Inclusion is an inexorable ingredient for national cohesion. It is an ideal that demands deliberate and methodical enactment. It is largely potent, not as an abstract concept, but as the praxis for promoting peace and harmony and holding it all together at the umbilicus.

The Tinubu administration has been conscientious and pragmatic about building an egalitarian Nigeria; a nation where ethnic or religious complexion does not supplant excellence and performance; a nation where no Nigerian will need to know anyone to enjoy the harvests of good governance; a nation where all are equal before the law; God and man; a nation where that orphan, Chinedu, in the quiet town of Obosi, can enjoy higher education without the constraints of finance; a nation where all citizens regardless of their tongue, tribe, or religion matter in the minutest scheme of things.

It is reductive to abridge or pigeonhole the conversation on inclusion. It is broader as an ideal. It is all-encompassing; affecting all facets of society.

In terms of appointments, the lineup is balanced and well-spread, especially matching diversity with competence and character. More importantly, as regards the policies, programmes, and projects of the administration, all Nigerians enjoy equal patrimony.

For instance, the Consumer Credit Scheme has beneficiaries drawn from different working strata and diverse taxonomy.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has over 200,000 beneficiaries drawn from across universities in all the geo-political zones, with over N32 billion disbursed as of February 2025.

The free C-Sections for women in need and the President’s approval of an 80% subsidy on kidney dialysis, reducing the cost from N50,000 to N12,000 per session, are tangible initiatives that directly impact the lives of Nigerians of all phyla.

These programmes and initiatives are implemented across the geo-political zones with absolute fidelity to the sworn oath of fostering unity, peace, and progress.

It is important to mention that under the N50 billion Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme for one million nano-businesses spread across 774 local government areas, with a minimum of 1,000 beneficiaries, over N41 billion has been disbursed to over 828,564 beneficiaries across all the local government areas.

Also, under the FGN N75 billion MSME Intervention Fund, N659,376,800 has been disbursed to 714 beneficiaries. This is in an effort to support young Nigerians and, most importantly, the live-wire of the economy, MSMEs.

The president recently signed some regional development commission bills, giving every zone the muscle to accelerate its development. This shows even-handedness and large-heartedness.

In terms of roads and other infrastructural projects, they are equitably distributed, with work going on on roads across all geo-political zones — the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway, the Sokoto-Badagry road, Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway 2, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway, and many others.

The Tinubu administration is building an inclusive society where everyone has a sense of belonging not just in the psychological sense of it but also in the very essence of life, making sure the benefits of governance percolate to every man and woman — even to the last man.

Fredrick Nwabufo is the senior special assistant to the president on public engagement

Nigeria’s trade relations with the United States hit a combined value of N31.05 trillion between 2015 and 2024, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

TheCableIndex analysis shows that within the 10-year period, Nigeria imported American goods worth N14.71 trillion, while exports to the US stood at N16.34 trillion.

The report said the African giant recorded a trade surplus of N1.63 trillion (meaning that Nigeria exported more to the US than it imported), even though yearly fluctuations show that the country ran deficits in some years, particularly in 2015 and 2020.

In 2024 alone, Nigeria’s exports to the US climbed to an all-time high of N5.52 trillion — up from N2.61 trillion in 2023 and N334.55 billion in 2015.

On April 2, President Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs on all imports into the country, including a 14 percent levy on Nigerian goods.

Announcing the tariffs during the ‘Make America Wealthy Again’ event at the White House, Trump said the policy would “supercharge” domestic manufacturing and revive American jobs.

“Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country… This will be, indeed, the golden age of Americans coming back,” he declared.

Trump’s action has ignited concerns from global leaders and Nigeria’s government.

Jumoke Oduwole, minister of industry, trade, and investment, warned that the newly introduced 10 percent tariff on key export categories could weaken Nigeria’s competitiveness in the U.S. market and threaten non-oil exports that have benefited from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) exemptions.

“A new 10% tariff on key categories may impact the competitiveness of Nigerian goods in the U.S.,” Oduwole said in a statement.

“For businesses in the non-oil sector, these measures present destabilising challenges to price competitiveness and market access, especially in emerging and value-added sectors vital to our diversification agenda.

“SMEs building their business models around AGOA exemptions will face the pressures of rising costs and uncertain buyer commitments.”

The minister said over the past two years, Nigeria’s annual exports to the US have steadily remained between $5 billion and $6 billion.

