Bola A. Akinterinwa 

There is currently a cold war between the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES), that is, Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), on the one hand, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on the other. In reality, the cold war is also a colder war between France and the United States, on the one hand, and Russia and China, on the other hand. Franco-American relations is partly, if not largely, fraught with mutual suspicion. For example, France and the United States are original signatories to the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). 

The NATO was initially headquartered in Paris 10è. When France realised that she could no longer withstand the US mania of military directives to Member States, that is, France’s non-preparedness to accept American hegemonic control of the NATO, France opted out of the military integration membership of the organisation. France wanted to be consulted in all decision-making processes concerning deployment of troops in the context of Article 5 of the NATO Charter. This disagreement prompted the transfer of the NATO headquarters from Paris to Brussels and the turning of the headquarters into University of Paris-Dauphine (Paris 10è). Thus, France-US relationship has always been that of a friendly enmity. They compete for influence in Africa, where they readily unite against Russia in various ramifications. However, Franco-American military presence and bases have been declared unwanted by the AES. Russia has become the new beautiful damsel that is being courted in replacement of France and the United States. And more interestingly, China has displaced all of them as the new biggest supplier of arms to Africa as at today. It is against this background that we discuss one year of the AES and raise Professor Jean-Baptiste Duroselle of the University of Paris Sorbonne’s theory of Tout Empire Périra.’

One Year of Anti-France and Beyond

Tout Empire Périra means ‘Every Empire Shall Perish.’ The implication of this is that the replacement of France’s empire status with that of Russia cannot but have the potential to also perish one day.  But when will it come to an end? Without doubt, the AES is a resultant from the mutual defence pact done on 16 September 2023, meaning that it is not yet one year of its existence. It will be one year old on 15 September, 2024. 

However, there is no disputing the fact that the coups d’état in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger largely prompted the unity of purpose of the three countries in the struggle to resist the mainmise of the ECOWAS which had sanctioned them for acquiring state power through unconstitutional means, coup d’état. It was the July 26, 2023 coup d’état in Niger Republic that brought the intolerance of the ECOWAS to its crescendo. It was the intolerance or the zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government that prompted the ECOWAS’ threat of use of force on the Abdourahamane Tchiani junta in order to compel the return to civilian in the country. But in reaction to the ECOWAS threat, the consideration of establishing the AES became a desideratum. Thus, analysing one year of the AES cannot but reckon with the background to the formation of the AES.

The background is explainable at three complementary levels. First is the belief in the failure of France’s Operation Barkhane in its fight against the jihadist insurgency. The second is the unnecessary French exploitation of Nigerien mineral resources. Third is General Abdourahamane Tchiani military experience and feats, and fourth is the emergence of a deepening Francophobia in contrast to the increasing Russophilia in the Sahel sub-region. 

As regards the failure of France’s Operation Barkhane, it is largely one of the two rationales for the weakening Francophile spirit in the Sahel. The peoples of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are frequently harassed and killed by the insurgents. The Operation Barkhane is a French counter-insurgency operation initiated by France. It lasted from 1 August 2014 to 9 November, 2022. France is unhappy with the military junta in Mali, the Malians are unhappy with the French. This enabled the military junta to challenge both France and the ECOWAS by disregarding their threats of sanctions. 

As explained by the Harvard International Review (30 January. 2023, hir.harvard.edu) the real reason for France’s withdrawal from Mali is ‘the junta’s unwillingness to solve its growing security issues. Conversely, the junta blamed France for its failure to keep its promise in their partnership. They then reported that Mali had no choice but to seek other partners, referring to their hiring Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group.’ The two arguments are quite interesting. First, if the French are saying that Malians are not willing to address their security concerns, how do we explain the fact of the Malians accepting Operation Barkhane which was specifically set up to help fight terrorism and the Tuareg insurrection? The French arguments clearly suggests that France and Mali do not agree on the methodological approach to solving the problem. In other words, at what juncture did Mali refuse to dance to the security tunes of the French? Secondly, Mali posited that France had not respected the principle of sanctity of the partnership agreement. Can it not be rightly argued that it was because France acted contrarily to the obligations provided in the partnership agreement that Mali also decided to take the bad end of the stick?

The essential point is the belief that since 2014 to date, the French have not been able to neutralise the jihadist insurgency. What Malians have been faced with the unending killings by the Tuareg insurgents It is against this background the third complaint, mineral resources exploitation by France, is raised in the three ASS countries. The peoples cannot easily see much benefit in terms of better standard of living as a result of gains from the exploitation of their resources by France. They frequently argue that their uranium is exploited to provide stable electricity in metropolitan France while the sources of the uranium is without electricity. This was the genesis of the immediate and growing animosity vis-à-vis France began.

At the third level, General Abdourahamane Tchiani’s military experience and feats, he was the first officer to be at the site of the crash of the UTA Flight 772 that crashed in 1989. His prompt arrival was much appreciated and was decorated militarily as a result. He also took active part in the fight against drug trafficking in Zinder, Agadez, Agadez and Diffa regions. He led the forces and also actively participated in the UN peacekeeping missions in the Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in the Multinational Joint Task Force set up by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.

Apart from being accused in 2015 of involvement in a coup plot against Mahamadou Issoufou, an accusation he denied in the law court and was discharged, he was on record to have also led the unit that thwarted an attempted coup to seize the Presidential Palace two days before Mahamadou Issoufou stepped to allow for the election of Mohammed Bazoum. And perhaps most importantly, his appointment in 2011 as the Commandant of the Presidential Guards and his promotion to the grade of a General in 2018 by President Issoufou, brought Tchiani closer to the presidency and to have much influence. It cannot therefore be surprising that, when he probably learnt that he might be removed from his position as the presidential commandant on July 28 or 29, he quickly organised the July 26, 2023 coup. The point is that if he had not been planning a coup, it might have not have been possible within 48 hours to detain President Bazoum with much success and support.  

Finally, on the emergence of a deepening Francophobia in contrast to the increasing Russophilia in the Sahel sub-region, Francophone Africa’s honeymoon with France appears to be coming to an end while the honeymoon with Russia is being given a new foundation. Will the honeymoon bring terrorism and insurrection in the Sahel to an end? Will the ASS countries have known and shown readiness to solve their security problems? In other words, is it not because Malians, Burkina Faso, and Niger have shown willingness to solve their security problems by opting to change alliance and move in the direction of Russia? The choice of changing alliance is loaded with many consequential implications: first, it is essentially about sustaining foreign dependency but changing the tactics of the dependency. The policy of changing within continuity cannot be expected to have any constructive and meaningful changed outcome. Secondly, as theorised by Professor Duroselle, the new Russian influence cannot but come to an end one day. The question to still address remains whether a strengthened Russian presence can put an end to the sub-regional insecurity in the Sahel in the immediate and long run. Thirdly, the choice gives a wrong impression that a fresh rapprochement with France is no longer possible. Does it mean that the junta leaders cannot be removed in another coup or gunned down by sponsored by their foreign enemies, and by so doing, prompting another change of government?

