July 5 2024 was a historic day in the political and cultural annals of Aáwé town. That day was the memorable culmination of more than thirty years of a struggle to achieve the status of a beaded monarch for the Alaawe of Aáwé, Oba Cornelius Taiwo Oladokun. And the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, made this feat possible by the singularly courageous act of cutting through the red-tape of political shenanigans and prejudices to underscore historical imperatives that have to do with the cultural status of Aáwé as a significant Yoruba community in the southwest. Aáwé has always been a town that has been shaped by sociocultural and political conflicts and circumstances. And so, it becomes inevitable to connect this current breakthrough with the trajectories of so many others that situate Oba Taiwo Oladokun right within the dynamics of the Aáwé forebears and the Aáwé mystique.

What I have been calling the Aáwé mystique derives from Aáwé’s pragmatic mix of critical enlightenment, communal investment deriving from social capital, and educational commitment that facilitate the capacity of a small town to forge its own path within the context of complex sociocultural ferment from then till now. Aáwé’s strength lies in the generational, communal and diasporic investment that birthed great names that contributed to Aáwé’s image of resilience and progress. Even though Aáwé is a small Yorùbá town, it carries the weight of great achievements—the aggregation of its diverse indigenous pool into a developmental capital that propels continuous advancement in social, cultural, economic and political terms. Aáwé’s indigenous pool is made up of the expatriates abroad who invested in educational advancement and those, equally educated, who stayed behind to keep up the chain of communal commitment and advancement.

This mystique is founded on an even more fundamental governance principle that takes the grassroots seriously as the basis of a distinct and peculiar development founded on subsidiarity and social capital. These two principles form the basis of local governance that embeds governance and development in traditional institutions and the will of the members of the grassroots. I have provided these sociological and political narratives to underscore two points. The first is to underscore the rationale behind the doggedness and courage of His Royal Majesty, Oba Cornelius Abiola Taiwo Oladokun. This kind of struggle and sacrifice to realize the transformation of the status of the monarchy at Aáwé could only further elevate the status of the town and the historical forbearance of Aáwé’s forebears. The Kabiyesi is only following in the footsteps of the Aáwé ancestors who kept up the trajectory of historical and cultural responsibility to the town and to posterity. The new bearded crown is therefore a testimonial to the historical resilience of Aáwé as a small town that withstood the complexities and intrigues of being situated within the context of a larger Yorùbá historical circumstances that had the capacity to swallow it up.

More importantly, therefore, beyond the pomp and circumstances of the coronation, I am reading the entire event as Aáwé’s Nehemiah’s moment. At a very critical juncture in time, the biblical Nehemiah came to that conscious moment when all circumstances became propitious for him to take on the challenge of harnessing the will of the people and the resources of the land to reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem. I am convinced that Aáwé has reached its own critical moment when there is a conjunction of history, vision and possibilities; it is a moment to rehabilitate the shared vision that has never failed to unite the Aáwé homeland and the Aáwé diaspora, or the Aáwé people and its distinguished elites towards a sustainable developmental future. Given the committed efforts of Aáwé’s ancestors to the Aáwé mystique, there is already in place a vast demography of generational capital—in terms of human capital and available resources—that creates a space of possibilities. What must then be added is a context for the sharing of opinions and blueprints for moving Aáwé forward. And it is the responsibility of the Alaawe to facilitate the flowering of the space that accommodates different shades of opinions and scenarios within leadership large-hearted seminal spirit; especially the peculiar one, required to manage a demographic of people with perhaps one of the largest professors and professionals per capital in the world, for moving Aáwé forward.

Like Nehemiah, these needed conversations and discourses need to be had around the urgency of taking Aáwé to the next level of composite development. There is no questioning the visible and tangible level of infrastructural achievements that dot the landscape of Aáwé as a result of self-help efforts. And they are though few, but too numerous to be mentioned, from the Oba’s palace to the Odo Sogidi tourist center, and from the police post to the bank. We must also not fail to mention the industrializing spirit of late Chief (Sir) Anthony Amoje (the Otun of Aawe and his Amo Sanders), Chief Debo Omotoso (the Asiwaju of Afijio and his Bond Chemicals), etc. These self-help and industrial activities tell a tale of communal and collective responsibilities to the perceived need of a community that has always been aware of itself. However, by reason of this significant event of the crowning of the Aáwé monarch, we are challenged to rethink Aáwé’s development status and to take the self-help initiatives a fundamental step further. This is to the extent that the existing self-help efforts provide the enabling motivation to ground real development that transforms the well-being of the Aáwé people.

