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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Vanguard]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ETIM is a journalist and author

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[TheCable]

Recent reports from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have become a focal point of criticism and scepticism, especially by the political opposition and perpetual doubters of any positive report about our country.

In its Q2 labour survey report, the NBS says the unemployment rate fell from 5.3 % in Q1 to 4.3% in Q2. Compared to the unemployment rate of 5.3% in Q4 2022, the report shows some progress, as it also indicates lower level of youth unemployment. 

The NBS also reported that GDP growth in the third quarter rose to 3.46% year-on-year in real terms, higher than the 2.54% recorded in Q3 2023 and above the second quarter growth of 3.19%.

The report stated that the GDP’s performance in the third quarter of 2024 was driven mainly by the Services sector, which recorded a growth of 5.19% and contributed 53.58% to the aggregate GDP. The agriculture sector grew by 1.14%, from the growth of 1.30% recorded in the third quarter of 2023. The industry sector’s growth was 2.18%, an improvement from 0.46% recorded in the third quarter of 2023.

“In terms of share of the GDP, the services sector contributed more to the aggregate GDP in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023.

“In the quarter under review, aggregate GDP at basic price stood at N71,131,091.07 million in nominal terms. This performance is higher than the third quarter of 2023, which recorded an aggregate GDP of N60,658,600.37 million, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth of 17.26%.

Amid a singer’s  uninformed opinion that went viral on social media that our country’s economy is in shambles, the NBS sounded positive, reporting that the economy is improving, as proven by the successive growth from Quarter one of 2024 up until Quarter 3.

Ordinarily, such positive reports should elicit hope and joy that our country’s economy is getting out of the woods, but they were instead met with skepticism from some quarters.

Unfounded allegations by critics that the data was manipulated fail to recognise the transparent and robust methodologies employed by the NBS. These methodologies are continually reviewed and improved to ensure reliability, providing a solid foundation for the data presented.

In contrast, when the NBS reported that inflation figures rose, these same voices quickly endorsed the report, illustrating some Nigerians’ selective acceptance of data based on preconceived narratives and confirmation bias rather than its authenticity.

It is crucial to emphasise that the NBS operates as an independent entity committed to providing accurate and objective data. These statistics are not mere numbers; they are derived from comprehensive research and analysis, reflecting the multifaceted realities of our national economy. The processes align with global best practices, and the bureau’s methodologies are continually reviewed and improved to ensure reliability.

Moreover, the positive economic indicators should be viewed as milestones in the ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to strengthen Nigeria’s economy. The figures by NBS  reflect that a combination of government initiatives is yielding fruits, boosting the service sector and the stock and bond market, creating jobs, and driving sustainable growth. These developments, sooner than later, will  translate into improved living standards, increased job opportunities, and a more robust economy for all Nigerians.

While challenges remain, dismissing progress in a knee-jerk manner, as some Nigerians do,  negates the hard work of the government and the private sector, which contributed to these achievements.

The same way some Nigerians dismiss and deride economic data is very prevalent on the judicial front and in the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission. When a politician wins an election or a legal case, the singsong is that it has been a fair contest and justice has been delivered; however, when a candidate or party loses, the supporters binge on derision against INEC or the judges. Only recently, a prominent Nigerian went abroad to dismiss the 2023 election as a travesty because his candidate did not win the poll or the legal challenge instituted.

As Nigerians, we must respect our judicial system, even when the outcome does not favour us. The symbol of justice is a pendulum, and judges uphold justice based on the rule of law, without public pressure or sentiment. Accusations of corruption, whenever verdicts defy personal expectations, undermine the integrity of our courts and the democratic principles we cherish. We must turn the page over these matters and stop clinging to skepticism when presented with favourable data reflecting our nation’s progress. Those who truly want Nigeria to become a great country we all claim we seek will not use every opportunity to take out the flames of national progress. While the challenges remain and are being addressed, we must always recognise and celebrate every progress.

