Medical experts in the country have warned hypertensive patients against participating in activities that cause excitement or put much pressure on the heart.

Speaking on the possibilities of what could have happened to those who died while watching the football match between Nigeria and South Africa on Wednesday, consultant cardiologist, federal medical centre, Jabi, Dr. Salau Ibrahim, said the sudden collapse could be as a result of stroke, sudden heart attack or stress induced heart problem.

The cardiologist told LEADERSHIP that age matters a lot and for people who are older and have other problems like heart issues or the kidney, they need to be very careful about things that stress the organs, especially the heart.

He cautioned against anxiety or stress, explaining that anxiety is a form of emotional stress.”

Dr. Salau said the major causes of such sudden deaths  are stroke or heart attack.

“Like the two incidents that happened on Wednesday, it could be that they had heart attack or abnormal heart reading. it’s possible they are hypertensive, diabetic and have not been checking themselves.

“So, it’s either they had heart attack or they had cardiac arrhythmia, which can predispose someone to having cardiac arrest. Everything still falls under cardiac arrest.

“Those are he major things. Regular check and lifestyle modification is very important. If you have any background comorbidity like hypertension or diabetes, ensure you take your medications regularly,” he advised.

Dr. Salau said “You can watch football even if you are hypertensive but you need to be sure that your blood pressure is well regulated, and taking your medication adequately.

“Being hypertensive is not a  contradiction to watching football but you need to know the status of your heart before you watch that kind of very intense game.

“Avoid watching football among the crowd that can put pressure on you,” he advised.

Also, a consultant cardiologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Ramon Moronkola has linked the possible causes of deaths during the football match to stroke as a result of cardiac arrest and heart or brain issue.

Moronkola told LEADERSHIP that when there is emotional surge, which is a sudden increase of an emotion, many things could go wrong.

“Your adrenaline is pumping and your blood pressure could go up immediately. For someone that has underlying cardiovascular disease that is not well managed, that person could suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest,  which could lead to death.

“For example, if the person has myocardial ischemic heart disease, which occurs when blood flow to your heart is reduced, preventing the heart muscle from receiving enough oxygen, that emotional surge could make that person develop heart attack which could lead to sudden death,” he explained

The physician also identified another possibility as having heart failure that is not properly managed, adding that when such a person is experiencing emotional surge due to the match, that could lead to sudden death as well.

He said emotional surge can also lead to abnormal heart beat, which can also lead to sudden death.

In essence, for those with underlying diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol around the heart area, cardiac arrest is inevitable due to emotional surge as a result of the match, he affirmed.

He said there is another set of people who may not have had heart disease prior to the match, but they have genetic predisposition that made their heart go into abnormal heart beating due to emotional surge, which could lead to death.

The cardiologist, therefore, urged Nigerians to have regular heart check.

“Please go for regular heart check, Moronkola stated, adding that, “Do not wait until you have symptoms or until a problem arises before you go to the hospital. It might be too late, as with the case of Wednesday. If you are diagnosed with any heart condition, please treat it well.

For those who already know their heart status, the cardiologist advised them to control their emotion properly. “If watching the match can  make you experience emotional surge, then don’t watch,” he appealed to Nigerians.

Speaking further, he said this is also a wake-up call for the government to ensure that the country’s emergency response system is well developed, the cardiologist stated, adding that, “This involved training everybody on how to do basic resuscitation.

“Government should ensure that places like airport, supermarket and churches etc, where people are gathered should have a Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It’s a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.”

In the same vein, consultant family physician at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Dr. Chira Obiora, told LEADERSHIP that people can watch football but they should first of all know their health challenges.

Dr Obiora said if your health challenges get stimulated, watching football will release adrenaline which can cause problem especially if you have a cardiovascular problem.

“It can trigger a heart problem and the person can have heart attack and die. It can even trigger stroke in some people especially if they are not controlling their blood pressure very well. That is why excitement can kill somebody.