I mentioned that part of the Aáwé mystique is the available demography of people and resources that has been accumulating for a long time. This implies that there is really no need to reinvent the development wheel in putting Aáwé on the map. Starting from the Egbe Omo Ibile Aáwé to the Aáwé Development Plan: The OPTICOM Approach—and the ongoing but relevant Chief Emmanuel Adisa, the Asiwaju of Aawe-led attempt at developing an Aáwé Vision 2050, a blueprint that encompasses Aáwé Economic Renaissance and Restructuring for Economic Activities and Revitalization—speaks to the larger intention to take Aáwé beyond its present status in terms of leveraging local governance principles. For instance, Professors Ojetunji Aboyade and Akin Mabogunje’s OPTICOM—from optimum community—represents a unique experimental approach to grassroots mobilisation for community development. It is an attempt at establishing interactive platforms between researchers and grassroots producers in a unique synergy that facilitates the critical flow and fusion of knowledge and expertise. The OPTICOM thesis rests on the assumption that traditional structures possess the inherent capacity, borne out of centuries of adaptability and resilience, to bear the weight of responsible policy initiatives properly managed by equally responsible and development-sensitive leadership.

A revitalized OPTICOM approach, adapted to current development challenges, will provide the framework for transforming individual efforts into cooperative endeavors. For example, Aáwé farmers could be given the opportunity of re-organizing into enhanced cooperative societies and the building of entrepreneurial networks that could connect them with multi-sourced credit and infrastructural supports within a structured agro-processing industry value chain. This feeds directly into the poverty alleviation component of the Opticom model that is meant to reduce the burden of individual efforts that does not usually amount to much outside of cooperative capacities. This also speaks to Aáwé’s small and medium enterprises whose tenacious capacities as cottage industries not only delimit Aáwé’s comparative advantages, like the ebu ose (black soap) industry, but also remain the key to the creative industrial and economic transformation of Aáwéland. When the late Prof. Mabogunje consolidated this component in the celebrated experiment in Ijebu Development Initiative on Poverty Reduction (IDIPR), its success had the critical support and the transformational leadership inspiration of the HRM the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. This is then the crucial benchmarking of traditional governance structure and development achievement that Aáwé needs to emulate.

The development drive in Aáwé is also tied further to the dream of connecting Aáwé to the world, especially through age-long struggle to facilitate the establishment of a tertiary institution, as well as the urgent construction and rehabilitation of Aáwé’s network of roads and highways. Three highways are crucial in this regard—the Aáwé-Ife Odan, Aáwé-Akinmorin and Aáwé-Iwo roads. These are significant contributors to the industrialization of Aáwé. At the sociocultural level, Aáwé is also embedded in a historical and cultural axis under the sway of the Alaafin of Oyo. This place a heavy burden of wisdom and diplomacy on the Alaawe to find the right amount of relational skills and diplomacy that will make the peaceful coexistence between the different interests within Aawe town and those in diaspora on the one hand, and with our neighbors on the other, the centre-point of Aáwé’s development. And given that the days of imperialist expansion are long gone, what we are left with is a scenario of mutual and peaceful coexistence within the context of regional advancement that Aáwé itself can benefit from.

Therefore, even before the euphoria of the crowning ceremony wears off, it is time to commence the process of communal dialogue instigated by the Alaawe, the council of chiefs, Awe Development Corporation, the numerous egbe omo ibile Aawe, the Aáwé elite at home and in the diaspora, and the Aáwé people themselves. It is high time Aáwé took its place in the comity of places that deploy local governance through the political and sociocultural sophistication of their traditional governance structures to connect their people to human flourishing. This is a critical junction when the broken walls of Aáwé’s development trajectories needed to be rebuilt. And I believe the omen are auspicious sufficiently for us to re-start the formidable engine of progress.        

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi will be 63 years old on Friday, July 19, 2024.

Reacting ahead of the day, the LP standards bearer directs all those well wishes planning to celebrate him to direct the resources to the poor and the needy in the society.