– Onanuga is Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy

As part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's state visit to France, the Chairman of UBA Group, Tony Elumelu in the presence of President Tinubu and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, signed a landmark business cooperation agreement with the French Finance Minister, Antoine Armand. The agreement is a significant indication of support by the French Government for the development of UBA's full banking operations in France.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Tony Elumelu, the Chairman of UBA Group commented:
"This partnership reinforces our commitment to seamless international banking services for our customers, not just across the 11 Francophone African countries we serve, but Africa as a whole; and French and European customers transacting with Africa. Expanding into France is a natural progression, with Paris serving as our European Union hub, as we continue to bring Africa and the world together, through innovative financial solutions. Paris will join London, New York and Dubai, as a critical component of our unique global network."

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.

The leader of the Labour Party and the 2023 Presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, is to deliver this year’s Convocation lecture at the American University of Nigeria, AUN, Yola, Adamawa state,on, Saturday, November 30, 2024.
Saturday’s keynote speech at the 16th Founder’s Day/20th Convocation of the University by the Labour Party leader falls in line with his public speeches in notable educational institutions globally, including Harvard University, Yale University, Wharton University, Pennsylvania, USA, and Peace University all this year.

A statement from the University's annual Founder’s Day honors the Founder of the University, who is also the former Nigeria Vice President, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, GCON, Wazirin Adamawa, for his numerous contributions to society and especially his advancement of education and human development.

The 16th Founders Day lecture will be the highlight of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the founding of the American-style Development University where students are educated to direct their learning and research outcomes towards addressing the socioeconomic challenges of the African Continent.

In the 20 years since its establishment, the numerous community service and outreach projects executed by students, alums, faculty, and staff have earned the Development University a spot among the top three Nigerian universities in Times Higher Education (THE’s) 2024 global impact ranking.

Since its establishment in 2003, AUN has significantly expanded its academic programs and affiliations with foreign institutions. AUN presently hosts the American Window in the northeast region where students and members of the public can access relevant information about scholarship and research opportunities in the United States.

President of AUN, Professor DeWayne Preston Frazier, heartily welcomed Mr. Peter Obi as Keynote Speaker and conveyed to him the appreciation of the AUN Community for his acceptance of the invitation.
“I am highly pleased and honored to announce that the former Executive Governor of Anambra state, His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, CON, will be our Keynote Speaker. Mr. Obi is an accomplished public servant and politician who has spent most of his life providing quality leadership and service to Nigerians. He is a champion of education and will be an excellent speaker to celebrate our 20 years”, Dr. Frazier said in a message to the Community.

Mr. Peter Obi joins an elite cast of global personalities who have delivered the AUN Founders Day lecture, which includes Dr. Paul Vita (2019), Professor Ibrahim Gambari (2009), Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah (2011), former Ugandan Vice President Dr. Gilbert Bukenya (2013), Professor Charles Soludo (2012), Tulane University Professor Dr. William Bertrand (2014), and President Emeritus of Iowa Wesleyan, University, Professor Steven Titus (2023).

Ibrahim Umar
POMR Press Release
November 28, 2024

In a dialogue with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais des Élysée, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed his administration's commitment to prioritizing education for Nigerian children.

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

President Tinubu highlighted the government's ongoing efforts to create a supportive framework that ensures school-age children re-enter classrooms, emphasizing the role of motivation and skill acquisition in this initiative.

"In order to bridge the gap for some who are of age, and have been out of school for a while, we will encourage skills development," the President added.

Accompanied by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the President stressed to President Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron that Nigeria’s developmental potential hinges on a well-educated populace.

"The insecurity in some parts of the country makes it hard for children to return to school, but we are gradually re-populating the classrooms. And we need skills development to bridge the gaps," the President stated.

President Tinubu highlighted the notable progress in enhancing security across Nigeria, employing "kinetic" strategies as part of the peace-building process.