“Excitement whether positive or negative, there are hormones that are released. That hormone is known as adrenaline, that is the hormone released when one is excited. It also releases it in anxiety, so what happens is that this hormone, one of the functions is that it can narrow blood vessels and make the blood pressure to increase a bit.

“So if one is having a pressure problem, it can trigger it or if the pressure is not good enough, it can even burst because if it is narrower, the pressure in the vessels will increase, so that is how it stringers heart attack. Even the narrowness of blood vessels can cause different forms of cardiovascular phenomenon to arise; from heart attack to stroke to even the clot in the blood vessel which can even detach and go and block somewhere, it can cause pulmonary embolism or any other thing,” he explained.

The family physician advised that the general thing is for people to go for general medical checks especially as it relates to age and family history. “That is the basic thing,” he said, while stating that someone who is hypertensive can watch football if the person is doing the right thing; controlling his or her blood pressure, doing medical checkup and trying as much as possible to have positive outflow so that the person will not be tensed unnecessary.

[Leadership]

US President Joe Biden has confused a European leader with a dead predecessor for the second time in a week, telling a campaign event he met Helmut Kohl four years after the German chancellor passed away.

The 81-year-old’s gaffe late Wednesday came days after he said he had spoken to long-dead French president Francois Mitterand, instead of current leader Emmanuel Macron, at the same G7 summit in June 2021 where he said he had met Kohl.

Biden, who is seeking reelection in November, often tells the same story about the summit held in the United Kingdom to illustrate what he says were global concerns about the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump.

“Helmut Kohl of Germany looked at me and said, ‘what would you say Mr President, if you picked up the London Times tomorrow morning and learned that 1,000 people had broken down the doors… of the British Parliament and killed some (people) on the way in (to) deny the prime minister to take office,'” Biden said, according to a pool report.

Angela Merkel, Germany’s first female chancellor, was the leader attending the summit. Kohl died in 2017 and was chancellor for 16 years from 1982 to 1998, becoming known as the architect of German reunification after the Cold War.

The mix-up is the second in the space of a few days.

At a campaign event in Las Vegas on Sunday, Biden was talking about French president Macron’s reaction to his 2020 election win over Trump at the summit.

“And Mitterrand from Germany — I mean, from France — looked at me and said, ‘You know, what — why — how long you back for?'” Biden said. A later White House transcript inserted the correct name, Macron, in brackets.

Mitterrand was French president from 1981 to 1995, and died in 1996.

Polls show US voters are increasingly concerned about Biden’s age. He would be 82 at the start of a second term and 86 at the end.

Voters are less worried about the age of 77-year-old Trump, who is running for another White House term, but he has also made several slip-ups.

He recently mixed up his rival for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley, with former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi. Last year he said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was the leader of Turkey and warned that the United States was on the verge of “World War II,” which ended in 1945.

[AFP]

The 16 sacked members of the Plateau State House of Assembly, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have approached the Court of Appeal, seeking to set aside the earlier judgement of the same court that nullified their elections.

DAILY POST recalls that the Court of Appeal had nullified the election of all the PDP lawmakers in the State Assembly on the ground that their party lacked structure to sponsor candidates in the election.

However, the sacked legislators have insisted that they are still members of the House following the Supreme Court’s judgement affirming the election of Governor Caleb Mutfwang, whose case was also nullified at the Court of Appeal.

They believe that the Supreme Court’s judgement has vindicated them.

The sacked lawmakers, including Bala Fwanje Ndat and Datugun Paul Naankot, among others, in their motion on notice, with suit No: CA/J/33M/2024 and CA/J/31/M/2024, said pursuant to order 6 rules 1 of the Court of Appeal, 2021, they should be reinstated into the House.

This was part of their reliefs presented by their counsel, Garba Paul, SAN, who argued that both the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction over the subject matter.