Writing on his X handle on Wednesday ahead of the day Obi said he would wish for a solemn celebration as usual especially now that the poor and the needy are swelling in our midst.

"On Friday, July 19th, I will be celebrating my 63rd birthday. As usual, it is a time for personal reflection and thanksgiving to Almighty God, who has graciously granted me life, good health, and the opportunity to contribute to the betterment of humanity. I am humbled by the numerous well-wishers, both locally and internationally, who have already begun sending birthday wishes and organizing events in my honour.

"My appeal to my well-wishers and supporters, particularly in Nigeria and Africa, is to use this occasion to fervently pray for our nation and respective countries. Let us present ourselves, as political leaders, to God, so that He may touch our hearts to make sacrifices, utilize public resources for the greater good, and prioritize the needs of the poor and marginalized. Let us also provide better opportunities for our youth to thrive.

"To those organizing events and spending funds in celebration of my birthday, I kindly request that you redirect those resources towards supporting the needy, particularly those in hospitals and schools. Your contributions can help pay medical bills and school fees for the less privileged.

"I also appeal that all gifts intended for my birthday be donated to care homes, schools, and hospitals, which will greatly benefit from your generosity. I have therefore personally, redirected the resources I would have used for celebrations towards supporting critical areas such as health, education, and poverty alleviation. I firmly believe that through these sacrifices, God Almighty will grant your heartfelt wishes for me and answer our prayers.

"Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. I urge you all to remain faithful to Nigeria, our beloved country, and your respective nations. May God Almighty protect, bless, and prosper you and your families, and may He bless our dear nation. 

Signed 

Yunusa Tanko 

POMR SPOKESMAN 

July 17, 2024.

Covid-19 is no longer a scare around the world because the pandemic is over, it is now a long-term disease just like any other infectious disease that is treated according to standard guidelines. However, there is a silent creeping burden of post covid-19 impact on public health with post-covid consequences even at very low transmission rates.

The silent burden of covid-19 arises from complications from previous covid-19 exposure. These conditions called covid-19 post-acute sequalae (or long covid) refers to aggravation of pre-existing conditions, or development of new symptoms ranging from neurological conditions, fatigue, brain fog, multiple organ damage, etc.

The silent undetected burden of long covid presents differently in people, hence it is sometimes difficult to identify. It is therefore necessary to consider previous history of covid-19 in patient management of seemingly unrelated new diseases to reduce public health burdens that soon will arise from covid-19 complications or long covid.

Also, there is a need for public awareness of the spread of new variants (forms) of covid and post-covid conditions (long covid), which can develop into serious conditions that lead to death. Back in the year 2020, who would guess that a new virus which emerged in late 2019 would cripple the world in a pandemic that has infected to date over 760 million people and killed over 7 million persons globally.

Coronavirus disease 2019 known as (covid-19) is an infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 virus) characterized by rapidly spreading respiratory illnesses affecting multiple organs in children and adults. Covid-19 causes a barrage of mild to moderate symptoms and in severe cases leads to death, but long covid presents like chronic conditions. In most cases, long covid is identified months after recovery from covid-19.

The acute infection involves viral attachment to a receptor on the surface of host cells, in particular Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor on lung cells, to infect humans. Several other events take place after the virus attaches itself to the host cell and these include viral replication, viral release which causes the acute infections but long covid continue to develop over a long time.

Covid-19 pandemic put the world to a stop in 2020 because public health experts and scientists were caught unprepared with the magnitude of the widespread of the virus, the overwhelming effects on the health systems and unprecedented deaths. Covid-19 was a newly discovered virus, but it was later found to be very similar to the known SARS and MERS viruses which causes severe respiratory illnesses.

In the early months of the pandemic, there was no drug known to treat the unknown virus or vaccines to prevent its continuous spread. Several strategies were used to manage patients, many of whom developed severe cases that led to the high number of deaths. It then became apparent to the world–including first world countries, that we were not pandemic ready!

This was due to high shortage of ICU facilities, staffing, as well as shortage of medical supplies. Strategies included social distancing, whereby movements were largely restricted and social gatherings–this reduced the transmission, but the virus soon defied this strategy and continued to spread therefore therapeutics and other preventive approaches were quickly developed.

