Indications emerged during the week that the National Judicial Council (NJC) headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun is set to hold a crucial meeting anytime soon to consider, among others, reports of its several committees that investigated allegations of misconducts against several serving judicial officers in the country.

The meeting which is the first quarterly meeting of the Council to be chaired by Justice Kekere-Ekun and the last for the year, barring any unforeseen event, has sparked palpable tension in the judiciary following a recent vow by the new Chief Justice that errant judicial officers would no longer be spared.

NJC is a creation of section 153 of the 1999 Constitution with statutory powers to appoint, promote and sanction errant judicial officers in the country.

A credible source close to the Council told Vanguard that a date for the meeting would be fixed as soon as the Chief Justice who is at present on an official assignment outside the country is back.

It was also learnt that the number one judicial officer in the country is not comfortable with the present perception of the third arm of government and that she is prepared to restore sanity into the system in no time.

“I can tell you that the Chief Justice is eagerly awaiting the reports of the various panels earlier constituted to probe sundry allegations of misconduct against the judicial officers to enable her act decisively on them,” the source said.

It would be recalled that between May and August 2024, a total of 22 petitions were written against 27 serving judges of both the Federal and state high courts in the country while the NJC referred all the complaints to one of its standing Committees , Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee, for consideration.

The Committee had examined each of the petitions and threw out a majority 18 on the accounts that they were either lacking in merit, abandoned by the petitioners or found to be subjudice since some of the issues raised therein were still subject to litigation either at the high courts or the appellate courts.

This is aside a separate eight panels earlier set up by the same NJC in June 2024 to investigate another set of judges for alleged judicial misconduct.

Specifically, the Council’s Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee had examined 35 different petitions written against 33 judicial officers from both the Court of Appeal and the state high courts but found only eight to be meritorious.

Apart from the previous eight panels set up by the NJC in June, 2024 to probe judges, another four panels were also set up by the NJC on August 15, 2024 to investigate judges against whom prima facie case had been established.

By implication, there are 12 surviving petitions from 55 petitions affecting several judicial officers across the country being investigated by the various standing committees of the NJC.
Each standing panel, it was learnt, comprised a chairman and two other members of the Council.

It was also learnt that each of the 12 panels had separately forwarded copies of the petitions to the affected individual judges to defend themselves both in writing and orally.

A source privy to the procedure at the NJC told Vanguard that the affected judges were allowed to be represented by counsel of their choice.

Although, all the panels were given till penultimate Thursday, October 31, 2024 to wind up their sittings, some of the affected judges including the Chief Judge of a high court had requested for more time to adequately defend the petitions against them since the names of some of them featured in more than one petition.

But the Committees which were forced to give them additional 24 hours had reportedly told them that they did not have eternity to hear their petitions and should forward their responses if they had any.

“As soon as the Chief Justice is back in the country, the last quarterly meeting of the NJC would be fixed for the reports of the different panels investigating the affected judges to be taken.
“I think cases will be differently handled this time and I think this new CJN will recalibrate, in no time, the perception of the judiciary and its legitimacy,” the source added.

Ahead of the consideration of the reports, top lawyers in the country have been piling pressure on the National Judicial Council, NJC, regarding the latest crisis that erupted in Rivers State in the last few days arising from conflicting orders by two high court judges of coordinate jurisdiction on whether or not local council election in the state should hold on October 5, 2024
Some of the stakeholders pushing the position are respected members of the inner bar. Among them are former member of Imo State House of Assembly Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN, one-time Abia State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Prof Awa Kalu, SAN, renowned academic Prof Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, and respected silk Chief Samuel Jibrin Okutepa, SAN.

The lawyers who described the current practice of serving judges in the country to struggle for jurisdiction in political cases as embarrassing said that until examples are made, the integrity of the judiciary will continually wane, putting the nation’s fledgling democracy at risk.