It should be recalled that, in Ukraine, it was initially a pro-Russia leader that was elected before he was removed in controversial circumstance. It is against this background that the replacement of the pro-Russian leader seriously irked Russia and that Russia’s special military intervention in Ukraine took place. In this context, the intervention is quite far from resolving the dispute with Ukrainian. Neither Russia nor Ukraine, not to mention the Western supporters of Ukraine, has known peace. The war in Ukraine is still deepening with threats of possible use of nuclear weapons. In the Sahelian sub-region, can Russian and Franco-American proxy war be ruled out in West Africa? Time and future will tell.

Challenges beyond One Year

As a former doctoral student of Professor Jean-Baptiste Duroselle at the University of Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne, I am more than convinced that it is still early to see the extent to which the replacement of France with Russia can last. I do agree with the astute diplomatic historian that every empire, no matter for how long it exists, always has the potential to come to an end. True, it is consistent with the common saying that whatever has a beginning cannot but have an end. And true enough again, France was more of an emperor in Africa with special privileges conceded in her ties with Francophone Africa. Today, the beginning of the end to the privileged relationship enjoyed by France is what is being witnessed in the relationship between France and the AES countries. This clearly illustrates Professor Duroselle’s argument that every empire shall perish.

And perhaps more concerning is the replacement of the French empire with a Russian empire in the making in West Africa. The whole world is currently witnessing the making of a Russian empire in West Africa but without knowing for how long it will last. In the same vein, the likelihood of a major rivalry between Russia and China in Africa, and particularly in the West African region, cannot be ruled out. As noted earlier, China has become the biggest arms supplier to Africa. The implication of this is that Chinese military cooperation with Africa cannot but be on its ascendancy. 

Besides, Africa is being supplied arms by Asia, Europe and America to kill themselves in defence of Western values. By not only opening the door, but also widening it for the Russians to come in, the AES is simply changing the incumbent empire. A new foundation is not only being laid for re-colonisation in a new format, but also turning the West African region into a future battle field. Already, reports had it about three weeks ago that the Ukrainian battle fields have been extended to Mali. The Ukrainian agents attacked the Wagner Group in Mali and killing many Russians in the country. By further implications, Russia cannot but be expected to also reciprocate, not necessarily in Mali but possibly in ASS and other countries. This is the first challenge to be reckoned with in the immediacy. We do know that, sooner or later, the current Russianisation shall also belong to the garbage of history. But before then, there is the need to address some other foreseeable critical scenarios.

First, the 5-point agenda set by the ASS for itself is education and youth employment; agricultural development; food security, rural development; and energy and climate. To an extent, the aspect of development of agriculture and food security is receiving attention to the delight of the peoples. As revealed by Inter Vlog, 400 tractors and 239 tillers (manual tractors that can be pushed like wheelbarrows), 710 motor pumps for irrigation, 714 motorcycles for agricultural agents, 10,000 tonnes of fish feed, 68,964 tonnes of fertilisers, 10,000 litres of sanitary products, 18,000 tonnes of plant seeds, 2003 tonnes of seeds, 10,000 tonnes of concentrated products and other agricultural equipment, have been acquired by Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso either for itself or for the ASS in the spirit of the Alliance. Thus, in essence, the objective is to boost agricultural productivity in the rural areas, boost employment, and boost economic development in general.

As Captain Traoré explained it to the people, whoever has land in Burkina Faso should simply provide it to be given mechanised assistance: heavy working tractors and tillers are bought to assist farming without any payment of service charges by the people. For these reasons, most Burkinabé are said to be deeply in love with their leader. In terms of future challenges, it cannot be easily expected that the Burkinabé would prefer the Nigerian or ECOWAS leader to Ibrahim Traoré. In other words, the likelihood of Burkina Faso wanting to return to the ECOWAS is more of a dream than likelihood. Unlike other ECOWAS leaders, the Burkinabé leader is using an old jeep, 2001 model, and does not engage in vehicle convoy diplomacy. In fact, if there were to be any democratic election today, Captain Traoré will not have any opposition to contest against.

Perhaps more admirably, on July 25, 2024 Captain Traoré again handed over mobile hospital clinics that are well equipped and given to the Ministry of Health. As explained by the leader, there is no need waiting until Government would be able to build hospitals everywhere. There is the need to take hospitals or healthcare to the door steps of everyone, especially where there are no hospitals. The people were provided 15 mobile clinics, 36 vehicles, including 11 pick-ups, for mammography, ultra-son, echography, etc. The immediate objective is to destroy the malaria-breeding areas. If the ASS countries are all thinking along this new direction, the policy option for the ECOWAS is to acquiesce to the existence of the ASS as an integrating partner. 

Above all, Captain Traoré has also acquired massive weapons which many people believe he may not be able to manage. Questions have also been raised about who the enemy targets are? Who is funding the acquisition? Can the ECOWAS still afford the luxury of using force to compel the three junta regimes to return to civilian rule? In fact, what is the future of unconstitutional change of government in the ECOWAS region? Can the ECOWAS fight Russia directly or indirectly in the ECOWAS region?

Although the ASS countries are still members of the ECOWAS, and therefore are still obligated by ECOWAS rules until December 2024, there is no disputing the fact that, as from January 1, 2025, the situation has the potential to be more difficult for the ASS citizens who will no longer be Community Citizens. As we have previously noted in this column, the ASS citizens are most likely to suffer from the non-application of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of People and from the Protocol on the Right of Establishment. Nigeria has generally been the pole of attraction for Community Citizens because of Nigeria’s market economy. The first challenge here is what to do with the ASS citizens that are already settled in Nigeria. Will they have to be asked to return home? Will they prefer to remain Nigerian by seeking to change their status through acquisition of Nigerian citizenship by marriage, naturalisation, etc.?

Francophone West Africa is a major market for Nigeria’s industrial products, especially plastics. Mali has a population of about 22.59 million as at 2022. Burkina Faso had 22.67 million, just slightly more than that of Mali in 2022, while Niger had 26.21 million people in 2022. This means that the three countries have a total estimated population of 71.47 million. The entire ECOWAS region has an area of 5,114,162 square kilometres and an estimated current population of 424.34 million. Interpreted otherwise, the ASS countries account for 16.84 of ECOWAS population and, territorially, they account for the lion share of ECOWAS land space. Apart from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are bigger than Nigeria even though Nigeria still has the biggest arable land in Africa. These are some of the issues that cannot but be reckoned with after the eventual, effective withdrawal from the ECOWAS. Nigeria’s relationship with the Republic of Niger is the most difficult as at today, and most unfortunately, it is also the most populous amongst them. It is the country with which Nigeria had the warmest ties before the coup imbroglio. Even if the Côte d’Ivoire and the ASS countries play host to substantial Nigerian goods, relationship with Niger cannot but require a special attention.