Another public health concern of covid-19 virus is the changes in parts of its genetic makeup (genome) – a term called mutation, just like other viruses. These variants differ slightly in their genetic makeup, the severity of covid-19 illnesses they cause and the ease of transmission. As a prevention strategy of covid-19, many vaccines were rolled out globally. In the wake of the pandemic, some vaccines prevented infection but soon the covid-19 virus continuously mutated causing many vaccines to be discontinued or booster shots (2nd, 3rd, 4th doses) introduced.

New variants are now causing rising cases of covid-19 in western countries, like JN.1 and KP.2 variants in the UK and US as of July 2024, but in Nigeria, transmission has been insignificant, and BA.2.86 variant circulating according to CDC, however the burden of long covid is not yet known. Scientists are still in search for more treatments for COVID-19 emerging variants, and more importantly understanding the silent burden of long-covid.

The currently used drugs including Remdesivir, Molpunavir, etc only treats the acute early stage infection but drugs are yet to be developed to prevent or treat long covid which may impact the world masked as an increase in chronic diseases thereby increasing the public health crisis. Scientists will continue to research for new therapies and strategies to combat covid-19 and its consequences to prepare for any future pandemics and post-covid sequalae.

Dr. Dokunmu is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry, she has expertise in pharmacology, biochemistry and molecular biology.

RE: Supreme Court Judgment in Suit No: SC/CV/343/2004 - Attorney General of the Federation v. Attorney General of Abia State & 35 Ors

I wish to address the recent Supreme Court judgment in Suit No: SC/CV/343/2004 - Attorney General of the Federation v. Attorney General of Abia State & 35 Ors, delivered on the 11th of July, 2024.

This judgment, which has garnered significant public interest, is indeed a matter of great importance to our legal system and the country as a whole. It is with utmost diligence and dedication that we have been actively pursuing the Certified True Copy of the judgment and the enrolled Order from the Supreme Court.

Despite the challenges faced in obtaining these documents, I wish to assure the public that we are working tirelessly to secure the necessary materials. We must have access to a complete and accurate record of the judgment to thoroughly study its contents and implications.

It is worth noting that the Supreme Court's decision in this case was not unanimous, with a split judgment of 5 against 2. Furthermore, the majority of the Justices even disagreed on the reliefs sought by the Federal Government. This complexity underscores the need for a careful and comprehensive analysis of the judgment.

As we await the Certified True Copy of the judgment and the enrolled Order, we remain committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served. Our efforts are focused on understanding the intricacies of the judgment and determining the appropriate course of action for its implementation, while also ensuring that the administrative apparatus of our Local Government is appropriately manned with suitable personnel throughout the transitional phase.

I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the steadfast and industrious Justices of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Attorneys General of the 36 States of the Federation for their dedication and professionalism in handling this complex matter. Their commitment to justice and the rule of law is commendable and sets a high standard for the entire legal community.

I urge the public to remain patient as we navigate through this process with diligence and transparency. Rest assured that the Government of Ondo State, under the able leadership of His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, is dedicated to upholding the principles of justice and will carefully examine the judgment and promptly set the necessary mechanisms in motion, reaffirming our unwavering commitment to fully implementing the rule of law in all our endeavours.

Thank you.

Wednesday, 17th July, 2024

E-Signed,
Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, OON, SAN, FCIArb. UK
Honourable Attorney-General of Ondo State and Commissioner for Justice

“It is the position of this court that the federation can pay local governments allocations directly to the local governments or through the states. In this case, since paying them through the states has not worked, justice demands that local governments allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the local governments,” – Justice Emmanuel Agim on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

Nigeria’s federation rests on a tripod: federal, state and local governments. However, over the years, local governments have operated as a mere appendage of the state government. By virtue of Section 162 (6) of the 1999 Constitution that created a joint state/ local government account, state governors spend money due to local government on their behalf. They award contracts on behalf of LGs in their states and make any other deductions they deem fit. Local government administration has been left comatose as workers of LGs are owed a backlog of salaries, sometimes up to a year. Primary education, primary health centres and Trunk ‘C’ roads, which are supposed to be serviced and maintained by local governments are abandoned. Workers in local governments have gone on routine strikes.