The sacked legislators said their ground as contained in the motions were predicated upon the fact that, “the judgement of the Court delivered on the 24th day of November, 2023, is a nullity.”

They are seeking “An order setting aside the decision of this Honourable court in appeal No. CA/J/EP/PL/SHA/62/2023, Dagogot Karyt Owen & Anor Vs Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), & Ors on 24th November, 2023, per E.O Williams-Dawodu, Abdul-Azez Waziri and E.O Abang, JCA.”

According to them, the Supreme Court judgement that validated the nomination and sponsorship of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, suffices that the Court of Appeal should set aside its earlier judgement.

DAILY POST recalls that the lawmakers had made an attempt to return to the House of Assembly, a move that nearly triggered a political crisis in the state.

At the moment, members of the APC who are beneficiaries of the Court of Appeal judgement are yet to be sworn-in by the Speaker of the House, Gabriel Dewan Kudagbena.

The Speaker hinged his decision on conflicting court orders.

[DailyPost]

No fewer than 172 kidnap cases were recorded across the country in the past seven months.

Inspector–General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun gave the figure yesterday just as the Defence Headquarters(DHQ), said troops rescued 116 kidnapped persons in various parts of the country last month.

Egbetokun, at a news conference with strategic police managers at the Force headquarters in Abuja, added that 107 victims of kidnap were rescued by the police while 166  firearms and 41 vehicles were recovered during the seven weeks.

He put the number of persons arrested for various crimes in the past seven weeks at 814.

The IGP, who also said that 14 people, including two public officials, were apprehended during last weekend’s re-run and by-elections in some states, restated his assurance to Nigerians that kidnapping and other crimes in the country would be stemmed drastically.

His words: “Following from our last meeting held on the 18th of December, 2023, I am pleased to report that substantial progress has been recorded.

“Significant strides have also been made in maintaining law and order, combating criminal activities, including but not limited to kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry, insurgency and secessionist groups.

“Let us continue to support and uplift our officers, whose tireless efforts contribute significantly to the security and prosperity of our communities. It is important for us to address the concerns and fears of our fellow Nigerians regarding the security situation in our country. We understand the gravity of the challenges we face and the responsibility we bear in ensuring the safety and well-being of every citizen.

“I assure you that the Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in its commitment to protecting lives and property, and we are actively working to address the security threats facing our nation.

“By fostering stronger partnerships with communities, leveraging intelligence-led approaches, and enhancing our operational capabilities, we are dedicated to confronting these challenges head-on and restoring peace and stability across the country.

“The safety of our people is our utmost priority, and we pledge to continue undauntedly in safeguarding our beloved nation.

“During this period, we recorded  35  cases of terrorism/secessionist attacks,  302  cases of murder,  111  cases of armed robbery,  172 cases of kidnapping,  67 cases of banditry and  15 cases of unlawful possession of firearms.

“By executing some of the strategies and plans formulated at the last conference, the Nigeria Police Force arrested  814  suspects for their participation in various crimes, rescued  107 kidnap victims  and recovered  166  various firearms,  1,074  ammunition and  41 vehicles.”

The police boss said the 14 persons arrested in connection with the elections would be handed over to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for prosecution.

The IGP frowned at the attitude of some police officers, which he said compounds the image of the Police Force. 

He added: “At this juncture, I must emphasise that despite the aforementioned achievements and accolades, we must not lose sight of the pervasive atmosphere of insecurity and the malfeasance of some of our men and officers. Regrettably, we have some unscrupulous elements in our midst who often conduct themselves improperly, thereby bringing the Force into disrepute.

“These unscrupulous elements in our midst often disparage the good and hard work of most of us.”

“I hereby state categorically that it is our responsibility to ensure better service delivery through the strict supervision of our men and officers. It is incumbent upon us to lead by example and leave no room for the negative elements in our midst to thrive.”

DHQ: we arrested 266 terrorists, aborted theft of  N2.8b worth of crude, others 

Also in Abuja, the DHQ said troops neutralised 266 terrorists and arrested 463 last month.  