Saturday Vanguard reports that sometimes in May, this year, under the watch of the immediate past Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, three judges of coordinate jurisdiction —Justice Mohammed Liman, Justice S. Amobeda and Justice Amina Aliyu, in quick succession, similarly granted conflicting orders in Kano emirship dispute, which not only heated up the polity and scandalized the judiciary but also left the Kano emirate with two substantive emirs till date.

Both Justices Mohammed Liman and Justice S. Amobeda are serving under the Federal high court bench while Justice Amina Aliyu is of the Kano state judiciary.

Although Chief Justice Ariwoola invited the heads of the Federal high court and the Kano state high court to his Abuja office to get first-hand information on the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the embarrassing conflicting orders, Vanguard reports that none of the three judges handed off the cases until judgment while none was sanctioned.

But upon her assumption of office, the new CJN said it would not be business as usual.
However, few days after her elevation, two judges—Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja and Justice Chigozie Igwe of the Rivers State High Court, Port-Harcourt, issued conflicting orders regarding local council elections that recently held in Rivers state.
The conflicting orders had set the state on fire.

Judgments that defile logic, justice flying around —Okutepa, SAN

Following the shenanigans, a firebrand advocate, Mr Samuel Jibrin Okutepa, SAN who did not mention any particular case had wondered aloud why impeccable elder statesmen of the bar were keeping mum in the face of waning integrity of the legal profession.

“In those days when members of the legal profession were the hope of the marginalised and oppressed, there were strong and impeccable elder statesmen of the legal profession. When any member within the legal profession exhibited conduct that had potential of lowering the integrity of the legal profession, these elders waded in and ensured that the integrity of the legal profession did not suffer jeopardy in the hands of bad legal practitioners and judges
“Do we still have elders of Spartan courage and mien in the profession? I am asking because the legal profession is in need of elders who can save the profession from coming to a calamitous end. Today, judgments that defiled logic and justice are flying here and there. There are strong perceptions of state capture of our justice systems. Politics has entered the legal profession.

Where are our elders? This is not the best time for the legal profession,” he added.

Court orders these days are so ‘lucrative’ —Prof Odinkalu

Also reacting, a former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, said that the joke now is that “court orders these days are so lucrative that many judges make them – in good old Nigeria-speak – double-double. Responsibility for this sorry state lies mostly with the Federal High Court.

“The ancient city of Kano now has two Emirs, one state and the other federal after a rogue Federal High Court judge decided to take chieftaincy into the federal realm. Edo State has two Deputy Governors too.

“By dint of the judicial labours of Peter Lifu, a judge, the Federal High Court also attempted to impose two separate dates on Rivers State for the conduct of Local Government elections after Chigozi Igwe, a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, had issued a considered decision setting 5 October as the date for the election.

“Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, acknowledged Peter Lifu’s hard work by handing him the moniker of “that justice that gave that fraudulent judgment.”

“This is not the first time the Federal High Court will gratuitously constitute itself into an appellate forum to review without benefit of the records of proceedings and with the practised ill-will of a political hit-job dressed up in judicial robes, decisions of State High Courts.

“Nor is it the first time that the Federal High Court will convert itself into a court of unlimited jurisdiction that it is not at the expense of a State High Court which, under the Constitution, is indeed the only court of unlimited jurisdiction. This Federal High Court has become the place where the law falls into disrepute and Lady Justice suffers repeat rape,” he added.

Why should a judge order police not to provide security —NBA

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) which has also lamented the menace of conflicting judgments from the affected high court judges concerning the scheduled elections stated that even if a court has directed the Police not to work with the Electoral Commission on Rivers State, nothing says the Police should not provide security for peace and order of Rivers State, adding that the refusal to provide security was not only unconstitutional but also illegal, immoral, and a dangerous signal that invites lawlessness and undermines democracy.

NJC should wade in even without petition, scapegoat erring judicial—Ahamba, SAN

A respected member of the inner bar, Chief Mike Ahamba, SAN has also expressed revulsion at the abhorred practice of judges granting conflicting orders to heat up the polity and scandalize the judiciary.