While the 768 local governments and the six area councils recognised by the constitution are gasping for breath from the chuck hold of governors, some of the governors went ahead to create what they called Local Council Development Areas. Lagos alone has 37 of them in addition to the 20 constitutionally recognised LGs. What many governors do is simply redistribute the federation allocations paid into the joint state and local government accounts. Thus, what is not sufficient to effectively run the constitutionally recognised LGs is further reduced to fund the LCDAs. Meanwhile, most of the functions of the local governments listed in the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution have been taken over by the state government.

It doesn’t end there; State Independent Electoral Commissions are created by section 197 of the constitution. However, they lack both administrative and financial autonomy. That’s part of the reason they kowtow to the whims and caprices of the state governors on who should win at the local government elections. Had it been that SIECs also enjoy financial and administrative autonomy which the Independent National Electoral Commission has been enjoying since the constitutional alteration of 2010, the story of badly conducted LGA polls could have been different. As has been witnessed across many states, new governors routinely dissolve SIEC boards put in place by their predecessors and reconstitute them with their own loyalists. Supreme Court has ruled these state governors out of order in many of its judgments but ‘none so deaf as those who will not hear.’

Section 7 (1) of the 1999 Constitution says, “The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this constitution guaranteed; and accordingly the government of every state shall subject to section 8 of the constitution, ensure their existence under a law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils.”  There is no gainsaying that this constitutional provision is observed in breach. According to The Guardian newspaper of Monday, July 15, 2024, 21 states have caretaker committees running the affairs of their local governments. Supreme Court in many of its judgment has said this is unconstitutional, null and void but the governors continue to ignore the warnings and orders of the apex court. That is how deep the culture of impunity has sunk in Nigeria.

In 2019, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit issued a regulation, effective from June 1, 2019, which bans transactions on State and Local Governments Joint Accounts. Funds were sent directly to the accounts of the local governments. It also limits cash withdrawals from local governments accounts to a maximum amount of N500,000 per day with penalties for banks that fail to comply. The Nigerian governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum kicked against this regulation and the NFIU eventually capitulated.

The status quo was maintained until May 2024 when the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), filed suit marked SC/CV/343/2024 at the Supreme Court to strengthen the autonomy of the local government areas as guaranteed by the constitution. It sought to prevent state governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government councils and establishing caretaker committees, actions that violate constitutional provisions. The AGF argued that the constitution mandates a democratically elected local government system and does not allow alternative governance structures.

The suit also prayed that the funds from the Federation Account be channelled directly to local governments, bypassing the allegedly unlawful joint accounts managed by state governors. The Federal Government also sought an injunction to stop governors and their agents from receiving or spending local government funds without a democratically elected local government system in place. It contended that the governors’ failure to establish such a system constitutes a deliberate subversion of the 1999 Constitution. The Supreme Court heard parties to the case on June 13, with the state governments, through their respective attorneys-general, opposing the suit.

That was the prelude to the Supreme Court judgment of last Thursday, July 11, 2024, which has now affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments. In the unanimous judgment of its seven-member panel, the Supreme Court upheld the suit brought by the federal government to strengthen the independence of local governments in the country. A member of the panel, Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the court’s lead judgment, held that the local governments across the country should henceforth receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation. He ruled that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to receive and withhold funds allocated to local government areas in their states.

He noted that ordinarily, the constitution permits the Federal Government to pay local government allocations directly to them or through the state governments. However, he said, “Demand for justice requires a progressive interpretation of the law.” He then ordered that, “The amount standing to the credit of local government councils must be paid by the federation to the local government councils and not by any other person or body.” He added, “An order of injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants from collecting funds belonging to the local government councils when no democratically elected local government councils are in place. An order that henceforth no state government should be paid monies standing to the credit of the local government councils. An order for immediate enforcement and compliance with these orders by the state governments and successive governments henceforth.”

This decision which has been welcomed by well-meaning Nigerians is laudable but not far-reaching enough to guarantee total independence to the LGs. This is because the credibility and quality of elections into local government have to be equally sorted out. Also, the Secretary of Local Government and other key administrative staff of the LGs are appointees of the state government. In essence, governors can still control LG funds by proxy. The other point is that the state Houses of Assembly which exercise oversight on local governments are still strongly tied to the apron strings of their respective governors and could be used to witch-hunt any LG chairman or councillor who fails to do the bidding of the state governors.