In seeking a possible return of the ASS, the strategy should be to accept the ASS as a sub-region and give it an observer status in ECOWAS if not full membership as a body corporate. In this regard, the ASS cannot but be required to pay taxes. Its citizens will require visas to ECOWAS countries. Though the ECOWAS may be weakened in the immediate, membership of the ASS as a corporate member has the potential to strengthen the ECOWAS in the long run. However, the strengthening of economic and security interests with Russia cannot be undermined.

Imagine a military coup in Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) is still the Chair of ECOWAS Authority. Who will sanction Nigeria? What about the trinity of conflicting interests? First is Franco-Nigerian interests. Are they common? PBAT-Emmanuel Macron rapprochement would want to ride on the back of PBAT to fight the ASS, and particularly Niger Republic. At the level of Nigeria-Niger, can Nigeria afford the luxury of fraternising with France and at the same time seek a meaningful reconciliation with Niamey? What about the ASS countries’ perception of PBAT as a stooge of the West, and particularly of France? Is Niger-Nigerian relations more important than Franco-Nigerian relations? Put differently again, should Nigeria promote ECOWAS interests to the detriment of Nigeria’s interest? Nigeria initiated the idea of ECOWAS in 1972 and in collaboration with Togo, actualised it in 1975. Can Nigeria afford the luxury of supporting the disintegration of the ECOWAS which she initiated and co-founded? More interestingly, at the level of Russia and the United States, there is no way Russia would not want to sanction Ukraine for killing many Russians on the soil of Mali a fortnight ago. This situation is globalising the war and hardening the animosity vis-à-vis France. Quo vadis for Nigeria?

Bola A. Akinterinwa 

On  Sunday, 9th July, 2023 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) was unanimously elected the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Bissau, Guinea Bissau, one of the two Lusophone Member States of the ECOWAS. On 9th July, that is, in two days’ time, it will be one year of PBAT as the primus inter pares of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. In the same vein, the Nigerien leader, Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who was Commander of the Presidential Guards when he ousted President Mohammed Bazoum, took over power on July 26, 2023 and will also be marking one year as the leader of the Conseil national pour le sauvegard de la patrie (National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland), which the ECOWAS and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, refused to recognise. A Tchiani-PBAT confrontation is likely if, reportedly, PBAT continues as ECOWAS Chair in 2024-2025. 

Continuation is welcome for many reasons. First, the initiative to form the ECOWAS was Nigerian and was implemented in collaboration with Togo. Since the inception of the ECOWAS on 28 May 1975, Nigeria has generally accounted for about one-third of the ECOWAS’ assessed dues. Nigeria has been playing active parts in the development of the organisation. However, in 2023, the foundation for partial dismantlement of the ECOWAS was laid under the chairmanship of PBAT. The ECOWAS Treaty was reviewed in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on 24 July 1993, meaning that the review will be 30 years old this month, and yet, the ECOWAS is increasingly still found wanting. Consequently, PBAT needs to be given the opportunity to re-polish Nigeria’s and ECOWAS image. 

Secondly, PBAT is a strong proponent of development of democracy and, particularly, true federalism. His dream of possibly taking the advantage of the ECOWAS to consolidate democratic values in Nigeria is yet to be realised. In fact, all that he declared as a newly elected ECOWAS chairman are still far from being accomplished. Therefore, and without any whiff of doubt, there is nothing wrong in seeking another year of service. However, there is the challenge of how to manage the next one year of both PBAT’s order and Tchiani’s counter-order to prevent the encounter emanating from it from resulting into another disorder.

First One Year of PBAT 

The first one year of PBAT as ECOWAS chairperson was largely fraught with the intention to promote the development of democratic culture, nationally, regionally or plurilaterally. He wanted to be seen as a genuine agent of democracy in various ramifications. His first year was also fraught with ECOWAS’ zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government in the ECOWAS region. His personal animosity for dictatorial, military rule in Africa was necessarily exacerbated with the July 26, 2023 coup by Brigadier General Tchiani. 

Earlier, Mali had recorded two coups within one year and ECOWAS could not prevail on Mali in spite of its politico-economic sanctions. While still finding a way out, the Burkinabe coups followed. And as if these coups were not enough, the Tchiani coup also reared its ugly head in Niger. All of these gave a basis for PBAT to want to take the bad end of the stick.

And true enough, he did take the bad end of the stick. As clearly noted in an Aso Rock press release (vide ehouse.gov.ng), PBAT made it clear that threats to regional security were   destabilising and should be quickly taken more seriously. As he put it, ‘on peace and security, the threat has reached an alarming level, and needs urgent actions in addressing the challenges. Indeed, without a peaceful environment, progress and development in the region will continue to remain elusive. In this regard, we must remain committed to the utilisation of all regional frameworks at our disposal to address the menace insecurity.’

What is noteworthy about this statement is that it was made on July 9. 2023, that is, about 16 days before the Niger coup. Besides, it was made about 43 days after his inauguration as Nigeria’s Number One Citizen. And perhaps more importantly, in the strong belief that the ECOWAS had the necessary wherewithal to do battle with the putschists and easily win, PBAT noted in his post-appointment statement that ECOWAS security architecture ‘covers a wide range of areas that involved kinetic and non-kinetic operations, including preventive diplomacy.’ Most noteworthy, PBAT said ‘there is also the Regional Plan of Action on Fight against Terrorism 2020-2024, as well as the operationalization of the ECOWAS Standby Force on Fight Against Terrorism.’

It was against this background that PBAT promised to ensure he, along with other Heads of State ‘immediately harmonize these plans and mobilise resources, as well as the political will towards the actualisation of the initiatives. As terrorists do not have boundaries, we must work collectively to have an effective regional counterterrorism measure.’ It couldn’t have therefore been surprising to know that PBAT expressed ‘unalloyed commitment to provide the necessary leadership with dedication to serve the interest of the Community.’