“Those who are supporting the Federal high court in this affair should let us know under what section of the constitution a Federal high court has jurisdiction on matters outside the purview of section 251 of the constitution,” adding that the Federal high court in the first place ought not to hear such matter.

He said the National Judicial Council should not wait for petition when this kind of thing happens, advising that they should make reference to the law, call the errant judge to order and punish him.

He added that until one or two judicial officers are retired, others would not sit up.

A Federal high court has no jurisdiction to entertain cases on LG and its affairs —Prof Kalu, SAN

Also contributing, Prof Awa Kalu, SAN said that a Federal high court has no jurisdiction to entertain cases on local government and its affairs just as he wondered why a high court judge would order police not to perform its constitutional duty.

“A Federal high court, a state high court and a National Industrial Court are equal under the Constitution. What we expect as law abiding citizens is that no court should place itself beyond another when you are on the same level. “When you have local government election, why should it be controlled by federal high court? And again, the primary duty of the police is to maintain law and order. So, why should a court direct police not to do what they are supposed to do—maintenance of law and order,” he queried rhetorically.

[Vanguard]

Expectedly, politicians, who wish to run for the 2025 gubernatorial elections in Anambra, are bent on denying the obvious. They talk down – or rather play the ostrich by pretending not to see – the massive transformation going on in all sectors of the economy in Anambra State in order to make themselves look good and support their jaundiced narratives. When one commentator confronted a social media handler who dished out misinformation for these deceptive politicians, the social media handler responded by telling the commentator that he should know that ‘’this is the game of politics and that lies are allowed’’. Politics should not be about deception!

Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s transformational leadership makes the work of these political ‘hopefuls’ extremely difficult. And many – if not all of them – have even resorted to making promises that no politician can ever keep. At least, recent history shows that. They all say that they plan to run for a single term in office.

Here are the issues. Anambra State has an unwritten zoning arrangement for the governorship position that allows power to rotate between the three senatorial zones in the state, after every eight years. This arrangement was solidified by former Governor Peter Obi, who insisted that his then political party, APGA, produced a candidate from Anambra North as a way to balance the power rotation after his tenure, since he came from Anambra Central. Today, after Anambra North, it is the turn of Anambra South – the region the incumbent governor hails from. This has balanced the political calculus in Anambra and has ensured that Anambra has been peaceful politically. This has really worked in Anambra and the consensus is that this is the way to go.

In order not to alter this arrangement, all the aspiring politicians for the 2025 elections – off course most of them are from Anambra South where the incumbent comes from – have promised to run for only one term.

But no politician, in history, has kept such promise. Making this promise is to play with people’s intelligence. In some cases, there are even arguments about whether a politician actually made the one–term promise. In 2014, during the 2015 presidential election campaigns, President Olusegun Obasanjo told Bloomberg News that, in the 2011 election campaigns, President Jonathan promised not to serve beyond a single term. This was denied by President Jonathan’s camp. In 2018, the social media was awash with an interview that was purportedly granted by President Buhari to Daily Trust where he promised to run for one term if elected in 2015. But the then presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, argued that the president was misquoted.

In 2019, the Politico newspaper, reported that President Biden – who was 77 years then – signaled to aides that he would run for only one term. If this was actually true, observers of the recent US election will tell you that the only reason President Biden did not run for re-election was because of his age, probably his health and pressure from his political party. (He actually started the campaigns for his re-election before he threw in the towel). In the case of President Nelson Mandela, who is revered as one of Africa’s greatest leaders, if not for his failing health and age, Mandela would probably not have retired from active politics at 80 years in 1999 – the year he decided not to run for re-election. In Africa, the sit-tight culture of leaders makes a 4–year tenure promise an impossibility! Only life-threatening issues make this ‘’promise’’ possible.

Let us even assume that these politicians who claim to serve for only one term are honest about it and interrogate their concept of development. Many of them do not even have a track record of a strong public service experience. This means that they would likely take the first two years to learn on the job, if they were elected by any chance. They would probably not even achieve anything in their proposed 4 years. (Governor Soludo performed exceptionally well in the last 30 months because he came with a lot of experience). Besides, the conception and planning of mega projects take time. In the UK, for example, the Hinkley Point C Power Project which began in 2018 is expected to be completed in 2028.