It added that  447 assorted weapons and 6,697 ammunition, comprising 237 AK47 rifles, 26 locally- fabricated guns, 18 pump action guns, 55 Dane guns and 6,807 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo were recovered.

Other items recovered by the troops are 421 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 16 rounds of 9mm and 506 live cartridges.

Director of Defence Media Operations  Edward Buba reeled out the figures during his bi-weekly news conference on the operations of the Armed Forces.

In the Southsouth, Buba said troops, recovered 1,832,150 litres of stolen crude oil, 523,799 litres of illegally refined AGO, 16,716 litres of kerosene and 5,200 litres of petrol.

According to him, the troops denied the oil thieves N2.8 billion, which was said to be the value of the products.

 He added that 26 oil thieves were also arrested.

 Buba advised terrorists/bandits and kidnappers to surrender or be killed, warning that there is no third option.

 “Our goal is to restore peace and security for citizens to have an enjoyable life. We will continue to do that despite the current circumstances.

“Troops will continue fighting with great effort, determination and sacrifice to bring about great results.

“Because our security challenges are mostly self- inflicted. It is pertinent to urge citizens to rise up to the challenge. It is time to stop the bleeding for healing to commence.

“ We urge all segments of society to take examples from our gallant troops in the frontlines fighting to achieve the goal of liquidating terrorists and insurgents across the country to restore peace and security.

“These men and women, are from all the nooks and crannies of our country, and act shoulder to shoulder as a united force to achieve a common cause of destroying camps of violence in the country.”

On a recent video of a soldier complaining  that his N50,000 monthly  salary  was too  small to enable him to visit his family,  the Defence spokesman  said: “The military is governed by its laws, regulations and guidelines, any personnel who contravenes them will be sanctioned accordingly.”

[TheNation]

The Federal Government on Thursday disagreed with the organised Labour on its threat to declare a nationwide strike in the next 14 days over the alleged failure of the government to implement the memorandum of understanding reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in October 2023.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in an interview with The  PUNCH, asked the unions to exercise restraint and allow the government to address their grievances.

 He said, “We are calling on Labour to exercise patience. We will look at the grey area. Let them come and speak with us in the interest of our nation.

 “We cannot afford to go on strike at this time. So we call on them and we are always to partner  Labour for the progress and development of our country.”

 Idris, however, declined to comment on whether the government would seek a court injunction to stop the strike.

After the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, the labour unions reached a 16-point agreement with the Federal Government on measures to cushion the pains of the subsidy removal on workers.

Among other things, the government agreed to pay N35,000 to all federal workers beginning from last September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.

The Federal Government also pledged to provide 100 CNG buses nationwide to ease the high transportation costs.

The unions had threatened to declare a nationwide strike on October 3 but the move was suspended on the condition that the wage award, cash transfer, and some other resolutions must be implemented within 30 days effective from the day the MoU was signed.

However, the NLC and TUC in a joint statement on Thursday, accused the government of failing to fulfil its promises five months after the MoU was inked.

Labour faults govt

In a statement signed by the leaders of the two labour unions, Joe Ajaero and Festus Usifo, the organised labour expressed sadness that despite the passage of time, “The majority of these crucial agreements remain unmet or negligibly addressed, indicating a blatant disregard for the principles of good faith, welfare and rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerians.”

The organised Labour said it was giving the Federal Government 14 days from February 9 to February 14, 2024, to fulfil its part of the MoU with the unions.

The labour unions said that the agreement reached with the Federal Government was focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socioeconomic consequences of  “the ill-conceived and ill-executed IMF/World Bank-induced hike in the price of PMS and the devaluation of the naira.’’

The movement said the dual policies had dire economic consequences for the masses and workers of Nigeria.