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

In response, President Macron acknowledged Nigeria's vast growth potential and the importance of investing in educational initiatives. He reflected on his formative experiences during a six-month internship at the French Embassy in Nigeria, including visits to Lagos and Kano.

President Macron and Brigitte Macron expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and Senator Oluremi Tinubu for their State Visit, promising to elevate the France-Nigeria partnership to new heights.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife Senator Oluremi Tinubu received by President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, at  the French Military Museum in Hotel National  des Invalides in Paris.

State House Photo:

Eight years after ECOWAS led the international community by deploying enormous human and material resources to free the Gambia and its citizens from the asphyxiating hold of a ruthless dictator, Yahya Jammeh, the country risks drifting into another avoidable instability if urgent measures are not taken.

Nigeria, the regional powerhouse had to put its military assets including Air Force fighter jets and a Naval ship at the disposal of the region, while Senegalese foot soldiers marched on their way to Banjul, the Gambian capital before the military Captain-turned-Colonel Jammeh was forced into exile in Equatorial Guinea in January 2017 after he had refused to concede defeat to President-elect Adama Barrow after the December 2016 election.

After toppling Gambia’s independence President, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, in a 1994 military coup, Jammeh became a tin God and even boasted that he would rule the Gambia for “a billion years.” This writer captured the ordeal of Gambians under Jammeh in an article entitled The Gambia, Jammeh and the Proverbial Bull in a China Shop.

Fear and national insecurity were palpable then, and to avoid a constitutional crisis, ECOWAS ensured that Barrow was officially sworn in as Gambia’s President in his country’s embassy in Dakar, Senegal with an ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) code-named “Operation Restore Democracy” quickly deployed to douse the tension, stabilise the situation and restore peace to the country.

Barrow, a former real estate developer, was not originally on the ballot for the 2016 election but was chosen by the party after Jammeh had jailed the presidential front-runner Ousainou Darboe and all other opposition leaders.

However, despite his well-documented atrocities, including the killings and enforced disappearances of opponents using his killer-squad “the Junglers,” and forcing opposition figures and civil society activists into exile, Jammeh commands political influence in the Gambia today, partly due to Barrow’s political machinations.

Many Gambians are now forced to relive the nightmares of the Jammeh era for no justifiable reason, other than the pursuit of the personal political ambition of Barrow, who has since fallen out with Darboe and other key members of the opposition United Democratic Party on whose coalition he won the 2016 election.

After accusing Darboe and others of going back on their words not to serve in his government, Barrow reneged on his earlier pledge to step down after three years of the five-year term.

To consolidate his political power base, Barrow formed a new National People’s Party (NPP) which controversially joined forces with a faction of Jammeh’s APRC party and retained the presidency in the 2021 presidential election.

After co-opting several Jammeh henchmen to consolidate his grip on power, Barrow now sees his political opponents, the media and human rights advocates as stumbling blocks to his third-term dream, which is now tearing the Gambia apart.

At Barrow’s behest, ECOMIG’s mandate has been renewed several times, amid serious concerns within the Gambian armed forces about marginalisation, while “Barrow surrounds himself with ECOMIG forces for personal protection.”

Instead of promoting national unity and cohesion or fostering reconciliation, Barrow has become a divisive force, laser-focused on his political ambition and the next election.

In the early days of his administration a Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) was set up under the Special Accountability Mechanism Act, to address the atrocities of the Jammeh regime.

An Anti-torture Act, Victims Reparations Fund Act and the Special Prosecutor's Office Act were also enacted.

Similarly, a Constitution Review Commission (CRC) was established to produce a people-oriented Constitution to replace that of 1997 used by Jammeh for his repressive dictatorship.

The Barrow government accepted 263 of the 265 TRRC recommendations through a White Paper with an implementation Plan. However, it rejected the 2020 Draft Constitution produced by the CRC and has drafted a butchered version, whose provisions are unpublicised to be pushed through a national referendum.