She noted that “crude petroleum, mineral fuels, oils, and gas-related products” make up more than 90 percent of the exports.

Further analysis of the NBS data shows that Nigeria’s imports from the US surged in 2024, hitting N4.07 trillion — almost seven times higher than the N581.99 billion recorded in 2015.

Over the past decade, it was observed that Nigeria maintained a trade surplus with the US in six out of the 10 years examined, with the highest surplus posted in 2024 at N1.45 trillion.

AFRICA STILL MATTERS — BUT LAGS IN IMPORTS

While Africa plays a key role in Nigeria’s export economy, the data indicates that it is lagging as a source of imports for the continent’s giant.

The NBS said between 2015 and 2024, Nigeria imported goods of N7.45 trillion from African countries — about half of the N14.71 trillion spent on imports from the US within the same period.

More so, imports from America outpaced those from Africa every year in the period reviewed, with the highest value recorded in 2024, when Nigeria bought N4.07 trillion worth of goods from America, compared to N2.16 trillion from African nations.

The data highlights a significant pattern of imbalance, suggesting that African countries buy more from Nigeria than they sell to it.

For instance, the continent is a major destination for Nigerian crude oil, refined products, and agricultural exports — totalling N30.42 trillion in the decade — nearly double the N16.34 trillion exported to the US.

Oduwole said Trump’s tariff on Nigeria was a strong signal for Africa to start trading more within its continent through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

The AfCFTA is a trade pact brokered by the African Union (AU) to boost intra-African trade.

“Reinforcing the case for Nigeria’s accelerated implementation of the AfCFTA, deepening regional integration, and leveraging frameworks like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to lower trade costs and promote intra-African trade,” she said.

‘RETALIATING WITH HIGHER TARIFFS WOULD HURT NIGERIA MORE’

Muhammad Bello, an economist, stressed the importance of strategic responses to the new levy, advising against Nigeria retaliating with higher tariffs, as that could exacerbate inflation.

“Reciprocating with higher tariffs against the U.S. would not be a wise move and could harm Nigeria more than it would impact the US,” he told TheCable.

“Most of our imports from the US are cars, refined crude oil, spare parts and other machinery parts, equipment and other instruments which are very important for our domestic production and meet our domestic demand.

“The implication of retaliating here is that these imports would now become more expensive. This would jack up costs for businesses and consumers, worsening inflation, which is already one of our major concerns.

“Instead of a tit-for-tat, the best thing for us to do is to respond strategically through negotiating and even exploring alternative markets such that we no longer border (sic) what they do.”

Bello also advocated for a stronger focus on Africa, especially in light of the AfCFTA, which promises to open up vast economic opportunities for Nigeria.

He said while the shift towards Africa cannot completely replace oil exports to the US, non-oil exports like agriculture and fertilisers will benefit from greater regional integration.

‘NIGERIA POSITIONED TO WITHSTAND US TARIFF SHOCK’

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria is positioned to withstand global trade disruptions, including the new US tariffs.

Speaking at the corporate governance forum organised by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) in Abuja, Edun said while oil and minerals are exempted from the tariffs, the broader economic impact could be felt through declining oil prices.

He stressed that Nigeria remains relatively insulated due to early reforms and a shift in economic strategy.

“Nigeria-US trade has been in surplus in the last three years (2022-2024),” Edun said.

“Consequently, the tariff effect on exports is negligible if we sustain our oil and minerals export volume.

“The adverse effect on Nigeria will be through the oil price plunge, and we are intensifying efforts to ramp up crude oil production to curtail any price effect.”

The minister said Nigeria is also focusing on non-oil revenue mobilisation, with “budget adjustment and prioritisation where possible, and also innovative non-debt financing strategies”.

[TheCable]

At the Convocation Lecture, the fourth event in the ongoing 28th Convocation ceremony of the Lagos State University, the National chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Chairman of the occasion, and the Minister of Education and convocation lecturer, Dr Tunji Alausa, have reiterated the imperative of unity and patriotism in achieving national development. Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who spoke on “Patriotism, Citizenship, and National Ownership: The Imperative of Collective Responsibility for Nigeria’s Future,” emphasized the need for patriotism and collective responsibility in achieving national development. 

Dr. Alausa charges Nigerians to adopt a “redefined” patriotism which should “reflect integrity, civic responsibility and a shared vision for national advancement.” According to him, commitment, political leadership and accountability, and promotion of unity and justice are characteristics of a true Nigerian patriot.

