Barrister Chris Agidy, the Senior Legislative Aide, SLA, to the lawmaker representing Delta North, Senator Ned Nwoko, who was kidnapped by bandits in 2023, has been killed.

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed this to DAILY POST on Tuesday.

Recall that at least 19 persons were in November 2023 kidnapped from their homes in the Galadimawa area of nation’s capital by gunmen.

However, the identities of the deceased was not clear as the lawmaker and the security operatives continued efforts to rescue the lawyer.

Confirming the killing on Tuesday, the FCT PPRO said the lawmaker’s aide was killed by one of the wanted notorious kidnappers terrorizing the country’s capital city, Samaila Wakili.

Wakili was arrested on February 24 at the Sardauna Forest, in the Toto area of Nasarawa State, by police operatives.

The FCT PPRO said the suspect, upon his arrest, “led police operatives to where the remains of Barr. Chris Agidy is”.

She noted that “the remains was recovered and deposited in Gwagwalada General Hospital”.

[DailyPost]

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said that the salary of the National Assembly members is not as much as Nigerians think and 50 per cent of it cannot be sacrificed to mitigate the suffering of the masses.

Amidst the ongoing economic crisis, some Nigerians have urged members of the National Assembly to take a significant step in alleviating the suffering.

One of the calls demanded the lawmakers to cut their salaries by half to demonstrate solidarity with the masses grappling with rising inflation, unemployment, and a general decline in living standards.

Responding to the call during an interview on Channels Television, the Deputy Speaker acknowledged the severity of the crisis and emphasized the need for intervention.

He also underscored the importance of sound policies that extend beyond mere pronouncements.

Kalu said that delayed gratification is essential for long-term gains, even as Nigerians endure the current hardships.

He assured the public that the 10th National Assembly was not indifferent to their plight, adding that they were prepared to make adjustments where necessary.

He explained that while salaries are fixed and form part of legislators’ compensation, allowances serve specific purposes related to their duties.

He added that spending allowances is strictly regulated, and any misuse can result in sanctions upon retirement.

He also said that contrary to popular belief, the salary of the National Assembly members fell short of public perception, noting that reducing it by 50 per cent would not significantly impact the public.

He said, “If we found out (just like we did during the COVID 19) that people are suffering and we need to intervene, we will make certain sacrifices to be able to identify with the people.

“I can assure you as well that we are not hoping that this crisis we are going through will linger for a very long time because when you have sound policies, it doesn’t end with just policy pronouncement; we need to give a timeline for the maturation of that policy and Nigerians are passing through a phase now in which delayed gratification for a better gain tomorrow is necessary.

“We don’t intend to make it last for too long. But if there’s the need to make some adjustments, I can assure you that the members of the 10th National Assembly are willing to make adjustments.

“But at the moment, talking about the salary of the members of the National Assembly, it’s not as much as people think. Salary is different from allowances, which are meant to do the jobs that the constituencies have sent us to do.

“Nobody is allowed to touch allowances, it’s your salary that belongs to you. Allowances have subheadings for things which they are meant for. If you use it wrongly, when you are retiring, you would be sanctioned for that.

“So talking about the salary of the members of the National Assembly, it’s far from what it’s supposed to be. And I can assure you that if you reduce it by 50%, it would not really impact the public.

“Based on current economic indices and the inflationary rate at the moment, what the members of the National Assembly are receiving cannot actively take them home to do their jobs in their various constituencies. So how could they cut their salaries by half?”

[DailyTrust]

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said the sale of Direct Entry (DE) registration nationwide and in selected foreign centres would commence on Wednesday.

The public communications advisor at JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement on Tuesday, February 27, said the registration process would start on Wednesday, February 28, and close on Thursday, March 28.

Benjamin noted that the sale of DE was open to foreign candidates desirous of tertiary education in Nigeria through the Direct Entry mode.

The JAMB spokesperson assured the public that the board will continue to ensure a level playing field for all candidates irrespective of status.