In Anambra, massive projects are expected to commence in the coming months. They include the remodeling of the Onitsha main market, the construction of three new smart and eco-friendly cities and a massive railway system within the state. So far, there are many mega projects Governor Soludo would be commissioning in the coming months. Interested readers can see these projects here: https://www.thecable.ng/on-5-mega-projects-executed-by-soludo-without-borrowing-a-penny/

In terms of security, despite the fact that most communities do not have functional police stations in the state, the Governor Soludo-led administration’s community policing strategy still remains the most viable way to keep Anambra safe. Tech is also part of the strategy being used to keep Anambra safe. Security is not something to play divisive politics with. It is everybody’s job to keep their communities safe!

The future of Anambra, under Governor Soludo’s watch, is really bright and the politicians spewing lies because of their selfish ambitions know this.

Nwankwo is the special adviser to Soludo on special projects.

Nollywood’s ‘Wives On Strike 3’ and Hollywood’s ‘3 Working Days’ are movies TheCable recommends for you to watch in the cinema or on streamers this weekend.

More recommendations are below:

Wives On Strike 3 

Running time: 2hrs 2mins

Starring: Chioma Akpotha., Hilda Dokubo, Uche Jumbo

Synopsis: A newly elected female local government chairman finds herself in a web of darkness, battling the challenges of her newfound authority and a nightmarish revelation in her personal life.

3 Working Days

Running time: 1hr 30mins

Starring: Femi Adebayo, Gbugbemi Ejeye, Deyemi Okanlawon

Synopsis: A desperate man holds up a bank, taking the staff and customers hostage with an ultimatum to process his delayed transaction. Unknown to him, his move disrupts the plans of a deadly gang planning to attack the same bank.

A Night in 2005

Running time: 1hr 50mins

Starring: Bimbo Akintola, Ireti Doyle, Efa Iwara

Synopsis: A fun prom after-party in 2005 quickly becomes a girl’s worst nightmare. She carries a dark secret from that night into adulthood that continues to plague her everyday life.

Venom: The Last Dance

Running time: 1hr 50mins

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Clark Backo, Cristo Fernández

Synopsis: The final tale in the trilogy with Eddie and Venom on the run. The duo is being hunted by both worlds and forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down.

When The Poor Smile

Running time: 1hr 50mins

Starring: Bolanle Ninalowo, Juliet Ibrahim, Kunle Remi

Synopsis: The daughter of a wealthy man falls in love with a poor worker at a holiday resort despite advances from a charming pilot. In her growth journey with the worker, she discovers that the poor also smile.

Queen Lateefah

Running time: 2hrs 5mins

Starring: Wunmi Toriola, Kunle Remi, Lateef Adedimeji

Synopsis: A socialite with a wealthy online personality meets a man who falls head over heels with her. The man is in love with her influential, accomplished persona, a facade that will come undone soon.

Joker: Folie A Deux

Running time: 2hrs 18mins

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Ken Leung, Lady Gaga

Synopsis: Arthur Fleck is placed in Arkham, awaiting trial for his crimes as the Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur stumbles upon true love and finds the music that’s always inside him.

Farmer’s Bride

Running time: 1hr 45mins

Starring: Gbubemi Ejeye, Tobi Bakre, Femi Branch

Synopsis: A young bride marries an old farmer with her mother’s arrangement. The bride despises her husband and falls in love with the old farmer’s younger nephew. The forbidden love spins out of control.

The Wild Robot

Running time: 1hr 41mins

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, Paul-Mikél Williams

Synopsis: An intelligent robot is stranded on an uninhabited island after a shipwreck. To survive the harsh environment, the robot bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

Transformer One

Running time: 1hr 44mins

Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm

Synopsis: The prequel tells the origin story of  Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, who were once friends and bonded like brothers.