“A true patriot in modern Nigeria is someone who contributes to the nation’s growth in tangible ways, whether through education, entrepreneurship, innovation, or public service. This means working towards economic self-sufficiency, supporting local industries and promoting sustainable development initiatives that uplift your or any community in the country.”

However, in his opening address, the APC national chairman and Chairman of the event, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, tasks Nigerians to utilize ethnic diversity in contributing to the nation’s progress. 

“There is no doubt Nigeria is blessed with many ethnic nationalities and, sociologically, each ethnic nationality in Nigeria has some inherent traits; if properly harmonized, Nigeria will be greater than what it is in the moment. I have this hope that going forward there shall be a renewed national patriotism, sense of belonging, from the north to the south; from the east to the west, and by this Nigeria will rise again. 

“We should rise to the responsibilities of true citizenship and restore the glory of our nation’s founding fathers because, ultimately, our most promising path to national awakening is to begin to think less of ourselves as individuals and tribesmen but rise collectively through the responsibilities of true stewardship,” the former governor said. 

 Delivering the Welcome Address of the 28th LASU Convocation Lecture, on the 8th of April, the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, advocates for patriotism and good citizenship, which should be done in both words and deeds. 

“The emerging leaders of this nation, you are the ones who must rise to the occasion; who must safeguard this nation in the face of threats to its unity, peace and progress. Yes, our nation has its challenges—our fault lines are visible, but let us not forget our nationhood runs deep, woven through our history, our culture and our shared dreams. We are more than our divisions.”

The Vice-Chancellor decried the extinction of history in the Nigerian education curriculum while acknowledging its consequences on Nigeria’s vibrant youths.

"I would also like to touch on one thing I consider a disservice to our sense of patriotism and collective responsibility: the removal of History from the curriculum in our primary and secondary schools. When we lack a sense of the past, then our future is endangered. So much harm has been done to our young generation, the group that we call the Gen Z, who pass through schools at a time when history was expunged from the curriculum. Some of such harms are evident in the even dangerous narratives that avail the social media space. The ethnic-induced abuses, trolling and verbal attacks on individuals and groups have become the hallmark of social media engagement amongst others. 

"And it is on this note that I salute President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Education for the bold decision to return the teaching of history to schools. This is a crucial step towards healing these generational wounds and ensuring that our young people understand the rich, complex story of our nation. A story that will empower them to engage with one another and with Nigeria’s future in a more informed, respectful and united manner.”

The 28th convocation lecture of the third most sought-after Nigerian university was commemorated in grand style as distinguished personalities permeated the scene. In attendance were the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mr Femi Pedro, LASU Chancellor, Gbolahan Elias (SAN), Executive Secretary of Tetfund, Emeritus Professor Sonny Echono, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr Tolani Sule, amongst others. 

The convocation ceremony is expected to continue until Thursday when the University conferred honorary doctorate degrees on the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd) and former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro.

3rd April, 2025

Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), CFR

Administrator,

Rivers State,

Government House,

Port Harcourt. 

Dear brother and Admiral,

OUR DEEP CONCERNS OVER TEARING DOWN OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS IN RIVERS STATE

 I have thought it important and quite pertinent to write to you to raise a matter of serious concern to all watchers of event in Rivers State and particularly leaders of various groups in the South-South of the country. This is as it pertains to what we observe to be a systematic tearing down of various structures, which are important for the continued building and consolidation of democracy in Rivers State right now taking place under your watch.

2. Before I proceed, let me express my regret that I did not, as expected, send felicitations to you on your appointment 

to this office. I must say that this has nothing to do with my esteem for you and our joint participation in national service in which God graciously took we both to the very peak of our chosen careers. Conversely, at my last count, I congratulated you both on your appointment as Chief of Naval Staff in 2015 and thereafter as Nigeria's High Commissioner to the Republic of Ghana in 2021. 

3. On this occasion of your most recent appointment, I could not extend same brotherly felicitations on account of the fact that I still cannot come to terms that a state of emergency was declared in Rivers State just one week after our most revered leaders had audience with Mr. President on 11th March 2025. On that occasion, he requested leaders of South-South under PANDEF to go and continue with peace building in Rivers State and report back to him. Alas, there was no chance for that. Besides, I have been close enough in government, having worked closely with at least 3 former Presidents to know that the decapitation of democratic institutions in times of emergency rule is alien and repugnant to our current democratic structure. 