He, however, warned that the board would not process candidates’ applications from all awarding institutions that have refused to honour several requests for the verification of their A’level certificates presented by some candidates for the 2023 admission.

The statement said: “Candidates who are not awaiting results, must have uploaded their A’ level qualifications, O’level results and DE registration template at the point of registration as no DE candidates would be processed for admission until such claimed results are uploaded and verified by the awarding institutions on the Board’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) mail platform.

“DE candidates, who at the point of registration are awaiting A’level results of IJMB/JUPEB/NABTEB, must have uploaded their Admission Letter and Registration Template at the point of registration. Applicants with Cambridge certificates for the pre-2018 examination year should visit Cambridge directly for verification.

“This verification exercise may take up to 28 days (as specified by the awarding body) after which the verification result would be forwarded to the Board. The verification would be reflected on the e-Facility profile of the DE candidate. Statement of results (in lieu of certificate) is accepted for registration only within three years of the date of award.

“The Board has also given a window of opportunity for upgrading from UTME to DE with a proviso for only candidates whose DE results have not been released at the point of UTME registration and who must have indicated at the point of registration that he/she is awaiting A’level results. The particulars of which he/she must have supplied and contained in the uploaded registration template.”

[TheNation]

The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced its decision to sell foreign exchange worth $20,000 to each eligible Bureau De Change operator across the country.

This is coming more than two years after the suspended former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, stopped the sales of foreign exchange to BDC operators in that segment of the forex market.

The apex bank disclosed this in a new circular issued and signed by the Director, Trade and Exchange Department, Hassan Mahmud, on Tuesday.

The circular titled, “Sale of Foreign Exchange to Bureau de Change Operators to meet retail demand for eligible invisible transactions” said the move aimed at rectifying the persisting distortions in the retail segment of Nigeria’s foreign exchange market and bridging the widening gap in the exchange rate.

The circular read, “Following the ongoing reforms in the foreign exchange market, aimed at achieving an appropriate market-determined exchange rate for the Naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria has observed the continued price distortions at the retail end of the market, which is feeding into the parallel market and further widening the exchange rate premium.

It further directed eligible BDCs to make Naira payments to the designated CBN Foreign Currency Deposit Naira Accounts and submit confirmation of payment, with other necessary documentation.

“All eligible BDCs are directed to make the Naira payment to the designated CBN Foreign Currency Deposit Naira Accounts and submit confirmation of payment, with other necessary documentation, for disbursement at the appropriate CBN Branches ABUJA, AWKA, LAGOS and KANO,” it added.

The CBN in frantic efforts to save the free fall of the naira has made a number of significant reforms towards addressing Naira depreciation, such as probing and clearing FX backlog, limiting forex for foreign education and medical tourism, increasing BDCs’ minimum share capital, and curbing FX speculators, among others.

Details later…

[Punch]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), two significant opposition groups, have endorsed the ongoing two-day protest of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

This endorsement comes just as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed worries about possible protest hijacking.

Punch Newspaper reports that the opposition parties on Monday argued that the hardships faced by the people on the economic front are sufficient to motivate them to join labor unions in protest of the Federal Government’s insensitivity.

Naija News recalls that NLC president Joe Ajaero had threatened a total economic shutdown if any of the protesting members were attacked at Tuesday’s demonstration.

His threat also comes only a few days after the Department of State Services urged labor to put the protest on hold due to concerns that it would be hijacked by fifth columnists and used to wreak havoc across the nation.

However, the PDP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Ibrahim, told newsmen that the populace is always prepared to oppose any policies that are against the interests of the people.

Ibrahim said, “Labour has always been consistent in terms of expressing their misgivings because they are the ones interfacing with the workers. So it is not going to be the first time. I doubt if there is any government since Independence that has not contended with the protest or expression of agitation by labour.