Apart from the overbearing attitude of the governors, there are powerful traditional rulers and godfathers operating in the LGs who can still make life miserable for any chairman or councillor who refuses to do their bidding. Some of these elected political office holders at the LG may actually be made to swear an oath of allegiance and loyalty to the godfathers in shrines in order to coerce them to do the bidding of these powerful individuals. The NFIU and anti-corruption agencies like the ICPC and EFCC must also henceforth beam their searchlights on local government chairmen and councillors to ensure that there is proper accountability of the LG funds. Lastly, there is a need for a constitutional amendment to streamline the Supreme Court decision with the provisions on local government administration as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.

Dear African compatriots, we’re poor because our cousins in power have betrayed us. They own the tools for our development but they misuse their interests. They confine themselves in comfortable vehicles and forget about the ordinary woman who has to till her mall plot to raise food for her children. The response to the protests and backlash from Kenya’s young people (Gen-Z), has the potential to reshape the way power works in Kenya.

Sadly, the authorities increase taxes to be paid by the poor, and they are happy about it because they don’t feel the pinch, at the end of the day, a huge allowance is waiting for them. As if not enough, they exempt themselves from such taxes and go on to make laws and policies that only favor them and their masters. This is the sad reality intertwined with hopelessness.

Additionally, many other factors such as diseases, wars, corruption, and embezzlement have played a significant role in African underdevelopment. Furthermore, external factors like globalization, slave trade, and colonialism were found to be contributing factors to African underdevelopment. Therefore, as long as we still have them in power, Africa shall continue to dwell in multidimensional poverty. 

For emphasis, the average GDP of Africa is the lowest amongst the seven continents (Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia, Asia, and Europe) at $9,700 (2021). In 2022, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Africa reached 2,150.6 U.S. dollars, the highest value since 2015.

Furthermore, in 2014, the value per Capita was higher, at 2,316 U.S. dollars. As of 2023, the GDP of Africa was estimated at roughly 3.1 trillion U.S. dollars. Seychelles had the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Africa as of 2024. The value amounted to 21.87 thousand U.S. dollars. Mauritius followed with around 13 thousand U.S. dollars, whereas Gabon registered 9.31 thousand U.S. dollars. GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population, meaning that some of the largest economies are not ranked within the leading ten.

Sadly, things have only gone from bad to worse with liberation and independence. While most of what we have to deal with today is the aftermath of colonialism, bashing the long-gone colonialists for everything is shirking leadership responsibility. Pan-Africanist and human rights activist, P L O Lumumba, opined that the deficit of trust in governance in many African countries is impeding democracy and development on the continent.

Characteristically, the former director of the defunct Kenya Anti-corruption Commission (KACC) pointed out that freedom will not be given to Africa on a silver platter, but that the continent must stand up and take responsibility for itself. Lumumba remarked as follows:

“We must pray and fast but it will not happen, because the last time I checked even those of you who are believers – when Abraham was taken from the Ur of the Chaldeans and given Canaan, it was not on a silver platter. He had to fight the Canaanites; he had to fight the Philistines.”

Africa will always be poor and is bound to fail further until the attitude of people changes. Many factors contribute to the underdevelopment of certain parts of Africa. Some of these include historical factors such as colonialism, which disrupted traditional economic and social structures, and the legacy of the slave trade. Other factors include poor leadership/governance, corruption, profligacy, recklessness, conflict, and insufficient investment in education and infrastructure.

Following the above reasons “Why African Countries Are Poor And Underdeveloped” I opined, that, Africans have failed over time to develop their intellectual and cultural capacity (not as fast as the whites at least), and largely due to a deep imbibed (almost on a DNA-level) satisfaction with mediocrity which stemmed from environmental advantages (not even disadvantages) millions of years ago in the earliest stages of human development and migration when the first hominids started to migrate out of Africa. 

Unfortunately, while Europe was meandering through the Age of Enlightenment, for example, and celebrating groundbreaking discoveries in science and technology, most of Africa was bottled up in comfort zones of small organized farming and fishing territories with little interest in developing beyond satisfying their basic needs.