4. I recall vividly that during the time of President Goodluck Jonathan, the then Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN, was man enough and had the fear of God to tell the then President that even though the parts of the country, i.e., Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe were under foreign invasion, a state of emergency cannot result in pulling down the institutions of democratic governance we are still nurturing after long years of military rule. 

5. It was therefore difficult for me, despite the fact that you are a man with a good service record and also one of our proud sons, to endorse you. Because your presence in Rivers State is an embarrassing aberration to all men of goodwill and good conscience.

6. However, PANDEF will work with you to ensure your peaceful tenure and early exit from the scene in Rivers State. That is why we have continually urged our people, particularly the youths and political actors of Rivers State, to accord you maximum cooperation. The more troubling scenario that has emerged from your assumption of office is the unbelievable level of dismantling, disassembling, and raising down all the institutions of democracy that have been in existence in the state. These are many, and I may not be able to exhaustively recount all of them, but the mention of a few will suffice. 

7. First is the removal of the photographs of the elected governor from all offices when he has not yet been removed from office. This I saw first-hand at the Port Harcourt International Airport, where I often pass through and was told this was at the behest of your administration. On enquiry, I was told that this has happened in all other government offices around the state. Beyond that, is your most recent decision to suspend the boards of existing statutory institutions such as State Independent Electoral Commission, Governing Councils of Tertiary Institutions, and even the revered Traditional Rulers Council. 

8. I do not claim to be an expert on constitutional matters but as one who has been atop in the country's bureaucracy and from best global practices around the world which I know too well from my diplomatic career of nearly half a century, the duties of a sole administrator as a placeholder are: 

i) Making decisions in an interim manner regarding the management and day to day administration of the state; 

 ii) Financial control, especially receiving money, making payments, and ensuring transparency;

iii) Managing personnel and ensuring other human resource functions; and 

iv) Taking measures to ensure peace, particularly using the office to intermediate and bring back peace to the realm in question; in this case, Rivers State.  

9. It is against this backdrop that I have been in great pain to write this letter to you and take the liberty to caution that in this complex national assignments which you find yourself enlisted to carry out, you must be timorous enough to not find yourself taking decisions that pale in the sight of best and acceptable standards of decency. This is more so as I have thoroughly read the Gazette dated 19th March, 2025 appointing you as Administrator as well as extracts of National Assembly Proceedings of Thursday, 20th March, 2025 and do not find the kind of wide and sweeping powers being deployed by your office.  

10. In conclusion, may the good Lord use you as a dispassionate instrument of peace, and may you have the courage to undo some of your actions that have so far proven to be over the bar.

With my regards.

Signed

Godknows Boladei Igali

National President

The cryptocurrency market has experienced a notable rebound, with Ethereum (ETH) rallying back to around $1,550 on Tuesday, marking about a 10% gain within the past 24 hours.

This surge follows a dramatic decline to a two-year low of $1,410 earlier in the week, during which ETH suffered a staggering 27% crash in just 48 hours.

The rebound offers a much-needed reprieve for investors who bore the brunt of significant liquidations and losses during the turbulent period.

Ethereum’s latest price recovery comes amid intensified activity in derivatives markets, which were shaken by the rapid price drop.

Liquidation in the past two days 

According to data from Coinglass, approximately $370 million worth of leveraged ETH futures were liquidated over just two days, a testament to the scale of the downturn.

Santiment statistics further revealed that the sell-off was driven by short-term holders, who collectively endured losses amounting to $500 million on Monday alone.

The volatility in Ethereum’s performance has raised concerns about the resilience of the cryptocurrency, but analysts are cautiously optimistic about the possibility of further stabilization as market conditions improve.

Bitcoin rallies back from $75,000 

Bitcoin briefly dipped below $75,000, only to rally back to approximately $80,000 late Monday, igniting a wave of recovery across major cryptocurrencies such as XRP (XRP-USD), Dogecoin (DOGE-USD), BNB (BNB-USD), and Cardano’s ADA (ADA-USD).

These tokens saw gains of up to 10%, helping the total crypto market capitalization return to levels not witnessed since early November.

The recovery was largely technical, as Monday’s market shakeout resulted in the liquidation of over $1.3 billion in crypto futures—predominantly affecting long positions. This purge of overleveraged traders cleared the way for a more stable rebound.