“So the NLC is justified. The PDP agrees with labour. The reality on the ground defies human comprehension. You cannot expect Nigerians to fold their hands because it is an APC government that is in place. The NLC stormed the streets when it was the PDP. They did the same during the military regime. I don’t see any rationale for anybody to think the NLC is out to frustrate this government.

“The people have never been worse off as we are seeing it today. Purchasing power in the country has declined to an all-time worse. The inflation rate is also high. “Everybody should come out for this protest, including labour, civil society organisations and traders. The PDP is absolutely in support of this protest.”

A spokesman for the Labour Party Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko, emphasized that people have the right to express their dissatisfaction with anti-people policies.

Tanko said, “Obviously, some policies of this government are anti-people. We are talking about a government that promised people palliatives and failed to provide them. Is it not this same government that promised civil servant increment of salary? The people are yet to see it.

“The question is how long will this government continue to use the instrumentality of law to stifle the voices of the masses? For us in LP, the protest is justifiable. In fact, the NLC needs to take it further by demanding Constitutional review including that of the Electoral Act reform that is not giving us the right kind of leadership we want.

“Because of this, INEC is still under the whims and caprices of the Federal Government hence they cannot independently conduct elections. The people are tired and definitely have the right to speak up.”

However, the ruling APC voiced fear that the demonstration could derail if it is hijacked.

APC’s spokesperson, Bala Ibrahim stated that President Bola Tinubu directly addressed the suffering of the people in several of his broadcasts, demonstrating his awareness of their plight.

Ibrahim said, “The beauty of democracy is that it allows people to register their dismay or dislike where they feel the government is not doing well. But there is a proviso. In doing that, they must know that the right to protest is theirs. But that right stops where other people’s own begins.

“In a situation like this, the government has been honest enough to admit that indeed there is hardship in the land and people are going through distress. But circumstances necessitate the introduction of certain reforms with a view to getting certain solutions. It is like someone who has a fracture or dislocation. When he comes to fix it, there will be pain everywhere.

“I agree the country is in a state of unease. But the government is not insensitive to the feelings of the people just as the president admitted. Tinubu has made a broadcast where he said he felt the pains of the people from Lagos to Kano and every nook and cranny of the country. We don’t want this protest to be hijacked.

“The NLC should have a rethink. Let’s not do something that will be injurious simply because we want to play to the gallery. This protest is ill-timed. We implore them to give the FG a benefit of doubt and see what is being done. But certainly, things are being done that are in line with the yearning of the people.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said the two-day nationwide protest by its members is about hunger and the economic hardship in the nation.

The National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, made this known while speaking with reporters on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said contrary to the claim made by the Presidency that the ongoing protest is needless and about the minimum wage review, the union is not protesting only about the review of the country’s minimum wage.

Ajaero also accused the Federal Government of failing to meet the demands of the union since the removal of fuel subsidy, which has led to a rise in the cost of living.

He said, “You have to understand it. This protest is about hunger. What of those who are not working? The minimum wage, when will it be completed? When will it be implemented? What will be the minimum wage that will remove hunger?

“The UN said that every the poorest man should be fed on $2 per day. That’s the poorest. And if you have a family of six people, $2 per day by six is $12,” he said while addressing the press in Abuja.

“In a month, you have $360 which translates to about N700,000. Is that the minimum wage you’re talking about? Is that what will feed you? That’s feeding alone. I’m not talking about transportation and accommodation. So what are we saying? What about medical? What are we saying?

“Well, you know, we don’t, we don’t tell them what to do. We will tell them how we feel. There was hunger in the land, but it wasn’t this bad until deregulation. And then after the regulation, we proposed all that we needed to. If they had solved the problem of transportation immediately, they would have solved almost 50% of the problem.

“Because even when you process garri in the village, you need to transport it to town. The expenses you incurred on transportation, you add it to the cost of garri.

