may attempt to follow in Asue's footsteps, they lack the depth, sincerity, and charisma that set him apart. The people deserve a leader who truly understands and cares for their needs, and Asue is that leader.

In 2024, the choice is clear. Asue Ighodalo stands head and shoulders above the rest. Edo has a duty in the coming election to rally behind him and build a brighter future for all.

Erasmus Ikhide contributed this piece via: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies has revolutionized the way education is delivered to students. With AI tools being utilized for solving complex mathematical problems, facilitating scientific research, and even assisting in writing essays and research papers, it is evident that the educational landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. In light of these developments, it is imperative to review the current educational standards to align with the capabilities that AI tools have introduced. It is now imperative to delve into the necessity of defining , whether the use of AI is plagiarism, or not, revising curricula, and ensuring holistic child and brain development to meet the challenges posed by the 4th Industrial Revolution. 

The question of if the use of AI in class work is plagiarism has posed serious problems for the academic community across the globe. At the moment, depending on the institution, the use of AI for class work is treated on an institutional basis. Some Universities outrightly disapprove the use and classify it as unethical academic practice, while others, insist that students should indicate where technology assistance was sought in their academic work. There is no doubt that the emergence of ChatGPT in November 2022 and other Chatbot that followed thereafter are redefining academic ethics. 

AI technologies have introduced various tools that are enhancing the educational experience for students. However, with these advancements, there is a need to reassess the educational landscape to ensure that higher standards are maintained, and the importance of guiding against plagiarism, reviewing curricula, and prioritizing child and brain development to meet the demands of the technological disruption in the evolving world of AI

The maintenance of good academic practices cannot be compromised. However, redefining plagiarism, within the framework of the use of AI is a crucial aspect of adapting to the changes brought about by AI technologies in education, which have to align with responsible and ethical use of AI tools, capable of generating content and providing solutions to complex problems, the lines between original work and AI-generated content can blur. Educators must redefine plagiarism to encompass disclosure of the use of AI tools and establish guidelines for ethical academic practices. By setting clear boundaries and expectations, students can leverage AI tools effectively without compromising academic integrity.

The review of curricula is another essential step in aligning education with the advancements in AI technologies. Curricula must be updated to integrate AI tools and technologies, ensuring that students are equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital age. By incorporating AI education into the curriculum, students can develop a deeper understanding of AI concepts and their applications in various fields. This proactive approach will prepare students to navigate the complexities of the 4th Industrial Revolution and contribute meaningfully to society.

Ensuring holistic child and brain development is paramount in the face of evolving AI technologies. While AI tools offer significant benefits in enhancing learning experiences, they should not replace essential aspects of education that foster creativity, critical thinking, and social skills. Educators must strike a balance between utilizing AI tools and providing opportunities for hands-on learning, collaboration, and experiential learning. By nurturing holistic child development, students can cultivate essential skills that are not easily replaceable by AI technologies, such as emotional intelligence and adaptability.

The integration of AI technologies in education presents a transformative opportunity to enhance learning outcomes, emphasize STEM courses and prepare students for the challenges of the nascent technology. To leverage the full potential of AI tools, educators must redefine plagiarism, review curricula, and prioritize holistic child and brain development. By embracing these changes and adapting to the evolving educational landscape, we can ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

Nigeria and the African Union have no choice but to take proactive steps, in joining the AI revolution, which might be getting rather late, considering that the global north, led by the United States, China, EU, UK, India, Canada and the State of Israel are already in the throes of AI superpower supremacy.

Yes, I agree with you that Lagos should be for its Yoruba indigenes. And the Southwest should belong to the indigenes of the region.

So, lets get practical and cooperate and make our shared desire happen, peacefully and as fast as possible.

Please note that Igboland, to which Igbos would return from Lagos and the Southwest, has a part in the South-South and a part in the Southeast.

Kindly get President Tinubu to facilitate the process by doing the following: (1) de-federalize the ports, so the South-South and Southeast regions take control of the ports in their areas. (2) Let one airport in the southeast and one in the South-South be approved for international flights (3) Persuade foreign embassies to open visa-granting consulates in the Southeast and South-South. If President Tinubu can sign executive orders or legislation on these three matters, Igbos will quit Lagos and the Southwest faster than anyone can expect. Within five years, Igbos (other than as tourists) will, I reckon, become as rare in Lagos as fishes in the desert, and as rare as camels in the sea. Please, let’s work together on this project. We shall still be in One Nigeria. Please stop being faceless, emerge from your anonymity and let’s get to work on this win-win project that will benefit our two great peoples.

Let’s factor in the benefits for other regions and peoples in Nigeria. (1) the entire peoples of the South-South would benefit from the boom in economic activity in these ports and this should help dampen the Biafra agitation and the Niger-Delta militancy. (2) I leave it to economists to work out the benefits for the North-Central and Northeast regions. (3) Of course, the Yoruba indigenes of Lagos and the Southwest would get the Southwest-without-Igbos region they crave. Let’s get down to the task of appealing to President Tinubu to facilitate this project.

Yours in the cause of inter-ethnic peace in Nigeria,

Chinweizu

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