What you should know 

• Despite its recovery, Bitcoin’s claim to be a “digital gold” continues to face skepticism. Unlike traditional safe-haven assets like gold, which typically appreciate during periods of market turbulence, Bitcoin has shown a tendency to trade in tandem with high-risk technology stocks.
• During last week’s equity sell-off, Bitcoin dropped alongside the S&P 500, further challenging its reliability as a refuge during financial chaos.
• These concerns are seen by findings from a peer-reviewed study published in ScienceDirect, which revealed that Bitcoin failed to act as a safe haven during the 2020 COVID crash. Instead, it mirrored equity movements, highlighting its vulnerability to broader market trends.
• Positively, Ethereum’s network architecture keeps proving to be robust. On April 6, the Ethereum network’s overall value locked (TVL) peaked at 30.2 million ETH, a 22% rise over last month.

Over the same period, this rise exceeded rivals such as Solana (12% increase) and BNB Chain (16% increase).

[Nairametrics]

The House of Representatives Labour Party Caucus has dismissed as “laughable, naive, and misleading” the reported appointment of a new caucus leader by the embattled former national chairman of the party, Julius Abure.

This response follows an earlier statement from the caucus, which welcomed the Supreme Court judgment from last Friday and expressed readiness to work for the party’s internal peace and progress under the leadership of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC), headed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman.

In a subsequent move, Abure announced the “sacking” of Afam Ogene as the caucus leader.

Reacting in a statement released on Tuesday, the Labour Party Reps emphasized that the position of caucus leader is not an office to be appointed; rather, the leader is elected by peers based on their leadership qualities and their capacity to represent the party and the people.

“On May 6, 2023, a 35-member Labour Party caucus in the 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives elected Hon. Afam Victor Ogene as its Leader. Ogene, a ranking member from the 7th Assembly, emerged as the Labour Party leader with 21 votes, after a keenly contested election,” the statement explained.

“Although 34 Members-Elect of the Party were present at the voting session, only 31 of them participated in the exercise, with the trio of Honourables Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, Obi Aguocha, and Professor Lilian Oby Orogbu abstaining, as they were responsible for conducting the exercise. So, only the members of the caucus who overwhelmingly elected him have the right to remove him as leader, not ‘an authoritarian power-thirsty individual who is still battling, without much success, to extricate himself from the muddy waters of multiple allegations of malfeasance,’” the statement, signed by Hon. Ogene, read.

The statement further remarked, “If Abure’s latest ill-advised tactics stem from the Caucus’ support for the Supreme Court judgment, which declared that Abure’s tenure had long expired, he is mistaken. This remains the majority stance of LP House of Representatives members, which will be reinforced on Wednesday, April 9, during the NEC/Stakeholders meeting convened by the Party’s National Leader, Mr. Peter Obi, and Governor Alex Otti.”

The caucus also took a strong stance against Abure’s leadership style, declaring, “We need to let Abure know, and boldly too, that the Labour Party is a credible organization, not a ponzi scheme, because sadly, everything about his leadership style revolves around forgery, money, and more money. From Ebonyi to Plateau, Ondo, Edo (where he embarrassed the party through his undignified episodes with the police), it’s all about slush funds and compromising the integrity of the office of the party’s national chairman. Even in Anambra last week, the mention of Abure’s name continues to emit a putrid smell of financial malfeasance.”

The caucus also challenged Abure to address ongoing controversies surrounding his leadership, stating, “He may wish to tell Nigerians and the world what is at the center of his feud with Eze Oko Splendour of Ebonyi State, Kenneth Imasuagbon in Edo, and the aspirants involved in last weekend’s Anambra LP gubernatorial farce.”

Highlighting Abure’s lack of accountability, the statement criticized him for failing to account for party finances from the 2023 general elections, despite raising significant funds from the sale of forms and off-season elections.

“It is appalling that a man who has yet to account for Party finances arising from the 2023 general elections, nor leaves any penny in the party’s account – despite raising hundreds of millions of naira – would be so engrossed in wanting to access funds belonging to the House of Representatives Caucus,” the statement read.

It concluded, “No sane organ of the party would entrust funds to the Supreme Court-sacked former national chairman, at least, not until he is able to cleanse himself of the twin evils of allegations of forgery and pilfering party funds levied against him by former national treasurer of the LP, Oluchi Oparah. Funds belonging to the caucus are intact and will only be deployed in a manner prescribed by members, not by the former chairman’s discretion.”