“So the moment they touch PMS, you can’t fill your tank with N30,000, N40,000. So the moment they touched it. We said, ‘OK, bring CNG buses. This is 7-8 months, no one bus is on the street.

“So we have provided all those solutions, even the cash transfer. They are still telling us now that they will start the cash transfer and they were playing politics with it that they were diverting it to their accounts. After today, we review our situation.”

A yet-to-be-ascertained number of persons have been trapped following the collapse of a building under construction in the Ochanja market in Onitsha, Anambra state.

The cause of the collapse, which happened on Monday evening, is yet to be determined.

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of the state, who visited the site on Tuesday, said five casualties have been recorded so far.

Soludo described the incident as tragic and one “that was not supposed to happen”. He disclosed that 26 individuals had been rescued and hospitalised, with rescue efforts ongoing to locate those still trapped under the rubble.

“The contractor at his own cost will come and put down the illegal buildings he erected here,” the governor said.

“They are all going to come down. My government did not approve of this building. We will redesign this area and build it properly.”

He added that other buildings constructed without proper approval will be demolished, including structures currently under construction at other markets.

“A comprehensive inventory of buildings in Anambra markets and public places will be conducted,” Soludo said.

“Markets will undergo integrity tests to identify and remove potentially unsafe structures, and individuals found responsible for illegal construction will face legal consequences.”

The governor also assured that the hospital bills of those receiving treatment will be offset by the government, and expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

A yet-to-be-ascertained number of persons have been trapped following the collapse of a building under construction in the Ochanja market in Onitsha, Anambra state.

The cause of the collapse, which happened on Monday evening, is yet to be determined.

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of the state, who visited the site on Tuesday, said five casualties have been recorded so far.

Soludo described the incident as tragic and one “that was not supposed to happen”. He disclosed that 26 individuals had been rescued and hospitalised, with rescue efforts ongoing to locate those still trapped under the rubble.

“The contractor at his own cost will come and put down the illegal buildings he erected here,” the governor said.

“They are all going to come down. My government did not approve of this building. We will redesign this area and build it properly.”

He added that other buildings constructed without proper approval will be demolished, including structures currently under construction at other markets.

“A comprehensive inventory of buildings in Anambra markets and public places will be conducted,” Soludo said.

“Markets will undergo integrity tests to identify and remove potentially unsafe structures, and individuals found responsible for illegal construction will face legal consequences.”

The governor also assured that the hospital bills of those receiving treatment will be offset by the government, and expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

Pro-democracy activists and scholars are concerned about the global decline of freedom, erosion of the rule of law, and the growing threats to Western-style liberal democracy, and rightly so.

In a lecture he delivered recently, Dr Larry Diamond, America’s renowned political scientist and a leading scholar on democracy studies, observed that “democracy globally has been in a prolonged recession since about 2007.

In the inaugural Distinguished Guests Lecture Series jointly organized by the Fixpolitics Movement, established by former Nigerian Education Minister and World Bank Africa Vice President, Dr Oby Ezekwesili and its affiliate, School of Politics, Policy, and Governance (SPPG), Senegal, Dr Diamond noted that there might be “many new (third wave) and old democracies (that) have been resilient, but many others (are) deteriorating.”

There are as many definitions of democracy as there are classifications by hardliners and followers of the liberal school of thought, but the definition credited to former British Prime Minister Winston Leonard Churchill finds accommodation even among anti-democracy advocates.

“Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…,” declared Churchill in 1947.

Experience has shown that other systems of government, such as oligarchy or autocracy, often lead to oppression and tyranny, and despite its flaws or imperfections, democracy has demonstrated a resilience for collective decision-making and efforts at striking a balance between freedom and responsibility.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is among those who believe that Western-style liberal democracy has failed in Africa and does not suit the continent's culture and traditions.  At a recent forum on rethinking democracy in Nigeria, held in Abeokuta, Western Nigeria, he therefore, advocated for the development of what he calls "Afro democracy," and charged a gathering of academics and politicians to clinically analyze the flaws of liberal democracy and proffer systems that are more effective and beneficial to Africa.