PBAT was willing to do his best but the environmental conditionings would not enable: destructive strategic miscalculation, domestic hostility in Nigeria, the court case instituted by Kayode Ajulo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and Professor Bola A. Akinterinwa at the ECOWAS Court against PBAT, ECOWAS et al to prevent any military assault on Niger Republic, etc. The ECOWAS gave a 7-day ultimatum to Niger to release President Mohammed Bazoum and return to constitutional democracy or face the wrath of the ECOWAS as a collective. The ultimatum was considered by the ASS as very offensive, very illegal, and very unacceptable. The ECOWAS Treaty, originally and as amended, did not provide for threat and use of force in settling disputes. In fact, what was considered most annoying was the perception of the ECOWAS, and particularly PBAT, as being used as a tool to fight Niger Republic with which Nigeria has the warmest ties in the neighbourhood. The damage to the relationship appears to have been damaged beyond immediate diplomatic repair in the immediate. The statement of Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission since 2022, lends much credence to this observation.

At the recently concluded 92nd Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers on Thursday, July 4, 2024 in Abuja. President Touray noted that, since January 24, 2024, when Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger gave notice of their withdrawal from the ECOWAS, several efforts had been made to appease them but to no avail. In the words of President Touray, ‘despite our entreaties, in the form of softening of sanctions, invitation of the governments to technical meetings, and request for meetings, we have not yet gotten the right signals from these Member States.’

Additionally, The Gambia-born Touray also had it that ‘it has become evident that changes in the international system, which is significantly affecting our Member States, are playing a role. To this end, we are proposing a Special Summit on the Future of our Community to examine the developments in the world and their impact on our community to rethink our integration in terms of governance, relations with external partners, our Community norms and values, and approach to emerging.’

From PBAT’s policy intendment to President Touray’s observation of recalcitrant attitude of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to re-join the ECOWAS, there is no disputing the fact that the last one year of PBAT as ECOWAS chairperson is a failure. For three countries to withdraw their membership of the ECOWAS, regardless of the rationales, is a manifestation of a big failure. Although the failure can still serve as a catalyst for a more quickened integration, the one year of PBAT raises many issues of governance and survival.

First, should the ECOWAS not begin to promote more of sub-regional integration? This question is raised in light of Article 1(e) of the 1991 Abuja Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community which provides for the establishment of sub-regions? The ECOWAS already has the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS/AES) region to contend with. Even though Chad and Cameroon are geo-politically located in the Central Africa region, shouldn’t PBAT begin to think of Nigeria and her immediate neighbours as a second sub-region to be created? In other words, rather than begin continental integration from the regional level, why not begin from the sub-regional level? Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana can also constitute a sub-region. Rather than seeking to confront the ASS sub-region, there is the need for re-strategy for PBAT as Nigeria’s and ECOWAS’ leader. Thirdly, Article 1 (d) of the 1991 Abuja Treaty divided Africa into five regions while Article 1(e) enables the creation of sub-regions out of the regions. The current thinking of African leaders is that the Caribbean should be considered as the sixth region of Africa. This point cannot be ignored in Nigeria’s foreign policy calculations.

Again, even though PBAT became the ECOWAS Chairperson in July 2023, the ECOWAS did not record any major achievement at the economic development level before then. The final communiqué of the 64th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority done on 10th December 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria admitted our observation: ‘notably the regional growth rate slowed to 3.7% in 2023, compared to 3.9% in 2022, annual average inflation peaked at 20.0%, compared to 17.3% in 2022 and public debt deteriorated further to 48.8% of GDP, compared to 36.8% of GDP in 2022.’ 

Besides, the launch of the Eco currency was postponed until the 65th Session of the ECOWAS Authority. In fact, on regional peace and security, the Authority only noted the ‘continued challenges of insecurity and instability in the region that have been engendered by terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime, as well as ‘Unconstitutional Changes of Government.’ If there was not much to say about economic transformations and containment of violent extremism and insecurity in 2023, what about the first half of 2024 and the following one year?  

Tchiani-PBAT Confrontation, 2024-2025 

As noted earlier, there is nothing wrong in PBAT’s aspiration to continue to chair the ECOWAS Authority, but for as long as the quest will not place a heavier financial burden on Nigeria. There is nothing to suggest that there will not be heavier burden for PBAT to carry. First, the ECOWAS military Chiefs of Staff have recommended that supporting Member States in fighting terrorists and containing threats to constitutional changes of government would require two options: establishing a 5,000-strong brigade at an annual cost of $2.3bn or deployment of troops on demand of $360m annually (aljazeera.com). Whatever is the choice, there is always a financial burden to carry.

Secondly, there is likely to be direct confrontations between Niger and Nigeria. This is because all the ECOWAS’s diplomatic engagements aimed at pacifying the ASS countries have been to no avail as of now. The recalcitrance may be due to the consideration that neither Nigeria, in particular, nor the ECOWAS, in general, is in position to stop the expanding the Sahel-based terrorist groups from reaching the coastal states. 

The ASS is promising to do what the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin, the Accra Initiative, the ECOWAS Standby Force, the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS), etc. have not been able to do, by re-committing themselves to stop the terrorists

For instance, the incumbent President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, 

First told the United Nations Security Council in July 2023 that about 500,000 people in the ECOWAS region were refugees and 6.2 million were internally-displaced. Explained differently, in Burkina Faso for example, there were 2,725 attacks in between January and June 30, 2023. In the same period, Mali recorded 844 attacks while Niger had 77 compared to Nigeria’s 70 attacks. In the eyes of Omar Touray, this situation is due to organised crimes, armed rebellion, unconstitutional change of government, illegal maritime activities, and fake news. These are challenges that are still begging for sustained attention and which whoever becomes the next chairperson of the ECOWAS must deal with.

Additionally, Omar Touray also noted at the opening ceremony of the 92nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, OON, that ‘the developmental goal of ECOWAS integration is being questioned due to various crises. Unity and solidarity are crucial. The upcoming Summit aims to establish minimum cooperation points for Member States to address community-wide issues.’

Foreign Minister Tuggar lent further credence to Omar Touray’s observation by also noting that ‘our region still faces complex challenges that require dedication, commitment, and concerted action. I implore all of us to maintain the strength of unity and cooperation that has always guided our deliberations.’ Thus, many are the challenges waiting for PBAT to attend to in his next tenure in office as ECOWAS Chairperson.

Under normal practice, chairmanship of the ECOWAS is rotated, especially on the basis of alphabetical order. But several times, Member States can ask to play host to an ECOWAS summit. Besides, when the regional body is fraught with financial challenges, a willing country can be pleaded with to accept the chairmanship of the organisation. It was within this framework that General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida served as Chairman consecutively from 27 August 1987 through 1989. General Sani Abacha similarly served from 27 July 1996 to 8 June 1998. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua served from 19 December 2008 to 18 February 2010. Goodluck Jonathan also served for two years consecutively from 18 February 2010 to 17 February 2012. While it can be observed that Yar’Adua couldn’t complete two years in office, Nigeria was still given the opportunity to complete his tenure with the election of Goodluck Jonathan for an extra two years.