[TheCable]

This column spared no love for the Obama/Biden presidency. In an Exclusive Commentary of December 5, 2020, in the Houston-based USAfrica, titled “Will Biden Impose Alternative Lifestyles on Africans?” my submission was that a Biden presidency should be a source of worry to non-enthusiasts of gay marriage and anti-gay advocacy. The publication began thus: “On January 2021, upon being sworn in as president of the United States, Joe Biden will begin to reconnect with many “globally significant” individuals towards the globalization of new (alternative) lifestyles and values pyramid. ‘The Return of all the freedom enjoyed under Barrack Obama’ is already the mantra of many who are cheering the November 2020 election of Joe Biden as president”.

Let us recall that the Obama administration – where Biden served as vice president for eight years, 2009 to 2017 – threatened Nigeria with sanctions for passing a law against same-sex marriage. “That presidency diligently promoted the same sex agenda and Gay relationships with the LGBTQ+ movement and created a new world for the exercise of those ‘rights’ when in 2016, Donald trump barged in bared teeth and all.”

The problem with the values and tendencies diligently promoted by the Obama/Biden government lay more in the determination of the duo to universalize those values and tendencies than in their mere endorsement. Go back to the teachings of William James about “truth”. He taught his American admirers that truth is whatever “works” for you at any time. That was the new pragmatism that began to smoulder and grow in that period of intellectual explosion that took violent possession of a land of hope, opportunity and enlightenment. It all began after the land got christened as “God’s own country, with more than its fair share of great men and women.

It took more than a hundred years for all of this to mature into the global nightmare it has become today, with the US as the imperator and chief exporter of the nightmare. They speak of human right, without first asking what makes an entity human. Without asking what human values are in themselves.

With Trump’s victory two days ago, the two politico-spiritual currents and counter currents which have been at war in the US for a long time now have come to a new corner of the road. We are now well beyond that point in the progressive development of the argument for expansion of the social space. These are no longer the early days of instalmental gains on minority rights, or the more recent grand campaigns for inclusivity and greater sensitivity towards, and support for, many otherwise less privileged groups and interests.

What climaxed in the US under Obama and Biden, and which Kamala was poised to drive further, was the chorus of submissions driving the view that everyone had the right to whatever pleased him, provided he did not disturb anyone about it unduly.

It did not begin with them, surely. The conscious, deliberate and well funded campaign in defence of Lesbians and gays had grown elaborate flagella over time and changed to LGBTQ. Then it added the plus sing to LBGBTQ, for any stray tendency that may turn up in the neighbourhood. In other words, space was already for the unknown, the unnamed and the unimagined, just in case it turned up.

The Memorandum seeks a worldwide plan to strengthen the protection of LGBTQI+ rights, in such a way that it would be taken for granted that humanity must now collectively drive a new global priority under this umbrella of rights. But is this continuation of the Obama government’s agenda of driving LGBTQI+ issues willy-nilly as welcome as they are making it seem? Should all mankind tremble and fall in line because an American president has announced that his country would roll out sanctions against other countries which do not subscribe to America’s preferred values?

Can he even do that in US states which are yet to fall in line in this regard? Can he do anything about the legislative federalist orientation of the American State, despite a respected Supreme Court?

The article continued: “What warrants Biden’s presumption? In what way did it make sense to him to pass his country off as defender of humanity and protector of the ideal values? Is America, with its daily murder records in New York City alone, and its many socio-culturally disruptive engagements all over the world, really in a position to speak about guiding the world to greater sanity? By what universal standard was Nigeria rightly classified a “homophobic” country; as was done under Obama, because of the country’s anti-gay law?

Biden’s Vice President, Kamala Harris, is as dead set on pro-Gay values as anyone can be. Recall her public position on the matter, including her submission on what to do about homeless homosexuals.

“This column did not, for once, comment on the person of Donald Trump before, during, or after his stint in the White House. He was, in my view, a historical necessity. His tenure as president threw up much about America that needed recalibration and reconsideration, especially along deep fault lines the country was pretending did not exist.