Whether it is liberal democracy that has failed, or the operators/practitioners (political actors) that have failed the people and the system is open to debate.

But from evidence-based analysis, the erosion of freedom, deterioration of the state of the rule of law, and threats to liberal democracy, though gradual, started around 2007, after the euphoria and celebrations that greeted the wave of multiparty democracy of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

There was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions, across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s, known as the first Arab Spring, which began in Tunisia in response to corruption, followed by political upheavals in the region called the second Arab Spring coupled with “people power” incidences against liberal democracy.

By 2022, virtually all parts of the World including Eurasia, Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, had witnessed one form of decline of freedom, or worrisome threats to the rule of law and democracy. Not even America, the “mother of democracy” was spared.

What is considered a retreat from liberal democracy and growing instability in West Africa and the wider African continent today is within the context and dynamic of the global landscape characterized by an unprecedented convergence of multiple threats and opportunistic vectors, such as geopolitical and strategic shifts, economic downturns, currency fluctuations, climate and environmental ecosystem changes, sociocultural dynamics, and digital advancements, especially the “invasion” of social media.

Welcoming Diamond, Ezekwesili emphasized the necessity for Africa to create a conducive political climate in her search of solutions to its governance challenges.

In the same vein, the Dean of SPPG, Senegal, Professor Emeritus Alioune Badara Fall, of the University of Bordeaux explained that the democratic project in Africa was complex and vulnerable to several influences. 

As the Convener of Fixpolitics, Senegal, Adama Gaye, a seasoned Senegalese journalist and former Director of Communications of ECOWAS underscored the need “to build a disruptive massive class of African leaders with character, capacity and competence.”.

In the online lecture entitled “Power, Performance, and Legitimacy: Renewing Global Democratic Momentum,” attended by more than 300 participants, Diamond, a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, U.K., warned that: “We (the World) remain in a volatile and uncertain period - democracy globally could sharply gain or contrast.”

The key trends identified in his thesis include “horizontal accountability… growing polarization, intolerance magnified by social media, authoritarian resurgence, and power projection, and decay of democratic quality in the U.S. and parts of Europe… with declining trust and satisfaction, high-profile movements for democracy, as well as illiberal populism, still spreading but can be reversed.”

The lecture examined “the global trends in democracy and freedom, the minimum standard for electoral democracy as well as free and fair competition for power - a level playing field.”

Using data from various peer-reviewed sources such as the Freedom House and the Economist Intelligence Unit, Diamond tested the practice of democracy by regions - between 2006 and 2022 with Europe topping the ranking, while Sub-Saharan Africa, some countries in the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East and North Africa bringing up the rear in that order. He also examined the Global Expansion of Democracy from 1974 to 2022 within countries and the Rate of Democratic breakdowns as a percentage of democracies over the same period, with the percentage of democratic expansion at 16% against breakdowns of 40%.

Also analyzed were the ratio of Democratic Transition to Breakdowns, and Gains to Declines in Freedom, with the “causes of Democratic Recession from 2006 traced to the “Backlash Against Iraq intervention by the US and its allies - perception of failed democracy promotion, and the 2008 Financial Crisis.”

Others were the “Rise of Social Media, the Technology boom, the growing concentration of wealth and income within countries, the Global Power shift, the Decline of US/European power and prestige, the Resurgence of Russia, and the Rise of China as a major power.”

On the chart for Democratic Gainers and Losers between 2006 and 2022, countries listed under “declining democracies” included Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, Türkiye, and the US. Nations under “Improving Democracies” were Columbia and Taiwan, for “Oscillating States,” were Argentina, South Korea, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam, while China, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Myanmar, Russia, were listed as “Worsening Autocracies.”