In conclusion, allow me to adopt the position of Paul Kagame, a Rwandan politician and former military officer who has been the President of Rwanda since 2000. President Kagame profoundly posited: “I will rather argue, that we need to mobilize the right mindsets, rather than more funding, after all, in Africa, we have everything we need, in terms of whatever is lacking, we have the means to acquire, and yet we remain mentally married to the idea that nothing can get moving without external finance. We are even begging for things we already have.”

As the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) convenes its crucial policy meeting today (Thursday), prospective students across Nigeria have anticipated the decisions that will shape their academic futures for the 2024 admissions cycle.

The JAMB gathering is set to hold significant weight, influencing admission criteria, eligibility requirements, and procedural guidelines for universities nationwide.

Amidst the policy meeting’s deliberations, students and parents are keenly focused on potential changes that could impact their admission prospects.

Key discussions in the meeting would typically revolve around cut-off marks, the adoption of new examination formats, and adjustments to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) syllabus.
According to a statement released by JAMB, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, will chair the 2024 policy meeting, slated for Thursday, July 18, in Abuja.

The board, in its weekly news bulletin, stated: “This year’s exercise will also feature the National Tertiary Admissions’ Performance-Merit Award, NATAP-M Awards, where the overall winner will receive N500 million, and other consolation winners will share N250 million collectively.

”The policy meeting, usually attended by vice-chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics, monotechnics, and innovation enterprise institutes, provosts of colleges of education, and other critical stakeholders, will consider and approve the guidelines for the 2024 admission exercise.

“The meeting will review the performance of the 2023 admissions exercise and the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME performance of candidates.

“The minimum admission scores, an aggregation of individual institutions’ submissions, will be approved at the meeting.

“This is not a cut-off mark, as often misconstrued, but a minimum score that no institution should go below. The decisions made at the meeting, chaired by the Minister of Education, form the guiding norms for admission and are a collective decision, not solely that of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB.

“No institution is expected to commence the admission process until after the policy meeting, as the guidelines regulating the year’s admission exercise are determined at the meeting with the endorsement of the Minister of Education.

“The meeting declares the commencement of the year’s admission exercise, setting the grand norms, and any institution that violates these collective norms will face sanctions.”

One of the prospective students, Happiness Chris, expressed her anticipation and hope during today’s JAMB policy meeting.

“I’m eagerly awaiting the decisions today. It’s a pivotal moment for us prospective students aiming for 2024 admissions in tertiary institutions.”

[Leadership]

The management of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has alerted its commands, especially the ones along the Nigeria – Republic of Niger borders over a possible movement of suspected terrorists who escaped from a Niger prison into the country.

 This was contained in an internal memo from the office of the Deputy Comptroller General, Border Management, to Assistant Comptrollers General in Zone A, B, C, D, E, F, G and all Comptrollers of border posts across the country.

 The memo titled “Mass Prison Break in Niger Republic: Hundreds of International Terror Kingpins Escapes”, alerted the senior officers to the possibility of the escapees trying to cross over to Nigeria to continue their criminal activities.

 “The Nigeria Immigration Service NIS is in receipt of int-information on the subject matter which took place at Koutoukale prison in Niger on Thursday, July 11th, 2024 that led to the escape of hundreds of terrorists, criminals, and drug traffickers.

 “Consequently, all Comptroller of Commands and OCs of Formations along the Niger-Nigeria Border are instructed to be on red alert. With the intent of ensuring that you track all suspicious movement and arrest any such prison escapee and report same to the Service Headquarters.

 “This circular becomes very important as it is suspected that such criminal elements may sneak into Nigeria to join other terrorist gangs to continue to perpetrate mayhem and menace in Nigeria.

 “All officers working along the Nigerian border with Niger are therefore expected to increase their vigilance and partner with other security agencies in tracking these fleeing terrorists,” it said.

 The spokesman for the NIS, Kenneth Udo, who confirmed the memo, said the internal memo was a precautionary message to the formations, adding that “we are on the lookout for them.”

 When asked if any of the fleeing terrorist suspects had been apprehended within the Nigerian borders, Udo said he had no information about it yet, promising to get our reporter updated when there are new developments.

 Authorities in Niger had declared a curfew in the volatile Tillaberi region after several prisoners escaped from the heavily fortified jail known to hold jihadists.