When Biden said: “The United States belongs at the forefront of this struggle – speaking out and standing strong for our most dearly held values”, did he consider that “our most dearly held values” in Nigeria are not American values? Since when did America start speaking for all climes? When Biden spoke of “…enforcing freedoms and promoting tolerance,” does he consider that he is the President of the US, rather than the earth? Does he even look at the overall impact of the US on “rights” with regards to global peace, climate change and morality?

On November 23, 2020, this column carried a piece with the title “Biden and the Global Gender Crisis.” That article observed as follows: “The Obama Government threatened Nigeria with official sanctions, when the National Assembly passed a law against same-sex marriage. The Obama government also refused to sell arms to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram. It also discouraged other countries from selling arms to Nigeria; even as thousands were being slaughtered every day. The argument, then, was that the Nigerian government was not respecting the human rights of the terrorists! …The Obama Presidency stood out in its promotion of gay relationships under the LGTBQ+ movement.”

Today, all the investments seeking and securing special treatment for homosexuals and interference with gender distinctions, which are all in line with the LGBTQI+ campaign spelt out in Marshal Kirk and Hunter Madsen’s 1987 Essay, “The Overhauling of Straight America,” stand challenged under a Trump presidency. The above mentioned work, which urged Gays to project themselves in ways that would make the world think of them as normal people who prefer to do certain things differently, was updated years later, in the book “After the Ball: How America will Conquer its Fear of Gays in the 90s.” The latter work mapped out a public relations strategy for the movement. And it is working.” Yes, it is!

Which is why, as said in the USAfrica article: “Oklahoma Senator, Tom Coburn, in 2004, saw the gay movement as a more pressing danger than terrorism. In 2005, James Dobson, Director of Focus on the Family, described the homosexual agenda as including “universal acceptance of the gay lifestyle, discrediting of scriptures that condemn homosexuality, muzzling of the clergy and Christian media, granting of special privileges and rights in the law, overturning laws prohibiting paedophilia, indoctrinating children and future generations through public education, and securing all the legal benefits of marriage for any two or more people who claim to have homosexual tendencies.”

Now that Trump is president, much will change in America. He is out to fight the traditional values of the conservative American State. Religious practices, Big Pharma and all big bad boys and girls are now in the line of fire. While at it, Trump should remember what happened to JFK. He has already been shot at twice.

QUOTE

…This column did not, for once, comment on the person of Donald Trump before, during, or after his stint in the White House. He was, in my view, a historical necessity. His tenure as president threw up much about America that needed recalibration and reconsideration, especially along deep fault lines the country was pretending did not exist.

A former commissioner for Agriculture in Ogun State, Dr. Adeola Odedina has bagged the 2024  University of Wolverhampton Alumni Honour Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Dr. Odedina a set of 1991 clinched the coveted price ahead of 3 other nominees namely Sandra Wallace CBE,  James Meehan and Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim.

According to the organizers, they say the prestigious award recognises the outstanding lifetime accomplishments of a graduate for their ongoing and significant contribution to their profession or society since graduating.

Dr. Odedina, who has previously served as a former Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture,  Akure and Rector, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta has mentored no fewer than 40, 000 young Nigeria whom have expressed keen interest in smart agriculture, agric business amongst others.

Receiving his latest award, Dr. Odedina epressed delight over his nomination and eventual win  saying, " this is the highest point of my life and career. I istened  to the profile of fellow finalists, and I said, do I stand a chance?, I am happy this is a reality."

Dr. Odedina adds that he received congratulatory messages over his nomination from the former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the President,  African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, who he describes as his mentors.

He  further says " I left Wolverhampton Polytechnic in 1991, I studied Agricultural Education and what I learnt became very handy when I was the commissioner for Agriculture in Ogun State, Nigeria during  the Covid - 19 era where I mapped out road map for Agriculture.