The Labour Party, the statement affirmed, deserves a fresh start with leadership that party faithful can proudly stand behind.

[NaijaNews]

Novak Djokovic survived a scare in his quest for tennis history before joining Carlos Alcaraz and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the second round of the Australian Open on Monday.

But home favourite Nick Kyrgios will not join them as the combustible Australian failed to clear the first hurdle, swearing and in pain.

In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff powered through with minimum fuss as they seek to dethrone two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Another winner was two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, who defeated France’s Caroline Garcia 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

On a blockbuster second day in Melbourne, Djokovic lost the first set to 107th-ranked American Nishesh Basavareddy in the prime-time evening match on Rod Laver Arena.

But the Serbian great, hoping to roll back the years and win an 11th Australian Open and record 25th Grand Slam singles title, recovered to pull through 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

[Leadership]

Senator representing Borno South at the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has slammed President Bola Tinubu over his political appointments since assumption of office.

Tinubu has come under attacks from some sections in the country as he is being accused of favouring the South West where he hails from, particularly with his appointments.

Speaking on Arise TV, Ndume described Tinubu’s appointments as violations of the constitutional provision for federal character.

He added that the appointments have not reflected the diversity mandated by section 14(3) of the 1999 constitution.

According to him, “The figures are there. It’s not that I’m just making accusations or that the president has no right to do that kind of thing.

“But it’s a constitutional provision. Section section 14 (3) of the constitution is very, very clear on that. When you look at it vis-a-vis the appointments made so far, and there are political appointments. And it is because of avoiding such infractions that the constitution clearly states that appointments, especially political appointments should reflect the federal character, and that is not the case here”, he stated.

He said he was only calling the attention of Mr President to such “infractions” for him to correct it so that it will not “boomerang at a certain period of time.”

Ndume, a ranking senator, insisted that his remarks were not an attack on the president but a constitutional responsibility.

“I know, as you rightly say, people look at me as somebody that is critical of the government. I have the right to do that in the first place. And in fact, that’s why I’m in the national assembly in the first place”.

“Collectively, we are supposed to oversight the acts of Mr President and point out some of these irregularities. That is what we swore to do. It’s not personal”, he submitted.

He stated that he is not scared of being attacked for his latest take on the Tinubu administration.

“Each one of us will stand before God and God will ask him to account for what he is responsible for. Besides, we are all in this government. What will we tell our people? When you have these figures out, it is already viral, it is already in circulation.

“But you know what, after this interview, those attack dogs or maga-dogs will start attacking Ndume, not the message”.

He said his position is “not about Ndume or me being a senator. As a Nigerian, I have the right to voice out all these things. Not only that, I have the right to even protest. I have the right. That is guaranteed by the constitution.

“But from tomorrow, those so-called Tinubu boys or people will start attacking Ndume. These are the facts”, he added.

There have been changes in expected climatic or weather conditions all over the world in recent years due to global warming and this has had great impact on human health, other animals and the environment. The entire world is experiencing an upsurge in atmospheric temperature and of course its impact. Everyone is talking about climate change but it did not just occur suddenly. Human activities created this monster and now the entire world is grasping under the weight of the impacts this phenomenon has brought.
Mankind has always been a problem to its own existence through its activities. The human (anthropological) activities that reportedly brought about global warming and consequently its twin climate change include use of fossil fuel, deforestation, bush burning etc.
For years, it has been postulated that human activities have the ability to change the climatic conditions of a region. The link with human and environmental health was however not well defined.

Global Warming: How It Started

Swedish scientist, Svante Arrhenius was the first person to give quantitative prediction of global warming as a result of increasing atmospheric carbon-dioxide in 1896.
Eunice Foote has earlier in 1856 theorized about the idea that the warming effect of the sun increased with the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

However, Guy Callendar was the first scientist to link global warming with human activities in 1938. The industrial revolution between the 1700s and 1800s is attributed to be responsible for the beginning of global warming.
In 1712, British Engineer, Thomas Newcomen, invented the steam engine which paved the way for the large scale use of coal (fossil fuel) in industries. The black gold (crude oil) was later discovered and this revolutionized industrial developments. The drawback is that combustion of these fossil fuels involves emission of atmospheric pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides etc. These were later called greenhouse gases (GHG)

Climate scientists observed that the earth’s surface temperature increased by 1°C during the industrial revolution of the 1700s and 1800s.
Burning of fossil for energy production results in release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun on the earth’s surface leading to gradual increase of the Earth’s temperature.
The growing concern over the consequences of change in Earth’s climatic conditions and global warming resulted in the formation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. This led to the first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and since then a Conference of Parties (COP) on global warming and climate change has been held annually. 