‘Nigerians suffering’

The statement read in part, “Widespread hunger is now ravishing millions of Nigerians, with the workers purchasing power significantly eroded, while insecurity has assumed an increasing dimension.

“Nigerians are left wondering where their next meals will come from and what tomorrow might bring. The level of panic and anxiety amongst the populace has become nightmarish unfortunately, in the midst of all these, it appears our government is bereft of appropriate measures to ameliorate the huge burden it has foisted on the citizenry.

“We wish to state that these agreements, which encompass a wide range of issues crucial to the well-being of Nigerian masses and workers, have not been honoured as pledged by the Federal Government.

“From wage awards, palliative adjustments to improved access to public utilities; to the meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the interference by the Lagos State Government in union activities, the case of illegal and unlawful proscription of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria.

“The government’s failure to uphold its end of the bargain is deeply regrettable and unacceptable to the Working people and the citizenry.”

The unions added, “Constrained by this development and recognizing the urgency of the situation and the imperative of ensuring the protection and defence of the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers and citizens, the NLC and TUC hereby issue a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government, to honour their part of the understanding within 14 days from tomorrow (today) the 9th day of February 2024.”

The Deputy General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Banks, Insurance and Finance Institution Employees, Shola Aboderin, said his union members would join the industrial action.

“We are an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress, and it would sound irresponsible of NUBIFIE if we don’t join the strike after the 14-day ultimatum,” he said.

According to Aboderin, the members of the union have been lamenting the hardship in the country.

He said, “Recently, NUBIFIE issued a 14-day ultimatum to Heritage Bank that if they don’t add anything to the salaries of our members, NUBIFIE cannot guarantee our members would continue to work for them especially coming to work every day again which was on last week Thursday.”

Aboderin added that NUBIFIE was going to review the activities and the situation of things on Friday (today).

“Banks will be the first union to down tools after the 14-day ultimatum,” he added.

Also, the President of the Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Illitrus Ahmadu, hinted that the union members would comply with the decision of the TUC leadership.

“Our union is affiliated with TUC, so they must have decided on an important national issue. The leadership of NLC and TUC must have agreed on that before issuing such an ultimatum.

“But the truth is once they make a decision, it is binding on the affiliates like us. As of now, we have not been informed, and the secretariat has not been informed. Once they make decisions like this they get us informed.

“I guess they are just reacting to the hardship in the land. It’s a natural thing and most especially now that agencies are struggling financially,’’ Ahmadu noted.

The Executive Secretary of the National Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Mr Bassey Essien, said the union would not join the strike.

However, Essien explained that the association’s LPG drivers would participate in the strike as members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, an arm of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.

Essien also complained about the situation of things in the country as it affects the gas business.

“We have done our own share extensively nationwide to tell those in government, presidency, relevant authorities, the legislators, the press and all who care about the country that all is not well, especially the pains people are going through with cooking gas affordability,” he said.

Transport owners

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners said they would soon park their trucks if the government fails to address the hardship they are facing in doing their business.

NARTO National President, Lawal Othman, said though the association is not part of the NLC, the hardship facing its members would soon push them out of jobs.

NARTO is the umbrella organisation for all commercial vehicle owners in Nigeria engaged in the haulage of petroleum products, general cargoes, and the movement of passengers.

Othman said, “We are not members of NLC, but we have our own problems too. The hardship is much and that may force us to park our trucks. Everything is expensive, including spare parts and diesel. We are not making any profit, we will park our trucks.”

 The Vice President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr Nnadi Ugochukwu, “We have not been notified but I assure you that we would join the strike if we are notified about it because everybody is feeling the pain, there is nobody in the country that is not feeling the hardship.”

Customs agents

The founder of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Lucky Amiwero, complained about the economy which he said is in a bad state.

He admonished the government to find robust solutions, noting that an industrial action would have grave repercussions for the nation.

“The country is in a very bad state. So, the government should try and see how things could be done properly. A lot of things have gone bad. What the labor is saying is that the government should look into this holistically and find lasting solutions.