Apart from the issue of likely financial burden for Nigeria to carry, there are also the implications of the carving out of a sub-region from the ECOWAS region. As a result of the breakaway of the ASS members from the ECOWAS, the organisation has decided to cancel the $500m development projects in ASS countries for refusing to re-join the ECOWAS. Will the cancellation or withdrawal from the G-5 engender any setbacks in the confederation and eventually the federation agenda of the ASS countries?

As earlier noted by the ECOWAS Commission President that the ASS countries did not respond to the peace-making efforts of the ECOWAS Authority in 2023, the decision of the Authority to empanel a committee of Heads of State comprising H.E. Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, H.E. Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, and Representative of Nigeria and the Beninois President to engage with the Conseil national pour le sauvegarde de la patrie, cannot but be a necessity. The engagement and the impact of the Committee is yet to be felt.

In fact, the problem at the West Africa regional level became more complicated with the establishment of the ASS in September 2023, and the withdrawal of Burkina Faso and Niger Republic from the Group of 5 for the Sahel Joint Force (FC-G5S). The FC-G5S was created in 2017. Chad, Mali, and Mauritania were members. The aim was to contain organised crimes and terrorism. In June 2022, Mali withdrew from the G-5-Sahel while the three ASS/AES countries came up with a new Joint Force to fight terrorist groups on 7 March 2024.

Following their withdrawal from the ECOWAS on 28 January 2024, the ECOWAS Authority lifted the economic sanctions placed on Niger and eased those on Mali but to no avail. The lifting of sanctions has its own challenges. One main challenge here is that, following the replacement of the Wagner Group, a Russian security firm, with the Africa Corps, Russia took advantage of Niger’s directive to the US forces to leave the country on 16 March 2024 to strengthen its military cooperation with the ASS: deployment of about 100 personnel of Africa Corps to Burkina Faso; arrival of Russian forces in Niger on 10 April; signing on 25 May of a Charter that extended the return to civilian rule by 5 years with effect from July 2, 2024, etc. All these developments are the challenges to be faced by PBAT in the second half of 2024.

In the same vein, on 25 January 2024, the 2015 Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali was terminated and replaced with an ‘Inter-Malian Dialogue for Peace and National Reconciliation’ which recommended an extension of Mali’s transition agenda by 3 years, that is, until 2027. Another challenge for PBAT is the closure of Niger’s border with Benin Republic purportedly because of Benin’s support for the ECOWAS closure of borders with Niger Republic. True enough, Niger is aggrieved but for how long can the grievance be sustained? If Mauritania withdrew from the ECOWAS and still find the need to come back and seek the status of an observer, it simply means that the ECOWAS has other advantages that cannot be easily done away with. In the same vein, the breakaway of the ASS countries does not mean that they will not come back either as full original members or otherwise. The next six months can still witness a fundamental change of position. 

Grosso modo, the continuation of PBAT’s chairmanship of the ECOWAS is really a desideratum for three main reasons. First, Nigeria should not be remembered as being the initiator of the regional organisation and also be remembered for the disintegration of the same ECOWAS under the leadership of a Nigerian Chairperson. PBAT should continue to do the necessary to amend. Secondly, the breakaway of the ASS countries is consistent with the regional and sub-regional integration processes provided for in Article 1 (d) and (e) of the 1991 Abuja Treaty Establishing an African Economic Community. Consequently, the ASS is legal and legitimate. The challenge for PBAT is how to manage the ASS as a sub-region and still as a constitutive member group of the ECOWAS. In this regard, the ASS countries cannot but still come back sooner or later but subject to their not being seen or treated as underdogs.  Thirdly and most importantly, the strategic miscalculation of giving a 7-day ultimatum to Niger has the potential to be a source of greater strength for the ECOWAS. It affords the opportunity to rejig the ECOWAS Standby Force, to strengthen the anti-terrorism fight, and to see more clearly henceforth. The dilemma of the next one year, however, is how to reconcile ECOWAS interests with foreign interests. PBAT is at the epicentre of all these questions and should be allowed to find answers to them.

*Promise gradual easing of sanctions on Niger, sets up committee

*Tinubu stresses need to re-engage nations under military rule
*Says move key to fast-tracking return to civil rule 

*Hails Weah for conceding defeat in Liberian poll

Deji Elumoye and Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Heads of State and Government of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have agreed to review efforts to activate a standby force for counterterrorism operations in areas troubled by terrorist groups in the sub-region. This was one of the resolutions of the West African leaders in a communiqué read by President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, at the end of the 64th ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS on Sunday in Abuja.

The leaders, who reiterated their commitment to the eradication of terrorism and other threats to peace, security, and stability in the region, also promised to gradually ease sanctions on Niger Republic and set up a committee to that effect.

The decisions came as President Bola Tinubu, weekend, said there was need for ECOWAS to re-engage West African nations under military rule on the basis of realistic and short transition plans that could deliver democracy and good governance to the peoples as well as fast track the return to civil rule.
Tinubu also charged West African leaders to prioritise good governance and collective prosperity as essential tools to prevent authoritarianism and unconstitutional changes of government in the region.

Addressing the 64th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the Conference Hall of State House, Abuja, on Sunday, Tinubu commended President George Weah of Liberia for conceding defeat during a recent national election.
Regarding the fight against terrorism and other related security matters, the leaders instructed the commission to expedite the convening of the meeting of ministers of finance and defence to agree on the modalities for the mobilisation of internal financial, human, and material resources on a mandatory basis to support the deployment of the regional counterterrorism force.

The communique read, “The Authority takes note of the commencement of assignment by the Special Envoy on Counterterrorism, Ambassador Baba Kamara, and directs the commission to facilitate his mission.
“The Authority directs the commission to intensify collaboration with sub-regional counterterrorism initiatives, such as the Accra initiative and MTJN, and urges member states to increase funding for joint maritime operations and exercises in the region and to improve coordination and collaboration among various ministries, departments, and agencies responsible for maritime security.”

The West African leaders also resolved to hold an extraordinary summit on unconstitutional changes of government aimed at promoting peace, security, and democracy in the region. They directed the commission to embark on deep reflection and explore the possibility of convening the extraordinary summit.
The commission immediately established a committee of Heads of State to engage with CMSP, the military junta in Niger Republic, on the need for a short transition roadmap and the emplacement of monitoring mechanisms.

The Authority promised a gradual easing of sanctions on that country based on outcomes of the engagement, and emphasised the need for the immediate and unconditional release of detained President Mohammed Bazoum.