Impact of Global Warming
Everything on planet earth is affected by global warming.
• There have been severe heat-waves causing heat-strokes in man and animals. Heatstroke is presented by heavy sweating, exhaustion, dizziness and unconsciousness.
• Changes in precipitation patterns resulting in droughts, floods, storms in different regions of the world.
• Rise in sea level leading to erosion, loss of coastal land and loss of biodiversity.
• Reduced agricultural productivity which impacts global food security and ultimately increased food prices and famine.
• Global warming and its twin climate change resulted in loss of habitat/shelter for both humans and animals, disruption of the ecosystem.

Crude oil is the major culprit responsible for global warming through the emission of greenhouse gases during combustion and energy generation.
According to the Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), there is a need to cut emission of greenhouse gases by 43% to limit temperature rise to 1.5oC and avoid the worst impacts of climate change still to come. Truly, the world is in need of climate change solution more than ever before.

[TheNation]

 The suspended Senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has instituted a N5billion defamation case against her colleague, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi for alleging that she had six children for different men.

In the process she filed through her team of lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr. M. J. Numa, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan described Nwaebonyi’s claim as false, saying it was a deliberate attempt to tarnish her reputation.

She told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that Nwaebonyi who represents Ebonyi North Central Senatorial District, had severely injured her reputation, caused her considerable distress and embarrassment to her credibility and public perception.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan told the court that the defendant, who is also the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, had on March 6, 2025, during a televised interview on Channels TV’s “Sunrise Daily” programme, falsely, maliciously, and without any lawful justification, referred to her as a “gold digger,” a “habitual liar,” and a “habitual blackmailer.”

She told the court that aside from the allegation that she had six children for different men, Senator Nwaebonyi equally alleged that her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, married her under duress.

“These statements were broadcast nationally and rebroadcast across multiple online and social media platforms, thus ensuring wide publication,” the claimant added, insisting the claims were false, malicious and targeted at bringing her image to disrepute.

“The claimant further contends that these statements in their natural and ordinary meaning, are meant and were understood to portray the claimant: as someone who constantly extorts people for money through dishonest and unscrupulous means as a career.

“As someone who demands money or other benefits from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them. As a woman who forms relationships with men purely to obtain money or gifts from them.

“As someone who constantly tells lies and does not speak the truth on most occasions and as someone who uses the threat of damaging information to coerce others into acting in her favour.”

The claimant told the court that the defendant deliberately made the defamatory statements knowing same to be false as it was meant to discredit her, in an attempt to justify her illegal suspension by the Senate.

“That the defendant, who is equally a member of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, made those false and reckless statements to prejudice the mind of the public against the claimant’s petition before the Senate.”

Consequently, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on a six-month suspension, among other things, prayed the court for an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the defendant, his associates, agents, assignees, servants, privies, proxies, allies or anyone howsoever called from further publishing or causing to be published the words complained about or any other defamatory words concerning the claimant.

In the suit marked: CV/1259/25, she further prayed for an order of the court, to compel the defendant to retract the defamatory words on the same platforms used to make the defamatory publications and to tender an unreserved apology in at least two national newspapers electronically and vide print media circulated nationwide, within 7 days from the day of the delivery of judgment in the matter.

She also urged the court to award “the sum of N5 billion only, against the defendant being aggravated and exemplary damages in favour of the Claimant for the false, malicious and injurious statements that have since caused the Ccaimant considerable distress, reputational harm, embarrassment, and emotional distress.”

As well as: “An order of this Honourable Court awarding post-judgment interest on the judgment sum awarded to the Claimant at the rate of 10% per annum from the date of delivery of the judgment until the judgment debt is fully liquidated.”

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan maintained that her characterization by the defendant as a mother of six from different men was baseless, malicious, and indeed reckless.

“The claimant is an inspiration to women in politics and aspiring women for speaking truth to power.

“The claimant is not spoiling the chance of women in politics as falsely alleged, rather she is inspiring women to be bold in their quest for politics and good governance,” she added.

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the matter to be heard.

[Vanguard]