 “Once labour goes on strike, it would affect everyone. You know my members are not under NLC but some maritime workers are under labour,’’ Amiwero said.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Muslims under the aegis of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, have warned President Bola Tinubu against treating the economic hardship in the country with levity, declaring that Nigerians are truly hungry.

The JNI is led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar lll, who is also the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims.

On Monday through Tuesday, angry youths and women took to the streets of Minna, the Niger State capital, and Kano to protest what they described as the rising cost of living.

Similar protests also erupted in Kogi and Ondo States.

Commenting on the economic situation, the organization in a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Prof. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu on Thursday in Kaduna, asked the Federal Government to urgently address the challenges.

According to the JNI scribe, both the Federal and state governments needed to intervene before the situation worsened while demanding the immediate and unconditional release of those arrested during the Minna protest so as not to provoke Nigerians further.

The organization also frowned on hoarding and hiking the costs of essential goods and services, especially foodstuffs, especially as the Muslim Ramadan fast period was fast approaching.

The statement titled, ‘The need to address the inflation crisis in Nigeria,’ stated, “The current trying-time ordinary Nigerians are experiencing, occasioned by food insecurity, inflation, abject poverty and insecurity is distressing and calls for serious redress.

“The JNI under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, with all sense of responsibility calls on the Federal Government of Nigeria to urgently intervene over the difficulties Nigerians are passing through.

“This call is made over the excruciating pains citizens are airing in both print and electronic media, inclusive of social media, where in Minna, Niger State and Lokoja, Kogi State protests and other dissenting concerns were being raised.

“In the light of the troubling impact of hoarding and inflation on the availability and affordability of essential goods and services, particularly food items, the JNI is, therefore, compelled to raise its voice on the matter.

“We have been inundated with reports and pleas from ordinary Nigerians, expressing their anguish over the soaring prices of necessities.”

It added, “We urgently call on the FGN and state governments to intervene before the situation worsens. Likewise, all those arrested during the protests should be released and future recurrence be avoided through synergy and prompt interventions. This call has become necessary such that citizens would not be further provoked.’’

 In a related development, the Niger State House of Assembly has commenced moves to establish the Price Control Board to regulate the price of essential commodities.

Presenting the bill, Etsugaie said the board would the study market situation in the state to restructure the deteriorating supply and demand mechanism.

He added that the board would assess the delivery and distribution pattern of essential commodities to ensure that the people had a fair share of the commodities.

He said the board would also regulate the mode of distribution of essential commodities and monitor activities of the state supply company and other commercial organisations.

The lawmaker said the board would help to keep prices under continuous surveillance, interpret price movements, and relate them to other developments in the state economy.

He said the board would submit a report directly to the governor on the market situation all over the state among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the bill was thereafter, adopted by the house and passed through first reading.

Falana said the explanation became necessary following a move to challenge the order by the Federal High Court which directed the Federal Government to fix essential commodities by some lawyers.

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the Federal Government to fix the prices of goods and petroleum products within seven days.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa specifically ordered the government to fix the price of milk, flour, salt, sugar, bicycles, and their spare parts, matches, motorcycles and their spare parts, motor vehicles and their spare parts as well as petroleum products, which includes diesel, Premium Motor Spirit and kerosene.

Falana in a statement said in justifying the exploitative status quo, some lawyers have said that the court order is not enforceable.

 The senior lawyer explained that he approached the court to enforce the provisions of the Price Control Act.

He noted that the Price Control Act was enacted in 1977 by the ruling class based on the demand of the Nigerian people.

 He stated, “The Price Control Act is an existing law that regulates and controls the prices of certain goods in Nigeria. The main purpose of this Act is to ensure that prices of essential goods remain affordable and accessible to the general public.