Barrow’s political wheeling and dealing has made him increasingly unpopular among his compatriots, who accuse him of replacing governance with perfidy and propaganda.

His government has now set up a Special Tribunal for The Gambia (STTG) to try human rights violations committed between July 1994 and January 2017, including “murder, torture, enforced disappearances, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecutions and other inhuman acts” and is now pressuring ECOWAS to lend its weight behind the Tribunal.

In principle and, in line with the recommendations of the TRRC, victims of crimes against humanity committed during Jammeh’s brutish regime deserve and should get justice and closure, and accused persons should have their day in court.

However, the Barrow government’s approach to this process smacks of a ploy to capture donor funds and clear all obstacles to his third-term ambition.

The government is being clever by half about the STTG, which it established without any inputs from ECOWAS.

Ironically, Article 17 of the Tribunal’s Statute saddles the ECOWAS Commission with major responsibilities including setting up an Advisory Council and Management Council of the Special Tribunal.

Article 17.1 - The President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (“ECOWAS” and “ECOWAS Commission”) (the Appointing Authority) shall appoint the President, Special Prosecutor and Registrar of the Special Tribunal (“The Principals.”)

Article 17.2 - The President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (“ECOWAS” and “ECOWAS Commission”) shall convene an independent Advisory Council on the Selection of Principals for the Special Tribunal (“Advisory Council”).

Article 17.7 - The Advisory Council shall, upon completion of the evaluation and selection process, submit a report to the President of the ECOWAS Commission (“Appointing Authority”) detailing the suitability of the applicants in the ranked order.

Furthermore, Article 45 states: “The President of the ECOWAS Commission shall establish a Management Committee shall provide administrative and financial oversight to the Special Tribunal.

The Management Committee shall consist of representatives of The Gambia, ECOWAS and any major contributor to the Special Tribunal.
The Management Committee shall have the power to approve the budget and annual report of the Special Tribunal and shall assist its fund-raising.”

From experience and given the complex nature of the work of such tribunals, legal experts strongly believe that involving the ECOWAS Commission in the administration of the STTG would distract from its core mandate of the regional integration agenda.

ECOWAS is not a prosecuting body, and it is already neck-deep struggling to rein in errant member States, three of which have served notice to quit over its perceived weak and ineffectual leadership.

Instead of involving ECOWAS in micro-managing the STTG, experts have recommended a Central African Republic (CAR) model for the Gambian Tribunal.

In 2015, CAR with the support of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN set up a Special Criminal Court (SCC), which the global rights monitor, Human Rights Watch has described as “a significant, unprecedented initiative to deliver justice for victims of brutal crime…”

“The Court is integrated into (CAR’s) domestic judicial system, but staffed by both international and Central African judges, prosecutors, and administrators.

Together with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has two investigators into crimes committed in the country, the SCC is a significant opportunity to end the widespread impunity that victims of the cycles of violence in the Central African Republic have faced,” Human Rights Watch said in a 2017 Report.
It added: “The SCC may also serve as a potential model for other countries seeking to pursue justice for international crimes in their national systems.”

Interestingly, the Gambia hosts the (African Union) AU-backed Commission for Human and People’s Rights, and according to legal experts, another perfect example for the STTG is the UN and AU-supported Special Tribunal in Senegal which tried and convicted former Chadian leader, Hissène Habré for crimes against humanity during his reign.

Instead of pursuing divisive selfish and personal ambition, capable of pushing the Gambia into another crisis, ECOWAS leaders should impress upon Barrow to focus on delivering good governance and promoting national healing and cohesion for sustainable peace in the country and the region.

Today's instability in the ECOWAS region is largely attributable to the mindless pursuit of ill-fated third-term ambition of corrupt, insensitive, greedy, selfish, self-serving, power-hungry opportunists, parading themselves as leaders.

*Ejime is a Global Affairs Analyst and Consultant on Peace & Security, and Governance Communications