The communique said, “The Authority deeply deplores the continued detention of President Mohammed Bazoum, his family and associates by the CMSP regime.
“The Authority further deplores the lack of commitment on the part of the CMSP to restore constitutional order. Consequently, the Authority calls on the CMSP to release President Mohammed Bazoum, his family, and associates immediately and without precondition.

“The Authority decides to set up a committee of Heads of State made up of the President and Head of State of the Republic of Togo, the President and the Head of State of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the President and Head of State of the Republic of Benin, to engage with the CMSP and other stakeholders with a view to agreeing on a short transition roadmap, establishing transition organs as well as facilitating the setting up of a transition monitoring and evaluation mechanism towards this speedy restoration of constitutional order.
“Based on the outcomes of the engagement by the committee of Heads of state with the CMSP, the Authority will progressively ease the sanctions imposed on Niger.
“In the event of failure by the CMSP to comply with the outcomes of the engagement with the committee, ECOWAS shall maintain all sanctions, including the use of force, and shall request the African Union and all other partners to enforce the targeted sanctions on members of the CMSP and their associates.”
The regional leaders commended efforts by member states and the ECOWAS commission to work on the consolidation of democracy, peace, security, and stability in the region.
The Authority noted, in particular, the peaceful elections that took place during the year in Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. It welcomed the peaceful resolution of the electoral disputes in Nigeria, as well as the peaceful outcome of the dialogue between the opposition and the government in the Republic of Sierra Leone.
On The Gambia, ECOWAS leaders implored the government and stakeholders to expedite the adoption of the new constitution ahead of the 2026 general election, as well as implementation of the white paper on the recommendations of the Truth, Reparation, and Reconciliation Commission.
They extended the mandate of the ECOWAS mission in The Gambia by one year and instructed the mission to continue to support the country in the implementation of the white paper and defence on security sector reforms.
On Guinea Bissau, the leaders condemned the violence that erupted in the country on December 1, and all attempts to disrupt constitutional order and rule of law in the country.
Condemning the attempted coup in Sierra Leone on November 26, the leaders expressed sadness over the loss of lives and destruction of property and called for a thorough and transparent investigation to identify and bring perpetrators to justice.
They applauded the signing of the agreement for national unity resulting from mediated dialogue between the government and the opposition in Sierra Leone, and called on all parties and stakeholders to implement the agreement in good faith within the specified timeframe.
On Senegal, the Authority took note of preparations for the February 25, 2024 presidential election in the country, and urged inclusivity and transparency in the electoral process.
The leaders also called on the Senegalese government and stakeholders to adhere strictly to constitutional norms, ECOWAS protocols, and the rule of law in managing all electoral processes.
Meanwhile, Tinubu, who is Chairman of ECOWAS, told the 64th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, “The delivery of good governance is not just a fundamental commitment; it is also an avenue to address the concerns of our citizens, to improve their quality of life, and create a stable environment conducive to the achievement of sustainable development.
“By providing good governance that tackles the challenges of poverty, inequality and other concerns of the people, we would have succeeded in addressing some of the root causes of military interventions in civilian processes in our region.”
Recalling decisions taken by West African leaders to further strengthen the region’s democratic achievements and uphold the right of the people to elect the leaders of their choice, Tinubu said the bloc had outlined specific measures to be taken against any member state opting for unconstitutional change of government.
He said, “While the imposition of punitive sanctions may pose challenges, it is important to underscore that the struggle to protect the fundamental liberties of our community’s citizens must be upheld and respected.
“To this end, I would like to reiterate the imperative of re-engaging with the countries under military rule on the basis of realistic and short transition plans that can deliver democracy and good governance to the innocent populations in those countries.
“On our part, we should be prepared to provide them with technical and material support, to ensure the achievement of these strategic goals.”
The president applauded Weah for conceding victory and congratulating his opponent during the last presidential election in Liberia. He invited leaders at the summit and other participants to give a standing ovation to Weah while he also acknowledged the presence of former President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, who in 2015, displayed a similar commitment to democratic ideals after losing his re-election to the opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
“I would also like to seize this opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people of the Republic of Liberia for the successful conduct of the presidential election, widely adjudged to be free, fair and credible,” Tinubu said.
He added, “Let me also commend my brother and colleague, His Excellency, George Weah, for his exemplary leadership and conduct throughout the electoral process.
“By accepting defeat and congratulating his opponent, President Weah has left a legacy to be emulated by politicians in our region and beyond.”
Tinubu further responded to the recent decision by some ECOWAS member-states under military rule to float a so-called “Alliance of Sahel States”, describing it as distracting. He emphasised his commitment to pursuing ECOWAS integration.
He stated, “The phantom pushback alliance appears intended to divert our attention from our mutual belief in and commitment to democracy and good governance that will impact the lives of our people.
“We refuse to be distracted from pursuing the collective dreams, aspirations, and the noble path of ECOWAS integration as it is laid out in our institutional and legal frameworks.
“I take this opportunity to also emphasise that despite the numerous challenges faced in our region, ECOWAS has achieved significant milestones for the betterment of our community.
“ECOWAS activities have always been people-oriented, with a future of raising the living standard of our people. We have to do that through a relentless focus on qualitative service delivery and good governance.”
On the recent disturbances in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, the ECOWAS chairman asked fellow leaders to pay attention to protecting democracy. He reiterated ECOWAS’ zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government.
The Nigerian president told the West African leaders, “I urge all of us to stand strong and be highly committed in the face of any challenge in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau. The message must go down clearly that we support a democratically elected government, not an unconstitutional exercise.
“The re-elected president of Sierra Leone is present here. We are saying loud and clear that we are with you. Without let or hindrance, democracy will win, if we fight for it, and we will definitely fight for democracy.”

•Insists supreme court should be allowed to allow to resolve case

•Calls out media houses for encouraging such discussions

Wale Igbintade

A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has called on the current president of the association to call out lawyers that breach rules of ethics of the profession by turning the media into a court of law over President Bola Tinubu’s alleged certificate forgery.

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last elections, Atiku Abubakar, has been challenging Tinubu’s victory at the February 25 poll and the verdict of the election tribunal upholding the outcome of the vote.

Atiku had alleged that Tinubu’s academic records were fraught with discrepancies and forgeries, as such, his request for the US court for the northern district of Illinois to compel Chicago State University (CSU) to release Tinubu’s academic records was subsequently granted.

To this end, the former vice-president has applied to file the academic records as fresh evidence at the supreme court.

However, there have been heated debates in the mainstream and social media onwhether or not Tinubu’s academic records were relevant to Atiku’s appeal and if the apex court would admit the fresh evidence.