Under the trends in Political Rights, Rule of Law, and Civil Liberties between 2006 and 2022 across the regions, Sub-Saharan recorded the lowest scores of -18%, -11%, and -3% respectively, while listed under “Failed Democratic Transitions” were Venezuela 2019, Zimbabwe 2016-17, Iran 2009, Arab Spring: Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia; Sudan 2018, Ethiopia 2015, 2018, Myanmar 2011, Malaysia 2018, Algeria 2019, and Lebanon 2019-20.

The lecture also examined Norms versus Institutions that support liberal democracy, with factors that loomed large, including “shallow, eroding normative commitment to democracy (by elites), Eroding public trust in democratic institutions, and declining legitimacy, the demise of civic education, the impact of social media and the coarsening of civic life and Authoritarian propaganda, sharp power, and flooding of the information zone.”

The factors driving “Poor economic and political performance” were listed as “Weak economic growth, inadequate jobs and social safety net, Poor education (long-term deficits of human capital), Corruption, crony capitalism, kleptocracy, Extreme and rising inequality, Declining public order: crime, gangs … and very weak governance.”

The lecture further examined “Attitudes Towards Democracy, Satisfaction with Democracy, Rejection of One-Party State, Rejection of Military Rule, and Rejection of all three Authoritarian Alternatives across regions with selected countries.

In Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa, the four countries covered by the study in Sub-Saharan Africa, there were notable preferences for Democracy against the three Authoritarian alternatives.

Diamond explained that electoral democracy or the conduct of regular elections cannot equate to liberal democracy, which should be measurable not by government or individual performance, but by the aggregation of collective satisfaction of the aspiration of the majority.

His prescriptions for the strengthening of liberal democracy include promoting “cross-national learning, countering incipient democratic backsliding, defeating illiberal populism at the polls, effective policies for equitable and inclusive growth, and countering authoritarian sharp power.”

Other measures are “defeating populism, mobilizing cross-cutting civil society alliances, leading with bread-and-butter issues of the people’s needs and the populist government failure, exposing the corruption of populists' leaders and government, the fraud in its claim to represent the people, identifying reforms to improve democracy, but do not make those the centerpiece of the campaign.”

Diamond said, “Civic nationalism” should be embraced, with democracy and personal freedom made an integral part of what makes the nation great, adding that priority attention should also be given to Legitimacy and Performance in determining policy implications to encourage economic support and investment to promote growth and opportunity.

There should be vigilance against diplomatic pressure and Aid conditionality that could drive democratic backsliding, the lecturer warned, adding that there should also be training for “democratic policing, reviving of civic education in schools and efforts to counter authoritarian propaganda and disinformation.”

He also advocated for a Global Campaign for democracy that should include Project “Democratic Soft Power to promote democratic values, ideas, examples, and institutional designs, in multiple languages and forms.” This is to “counter and expose Authoritarian Sharp Power efforts to penetrate and sway democratic institutions (Universities, Thinktanks, Businesses, Parties, Communities, and Substantial Governments.”

On the influence of money on politics, Diamond suggested the strengthening of laws against foreign influence, including campaign funding, review of inbound Foreign Investment, and support for democratic media.”

To strengthen democratic legitimacy, he called for “improving the performance of democracies, economic and political, strengthening of Global Power Democracies, increasing support for New and Weak Democracies, waging the Global Normative Battle for Democracy, and training Coalitions for anti-corruption and rule of law reforms.”

There should also be “increased assistance to independent media, investigative journalism, and NGOs, to fight corruption and promote good governance reforms, while at the same time using diplomacy to defend civic space, denouncing human rights violations and defending democratic principles.”

Diamond also suggested “investment in public-private partnerships for new tools to defend internet freedom and security, coupled with defense and strengthening of electoral security and integrity with electoral reform (of majoritarian rules), regulation, monitoring, and reform of social media.

There should also be “reforms to combat kleptocracy and money laundering with bridging rather than polarizing campaign strategies with effective policy responses on immigration, jobs, and inequality,” he concluded.

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