Dr. Odedina who describes himself as Mr. Wolverhampton in Nigeria used to occasion to recommed the university to anyone seeking life skill who wants to advance his/her career either in Agriculture or any other field. 

Flanked by his wife, Prof. Joy Odedina and daughter,  the awardee expressed thanks to everyone who made his day, career and year great.

The recent re-election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, has raised questions about how his policies might shape global investment flows over the coming years.

During Trump’s first term, Nigeria saw a substantial boost in foreign capital inflows, receiving five times more than it has under President Joe Biden’s administration.

According to data, Nigeria attracted a total of $10.5 billion in foreign capital during Trump’s first four years in office, compared to just $2.39 billion so far under Biden.

Analysts suggest that this disparity reflects the interplay of U.S. monetary policies, Nigeria’s interest rate strategy, and currency stability—factors that collectively created a more favourable investment climate during Trump’s tenure.

Comparative Capital Inflows: Trump vs. Biden 

A closer look at the data reveals that under Trump’s administration, Nigeria’s capital inflows rose steadily, reflecting a favourable environment for foreign investment. The year-by-year breakdown of capital inflows shows this trend:

• 2016: $950 million
• 2017: $2.47 billion
• 2018: $3.58 billion
• 2019: $4.5 billion

By 2019, total capital inflows to Nigeria had hit a peak of $23 billion, with the United States alone contributing $4.5 billion. In contrast, under Biden, Nigeria has experienced a drastic reduction, attracting just $2.39 billion so far—roughly a quarter of what was achieved under Trump.

Key factors driving capital during Trump’s term 

Interest Rate Policies: During Trump’s presidency, the U.S. maintained relatively low interest rates, making emerging markets like Nigeria more attractive to U.S. investors seeking higher returns.

• At the same time, Nigeria offered competitive interest rates, particularly between 2017 and 2018, to draw in foreign portfolio investment.
• Higher yields on Nigerian government securities during this period boosted investor interest and inflows.

Exchange Rate Stability: Another factor that underpinned Nigeria’s capital inflows was the relative stability of the naira.

• Between 2017 and 2019, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) managed to keep the naira at around N360/$1, creating predictability for foreign investors concerned about currency risk.
• A stable currency is a significant consideration for investors, particularly in emerging markets, where currency depreciation can severely impact returns.

In the subsequent Biden years, the story shifted. With the U.S. Federal Reserve raising interest rates to combat inflation, many investors turned back to the U.S. for higher, safer returns.

This policy change, alongside a stronger dollar, led to a reduced appetite for riskier emerging market assets. Additionally, Nigeria faced increasing challenges in maintaining currency stability and faced significant depreciation pressures, which have made the investment environment less predictable.

Implications of Trump’s return to office 

As Trump assumes office for a second term, the question arises: will Nigeria again see increased capital inflows?

If Trump reintroduces his prior policy stance of encouraging low interest rates, there may be an uptick in investor interest in emerging markets like Nigeria.

However, Nigeria’s ability to capitalize on this will also depend on its domestic economic policies, especially concerning exchange rate stability, inflation management, and a favourable interest rate regime.

Looking Forward: For Nigeria, Trump’s re-election presents a renewed opportunity to attract foreign capital. However, maximizing this potential requires careful alignment of domestic policies to create an investor-friendly climate.

Policymakers will need to focus on exchange rate stability, competitive interest rates, and continued reforms that enhance Nigeria’s global investment appeal.

[Nairametrics]

President Bola Tinubu has approved a significant policy shift, granting ministers of state full authority to oversee the agencies and departments under their supervision.

Previously, permanent secretaries would send files related to the departments and agencies under a minister of state’s supervision to senior ministers for final approval.

This system limited the decision-making capabilities of ministers of state, effectively reducing their roles to nominal positions.

According to a source from the office of the head of service of the federation who spoke with The Cable, President Tinubu expressed dissatisfaction with the previous structure, which he believed resulted in the “underutilisation of the expertise and capabilities” of ministers of state.

“The president was not pleased with the prevailing governing framework in which ministers of states were just ministers in name,” the official disclosed.