Against this backdrop, Agbakoba, in a statement yesterday, said he was ashamed to see lawyers on national television arguing and debating the merits or demerits of the allegations.

The senior lawyer expressed displeasure with what he described as the cacophony of discordant voices on Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar surrounding the controversy over the CSU records.

He warned that armchair lawyers were heating up Nigeria dangerously, urging people to keep their opinions and views to themselves while awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court.

His words: “The cacophony of discordant voices on Tinubu/Atiku over the certificate matter is completely out of hand. This utter nonsense from armchair lawyers is heating up Nigeria dangerously. Please, can we keep our opinions and views to ourselves, awaiting a decision of the Supreme Court?

“I am so ashamed to see lawyers on television arguing one way or the other on the merits or demerits of the Chicago State University matter. This is most unhelpful! I call out all media that tolerate this nonsense of adjudicating the CSU matter on TV and newspapers.

“I urge the President of the Nigerian Bar Association to call out lawyers that breach rules of ethics by turning the media into a Court of Law.

“Can we please stop heating up our country!!! Let us allow the Supreme Court of Nigeria to make a judicial pronouncement which is binding on us all!!!! This public nonsense must stop.”

Last week we reported on the story of Spotify venturing heavily into the Afrobeats space, and this week we hear of a dedicated record label that promises to reshape the African music industry, Decadence Records has emerged as a beacon of hope for aspiring artists across the continent. Led by industry veteran Lloyd Perrin and headed by renowned A&R expert David Yeboah, the label is dedicated to providing fair deals and an international focus to African talent.

Decadence Records has a boutique style with a major punch, thanks to its innovative marketing strategies. Going beyond traditional approaches, the label has forged unique partnerships with businesses in the heart of Africa, ensuring that the artists’ songs receive unparalleled exposure and opportunities. These partnerships not only showcase the diversity of African talent but also enable Decadence Records to tap into the rich cultural landscape of the continent, resulting in a truly authentic and enduring music experience.

With a philosophy that puts the songs first, Decadence Records aims to sign exceptional tracks rather than binding artists to exclusivity clauses. This approach allows artists to retain full control over their careers, enabling them to choose their own paths and explore various avenues. By prioritising the creative freedom of African artists, the label ensures that their unique voices are heard on an international stage, captivating audiences worldwide.

Lloyd Perrin, the CEO and founder of Decadence Records, brings a wealth of experience to the table, having spent two decades navigating the intricacies of the music industry. His passion for fair deals and transparency stems from a deep understanding of the challenges artists face in an industry often mired with exploitative agreements that fail to prioritise their interests. “The African music scene is bursting with incredible talent, and it’s high time we create a platform that empowers artists to shine on a global stage,” says Perrin. “We believe in fair deals, transparency, and giving artists the freedom to make their own choices.
Decadence Records is committed to creating an environment where artists can thrive and express themselves authentically.”

In their pursuit of unearthing exceptional music from Africa, Decadence Records has dispatched A&R head David Yeboah to explore the continents’ vibrant music landscape. Yeboah’s mission is to discover extraordinary songs that capture the essence of African creativity and bring them to the attention of a global audience. His visit represents an exciting opportunity for African artists to showcase their talent and potentially secure a spot on the international stage.

To ensure that no talent goes unnoticed, Decadence Records has established a submissions page on their website. The label is committed to carefully listening to every single song submitted, affirming their dedication to giving each artist a fair chance at recognition and success.

Their innovative marketing strategies and unique partnerships provide an added advantage, creating new avenues for artists to break into the global music scene. Decadence Records’ vision goes beyond just signing artists; it’s about fostering an environment that nurtures creativity, supports growth, and respects the artist’s right to chart their own course.

With their international focus and dedication to fair deals, the label is poised to revolutionise the African music industry and open up new avenues of opportunity for aspiring artists. If you are an aspiring African artist looking to make your mark on the global stage, Decadence Records could be the stepping stone you’ve been searching for. Visit their website to submit your music and be a part of this pioneering movement that seeks to empower and uplift African talent like never before. www.decadencerecords.com/submissions.

Decadence Records is setting a new standard for the music industry, one that values the artist’s voice, celebrates their creativity, and ensures that fair deals and global opportunities are within reach. With their unwavering commitment to African artists, the label is destined to shape the future of African music for years to come.

Could you or one of your friends and family be the next Burna or Wizkid. Submit your tracks today….for all enquiries email hello@decadencerecords.com

Olusegun Adeniyi in Freetown  

Presidential candidate of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s presidential election in Sierra Leone, Dr Samura Kamara, has vowed not to accept “any skewed, manipulated and unverified results.” Kamara, who yesterday alleged rigging, however, assured his “supporters and the citizens of Sierra Leone that the APC is on an irreversible path to an overwhelming victory.”

His statement came against claims by the ruling Sierra Leonean Peoples Party (SLPP) that from preliminary reports, the incumbent president, Julius Maada Bio “is confident of a landslide victory.” According to the SLPP National Secretary General, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, “Results tabulated in our party centres indicate that there will be no runoff. The people have spoken overwhelmingly and have done so by entrusting President Bio with the nation’s fate for a further five years.”  

Ahead of the declaration of results today, there are fears of protest by the opposition.

For some weeks now, APC members had organised street protests, calling for the removal of Mohamed Kerewui Konneh, as Chairman, Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), after alleging bias in favour of the ruling SLPP. When he voted in the Freetown neighbourhood of Lumley last Saturday, Kamara complained about the congested nature of the polling unit, saying, “Don’t be surprised if there is confusion.”  

Yesterday, Kamara called on the ECSL to tally the results using projectors. “This is also best practice. However, the ECSL is fiercely resisting to use projectors, making it extremely impossible for us and other political parties to compare, reconcile and verify the RRFs as recorded at polling centers,” he said.

According to Kamara, “The people of Sierra Leone have spoken loudly, and the message is very clear in the results coming in. We, the APC, therefore, urge the ECSL to respect the due process, adhere to international best practice as well as to what we agreed at Bintumani on the transparent, inclusive, and accountable counting and tallying of results.”  

The opposition candidate alleged that the ECSL was deliberately putting obstacles before the party. “At the Northwest Regional Tally Centre in Port Loko, the Northern Regional Tally Center in Makeni, and at the Western Regional Tally Centre at Wellington, our representatives have not been allowed into the main halls and therefore unable to monitor the tallying process. With our representatives being subjected to observe the tallying behind a glass barrier and without the results being projected,” he claimed.  

While vowing not to accept defeat, Kamara called on the international observers, especially those from ECOWAS in particular, “to ensure that the decline of democracy in West Africadoes not continue under their watch in Sierra Leone.”  