‘’It aims to prevent price exploitation and promote fair pricing practices. To control the prices of goods, the Federal Government established the Price Control Board, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

‘’The Federal Government has also set up the Federal Consumer Protection Commission with the mandate of addressing consumers’ complaints, providing consumer education, and encouraging trade, industry, and professional associations to develop and enforce quality standards designed to safeguard the interests of consumers.”

 Speaking further, the social crusader noted that in recent times, the Federal Government has stopped hiking electricity tariffs and telecom charges.

 “Why has the NNPCL not controlling the prices of diesel and kerosene like the PMS (petrol)?” he questioned.

 Speaking further, he noted, “If the FG could grant duty waivers of N16 trillion to Dangote, Honeywell, and co in five years, why is it difficult to control the prices of the goods imported into the country by the captains of industry?’’

  “While lawyers and other privileged citizens can afford the rising cost of essential goods and services, the majority of poor people have been priced out of the market. Therefore, the Federal Government must intervene to control the prices of essential commodities in Nigeria,’’ Falana insisted.

THERE are civilian or constitutional coups in Guinea Bissau and Senegal, yet the regional body, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, is pretending otherwise. It appears interested only in military coups, not those carried out by its bosses in the Heads of State Summit.

Yet, the ingredients of a coup are present in both countries where the constitution is subverted, the President assumes dictatorial powers, parliament is illegally banned as is the case in Guinea Bissau or emasculated as in Senegal, and the judiciary is under siege to do the bidding of the President.

Guinea Bissau, when it was one country with Cape Verde, produced Amilcar Cabral, one of the greatest Pan Africanists in history. Tragically for Africa, on January 20, 1973, Cabral at 48, was assassinated in Conakry, Guinea in a conspiracy linked with the PIDE, the secret service of then colonial master, Portugal.

However, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, PAIGC, which he led, survived, and led the country to independence. But the country has been plagued by violence and coups leading to Cape Verde breaking away on January 20, 1981.

On December 20, 2019, retired General Umaro Sissoco Embalo, a former Prime Minister, defeated the PAIGC candidate , Domingos Simoes in a disputed presidential election.

In May, 2022, President Embalo carried out a constitutional coup by dissolving parliament citing “persistent and unresolvable differences” with the parliament. Rather than ECOWAS sanctioning him, it elected Embalo, two months later, as the Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS!

On June 4, 2023, the opposition coalition, the PAI Terra Ranka, led by the PAIGC, swept the parliamentary elections. But President Embalo refused to allow it function.

On December 4, 2023 Embalo again dissolved the parliament, claiming the Speaker, Domingos Simoes, wants to overthrow him. He also put the Supreme Court and its president under armed siege, forcing the latter to “resign”.

Despite these civilian coups by a man who was the sitting Chairman of ECOWAS, the regional body has kept mute in cold complicity. But ECOWAS will yell, if there is a military coup.

Senegal is the only West African country fortunate to have escaped a military coup. A 2012 attempt by President Abdoulaye Wade to run for an unconstitutional Third Term, was resisted, and Macky Sall was elected. In turn, Sall decided to run for an unconstitutional Third Term which in June 2023 led to street protests with 16 killed. Sall backed down, but got opposition leader Ousmane Sanko out of the race by getting him convicted.

However, as the February 25, 2024 presidential election approached, Sall decided on February 3, to extend his stay in power by indefinitely postponing the election on the basis that there is a dispute over the candidates list,

But the issue of the presidential candidates of political parties is the business of the party, electoral body and the courts, not the President of the country.

Unfortunately, ECOWAS, which has a reputation of chasing shadows, would not tell Sall the truth or defend constitutional rule. Rather, it same day, sanctioned Sall’s illegality by accepting the postponement . In its Saturday, February 3, 2024 statement, ECOWAS accepted the postponement and tamely appealed to the Sall Gang to “expedite the various processes in order to set a new date for the elections”.