The new directive enables ministers of state to grant all necessary administrative approvals, allowing them to make decisions and direct actions within their areas of responsibility.

This move is aimed at “unleashing” the potential of all cabinet members, ensuring a more efficient governance process.

Tinubu’s cabinet comprises 48 ministers, of which 16 hold junior positions. The ministries affected by the new directive include agriculture and food security, defence, education, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), foreign affairs, health, petroleum (oil and gas), humanitarian and poverty reduction, and women affairs.

Other ministries impacted are works, regional development, labour and employment, finance, trade and investment, and housing and urban development.

[NaijaNews]

Bridget Jones is back for a fourth installment.

Titled ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy’ the film which is based off Helen Fielding’s novel of same title, will show the protagonist Bridget’s (reprised by Renee Zellweger) experiences trying to raise two children post the death of her husband, and dating.

Actor Hugh Grant has described this fourth film as the ‘best’ and “the one with the most heart”.
64-year-old Grant who will be reprising his role as Bridget’s ex-boss and playboy Daniel Cleaver said, “It is very moving but also very funny,” and has the best script thus far compared to the first three films. He has also had to rewrite the film script, to fit in his character who had no part in the story.

“I loved the script, it made me cry, and I wanted to help with this one. But there’s really no part for Daniel Cleaver in it at all. They wanted him in it, and in the end, they’d done something I wasn’t crazy about.” So, he rolled up his sleeves and went to work on the script to come up with scenes for his character that made the final cut.

“I’m not in a lot – I did a week’s work, that’s it. But when you see the film, you’ll be very moved,” Grant told Vanity Fair last April.

Although his character Mark Darcy hasn’t been mentioned at all – in connection with ‘Mad About The Boy’ – it is safe to say that Colin Firth’s won’t be returning based off the cast list – which include – Emma Thompson (reprising her role as Bridget’s doctor from the third installment), Chinwetalu Ejiofor, Isla Fisher, Josette Simon, Nico Parker, Leila Farzad, and Leo Woodall.

Zellweger, 55, in a 2022 interview with Sirius XM said of her character, “I find her so endearing … her self-deprecating sort of determination. I love her. And I think it’s really rare to get to follow a character through different stages in her life.”

Based off Helen Fielding’s novel, Bridget Jones film series begins with ‘Bridget Jones Diary (2001)’ in which titular character (Zellweger) spends a year juggling her relationships with barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), and her boss Daniel Cleaver (Grant) through the lens of her diary.

The second film, ‘Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason’, followed in 2004 and captures Bridget grappling with her choice of romance and conflicts surrounding that relationship. The third film ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’, released 16 years later in 2016, tackles Bridget’s sudden prospect as a single mother, and who the father might be.

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy’ will open in Peacock and cinemas on February 14, Valentine’s Day, 2025.

[Leadership]

The management of Jos Electricity Distribution (JED) has disclosed that over 80 transformers within its franchise areas were vandalized and looted during the recent power outage experienced in the north.

The company also stated that huge cables supplying power to communities were stolen during the period, adding that Plateau was the most affected.

Eng. Hamisu Wakili Jigawa, Chief technical officer in charge of operations , disclosed this to Daily Trust at the headquarters of the company on Friday.

According to the technical officer, activities of the vandals affected smooth and efficient supply of power to the affected communities. He said “the vandalism of the transformers and stolen of the cables were quite challenging to us. The level of vandalism is too much. Some lines entirely vandalized.

“Aluminum conductors feeding some communities entirely vandalized. We have about 213 kvs that are completely out of circuits for a number of day. It was yesterday that we were able to fix the last one. We have lost a lot of distribution assets especially distribution transformers and cables. In some cases, the vandals open the transformer, remove the oil, coil and entirely everything. They only live empty tank, “ he added.

Eng. Jigawa however called on various communities to be vigilant and provide adequate security for the electrical assets, emphasizing that vandalizing them will continue to leave people in darkness.

[Dailytrust]