 The incident at Koutoukale prison located about 50 kilometres north-west of the capital, Niamey, took place after two other attempted jailbreaks at the facility – in 2016 and 2019 – were repelled.

 The country’s Ministry of Interior did not specify how many prisoners escaped in the latest jailbreak.

 However, captured Islamist fighters from groups linked to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the region are believed to be among them.

 Meanwhile, the Nigerien Army in its information bulletin has claimed that a large number of the escaping prisoners have been captured and some neutralised by the Nigerien Defense and Security Forces (FDS).

[Dailytrust]

• Military chiefs, NNPCL perfect strategy

• Target is to meet oil production quota

Security chiefs have harmonised their strategies toward clearing the Niger Delta of crude oil thieves, pipeline vandals and other criminal elements fleecing the country.

The decision followed the directive by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that crude exploration and exploitation in the oil-rich region must be made seamless and lives protected.

The security chiefs, who met with Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO Mele Kyari in Abuja yesterday, declared an integrated battle plan under a joint task force. 

They sought the understanding of Niger Delta communities in carrying out the presidential directive.

Speaking to reporters, Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa, said: “We know that Nigeria relies so much on what we can produce. We appeal to the communities to have an understanding.

“Yes, we know trust has been a problem, but they can trust us, they can trust the government that we want to do things differently.

“Everyone will be carried along, everyone has a role to play; it is not only for the security agencies alone.

“We need the communities to understand that pipeline vandalism and all the hazards being caused are also affecting them directly and we need to stop that.  

“I can assure you within the next shortest possible time, you will see results.’’

Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun said the security services and agencies agreed at the meeting that all must come together to solve the problems inhibiting oil exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta.

Egbetokun said there was a need to take every necessary step to address all the issues.

He assured that results would be visible in the days ahead.

The IGP said: “We accept that we have challenges, but we must all come together to solve them.

“We need the cooperation of all agencies and citizens. We need to take every step that we need to take to address all these issues.

“I assure you that in the days ahead, you are going to see results.

“Whatever is happening in the Southsouth has been ongoing for such a very long time. And we feel it is high time that it is stopped.

“What we are promising Nigerians is that henceforth, the entire Southsouth will be cleared of any acts of vandalism or criminality.

“As we said, the President gave us the mandate to ensure that we secure the entire Southsouth and to enable NNPC and others to carry out their tasks so that we can have improved production.”

Kyari said oil theft and other crimes in the Niger Delta must be curbed for the nation to achieve desired economic stability. 

He said: “We are here to engage with the CDS based on the directive of the President to the CDS to take control of the crisis we are having in the Niger Delta operational area.

“Oil theft and pipeline vandalism have become national issues. The president directed the CDS to contain all issues affecting crude oil operations within the shortest possible time so that we can restore national production to the level he (president)  and the country is expecting.

“To do this, he (CDS) needs the coordination and cooperation of the armed forces and other security agencies like the police, the DIA (Defence Intelligence Agency) and the DSS (Department of State Services).

‘’It is the survival of our country that is at stake today. Without restoring oil and gas production, we cannot have the economic stability that we desire.

“The President is focused on this to deliver value to our country.

“It is impossible to do this without settling the crisis around our operational areas.

“We are already seeing progress; we are seeing substantial value that is being created by the coordination but we are very convinced that a solution is in sight. “

Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Ogbonnaya Orji, said on Monday that the country lost $ 1.84 billion worth of petroleum products from refineries in nine years.

Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, has appointed three second-class emirs in the state.

In a statement, Bature Dawakin Tofa, spokesperson of the Kano government, said the appointments of the emirs of Gaya, Karaye and Rano emirates take immediate effect.

Muhammad Maharaz Karaye was appointed Emir of Karaye, Muhammad Isa Umar was appointed Emir of Rano and Aliyu Abdulkadir was named Emir of Gaya.

Abdulkadir was emir of the defunct Gaya emirate. He was one of the emirs deposed after the governor reinstated Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano in May.

“While congratulating the newly appointed Emirs, Governor Abba K. Yusuf enjoined them to be custodians of culture, peace and unity of the people in their respective emirates,” the statement reads.

On Tuesday, the Kano governor signed the bill creating three second-class emirates in the state.