Then it praised Sall: “The ECOWAS Commission salutes President Macky Sall for upholding his earlier decision not to run for another term and encourages him to continue to defend and protect Senegal’s long-standing democratic tradition.” Incredible! First, it was not in Sall’s place to decide not to run for a Third Term; it is a constitutional limit.

Also, Sall actually shed the blood of Senegalese who protested against his initial attempt to run in violation of the constitution. So, a serious ECOWAS, rather than praise him, ought to demand that he answers for the murder of pro-democracy Senegalese on the streets.

This ECOWAS statement which “…encourages him (Sall) to continue to defend and protect Senegal’s long-standing democratic tradition”, unfortunately presents Africans as idiots . This is because Sall, rather than defending and protecting the democratic tradition, is actually, endangering it. In fact, Sall is the greatest danger to democracy in Senegal.

Then after renewed street protests, the Senegalese Parliament met on Monday, February 5, 2024 on the indefinite postponement. During sitting, security forces removed by force, parliamentarians opposed to the postponement. Then rather than restore the electoral calendar, what is left of that parliament, endorsed Sall’s decision to illegally extend his tenure, by postponing the presidential election by ten months. This, of course, might be an initial date as it can always be postponed.

Rather than be concerned about the non-democratic postponement and its implications for democratic governance, ECOWAS, the next day, issued another of its pathetic statements.

Where even the United States which is not known to be a Sall antagonist, declared that the Senegalese National Assembly vote “…cannot be considered legitimate given the conditions under which it took place”, ECOWAS chose to be silent on the undemocratic process. Rather, it took refuge in bland sermons, reminding “…the population and the political class of their responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the country”.

To show the ECOWAS mindset and its lack of principles, it ended its second statement with a pledge to “…take all necessary steps to support the government and people of Senegal in their efforts to sustain the country’s democratic tradition”. How can ECOWAS pledge to support the subversive Sall government in Senegal that has no regard for democratic cultures, the will of the people and their human rights?

So, if tomorrow, such a government is overthrown, ECOWAS will be shouting about democracy and the sanctity of the constitution when it is actually in connivance with the Sall regime to subvert the constitution and democracy in that country.

In 2016, following Gambian presidential election, there was a dispute between incumbent President Yahya Jammeh and opposition leader, Adama Barrow. ECOWAS on January 19, 2017 sent a regional military force, the ECOWAS Mission in Gambia, ECOMIG, to force Jammeh out. It was tagged ‘Operation Restore Democracy’. When the over 4,000 ECOWAS troops, mainly from Senegal reached Banjul, Jammeh stepped down and left the country. The ECOWAS then installed Barrow who had been sworn in as President, not in the country, but in the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal.

The Gambian situation is way better than what is going on today in Senegal. At least in the case of the former, presidential election held, while in that of the latter, presidential election is being prevented from holding. Yet, ECOWAS is engaged in double speak and ambivalence.

A vibrant former member of the House of Representatives, he stood strong,
A voice of reason, in the chaotic throng.
His path and I intertwined with Chief E. K. Clark,
Fate's hand at play, a connection from the dark.

Passionate and pragmatic, his heart ablaze,
For Nigeria's progress, in myriad ways.
From the halls of power, to healing hands,
He served his nation, with unwavering stance.

A football match, a moment of delight,
Yet destiny's twist, cast shadows in the night.
While patriotically watching Nigeria and South Africa contend,
His earthly journey met a sudden end.

But let us not mourn, for his spirit shall remain,
In the hearts he touched, where memories sustain.
For Dr. Cairo Ojougho, a legacy profound,
An epic tale of a life that will resound.

I raise my voices in a nostalgic song,
To honor his life, vibrant and strong.
May he find eternal peace in realms above,
Embraced by love, surrounded by divine love.

Farewell, dear Dr. Cairo, your race is run,
Your flame may have dimmed, but your legacy's begun.
In the annals of greatness, your name shall thrive,
A cherished soul, we'll remember as we strive.

-Dr Olukayode Ajulo, OON, SAN