Countering Kamara’s claim, the SLPP accused the main opposition party of instigating violence. “Despite the relatively peaceful conduct of the elections, the SLPP wishes to draw the attention of the public to the unprovoked attacks of its polling agents by top-ranking members of the APC,” Koroma alleged, saying, “These attacks sought to undermine the peaceful conduct of the elections.”

After casting his ballot at the Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown Saturday morning, an upbeat President Bio, had encouraged Sierra Leoneans to participate peacefully. “Go out and vote – it’s your right,” he said, adding: “Vote safely. If you win, celebrate safely.”  

In the March 2018 general election, Bio had contested against Kamara, then Minister of Foreign Affairs as candidate of the then ruling APC. No presidential candidate received the mandatory 55 percent of total votes cast in the first round of the election. Bio led others with 41 percent of the total votes cast followed by Kamara with 40 percent. Bio was subsequently elected with 51.8% of the vote in the second round of the poll.  

Announcement of results commenced yesterday, and the process continues today. Besides the presidency, elections were held for 135 parliamentary seats, 22 Mayor/Chairmen of Council and 493 councilors. Independent candidates can contest in any of the elections except the presidency.  

Peter Uzoho

ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria – Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN) and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL) – have announced the appointment of Adesua Dozie as the Vice-Chairman of the Boards of the Companies.
The appointment becomes effective today.

This was disclosed in a statement at the weekend.
Until her appointment, she was an Executive Director and General Counsel for MPN and EEPNL.
 Dozie joined MPN in November 2019, as General Counsel and was elevated to the position of Executive Director on December 30, 2019.

Dozie is a senior Legal Advisor with over 20 years of experience as a trusted leader for multinational companies across Africa in a diverse range of industries.
She holds a Bachelor of Law degree (LL. B.) from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom, and a Master of Laws (LL.M) from Cornell Law School, New York.

She was admitted to the New York bar and qualified as a barrister and solicitor in Nigeria.
Dozie has advised on various large-scale transactions across the African continent, drawing on a deep knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework, in turn facilitating regional growth, strengthening corporate governance and compliance cultures across diverse business communities.

She is a passionate advocate for empowering diverse talent and is committed to building and strengthening inclusive working environments.
ExxonMobil upstream affiliates in Nigeria operate several joint venture concessions and deepwater production sharing contracts which currently focus on major secondary oil recovery projects, natural gas liquids and gas monetisation and significant investment in national content development.

The ExxonMobil upstream affiliates operating in Nigeria are MPN, EEPNL and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited. The companies have notable history, proven experience and a strong record of contributions to Nigeria’s development.

Bola A. Akinterinwa 

South Africa and Russia are both members of the BRICS. BRICS is the acronym for the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa who are all protesting the Bretton Woods system and seeking an alternative to the current International Economic Order. The acronym was first used in a report entitled, ‘Building Better Global Economic BRICS’, and written by Jim O’Neill (vide Global Economics Paper No. 66). The original membership of the BRICS when informal meetings of the BRIC Foreign Ministers began in 2006 did not include South Africa until December 2010 as from when the acronym changed from BRIC to BRICS. Indeed, the first BRIC meeting took place in Yekaterinburg on 16 June 2009, a date generally considered as the founding date of the group. South Africa became a full member at the BRIC Foreign Ministers meeting held in September 2010 in New York.

The importance of the group is first explained by the fact that all the five countries account for 42% of the global population. They also account for more than 31% of the world’s GDP. Thus, the economic size of the BRICS and the objective of seeking to replace the current international monetary system has become a major source of economic threat to the US-led Western world. The United States has been more threatened because, one of its most reliable and important allies in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, has also been reported to be seeking membership of the BRICS. More disturbingly, the BRICS wants to replace the dollarization of international economic relations with another currency.

Perhaps more importantly, when the relationship of each Member State of the BRICS with one another is considered, it can be observed that East-West alliance is being re-defined by force majeure, Africa’s dependence on the West is also gradually being redefined. In fact, Russia-South African ties are now more threatening to the United States, an important trading partner of South Africa. The same is true of the entente between China and Russia, especially in light of the implications of the Russian-Ukrainian war which have become the main centrifugal factor in BRICS relations with the United States. The United States frowns at any relationship with Russia that strengthens Russia’s military power to the detriment of Ukraine, but also that can bring shame to US efforts in the war. In this particular case, South Africa is on record to have been hobnobbing with Russia in the areas of joint military exercises and supplies of arms and weapons, a case the South African government has technically denied and promising to investigate. Regardless of the denial, the matter has already led to a diplomatic row that the United States is currently also finding difficult to handle.  

South Africa and Russian Cooperation

South African and Russian relations have been generally warm for three main reasons. First was the role played by the former Soviet Union and particularly the Russians during the anti-apartheid war. It should be recalled that in 1896, the Transvaal Republic established ties with Russia and that the national anthem of the Transvaal, ‘Transvaal, Transvaal, My Country,’ was frequently played by Russian orchestra. Besides, various committees were created to raise money for the Transvaal in addition to the many church services that offered prayers for a British defeat.

Russian support for South Africa has been better explained in the observation made by a British historian, R. W. Johnson: ‘Russian conservatives were pro-Boer not only for the usual nationalist anti-British reasons, but because they thought the Boers were like the best sort of Russians – Conservative, rural, Christian folk resisting the invasion of their land by foreign (especially Jewish) capitalists.’ What is particularly noteworthy about the foregoing quotation is the aspect of Christian folk resisting capitalist invasion. Even though the opposition elements in South Africa were hostile to communism in South Africa, Russian relations with South Africa still remained generally cordial until the dismantlement of apartheid in 1994.

In support of the anti-apartheid struggle, Russia withdrew its ambassador following the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960. More interestingly, during the South Africa Border War, the Russians not only supplied arms but also trained the SWAPO and the MPLA fighters. In fact, following glasnost and perestroika and the eventual demise of the Soviet Union, South Africa recognised the Russian Federation in December 1991. This was followed by the establishment of diplomatic missions on 28th February, 1992. By so doing, South Africa became the first African country to establish diplomatic ties with the Russian Federation.

Secondly, The Russian Federation, particularly under the current president, Vladimir Putin, has one foreign policy objective of taking out South Africa from the orbital influence of the US-led western world, surely in an attempt to undermine US influence and interests in Africa. And true enough, Russian supportive attitude towards South Africa is part of the initial strategy to increase Russian presence in Africa. When this objective is likened to the Chinese objective in seeking to strengthen better relations with South Africa, the primary strategic interest is to use South Africa as means of strengthening Chinese quest to establish a naval base and active presence in the Indian Ocean. This strategy has an ultimate objective of containing the Americans in the South China Sea in the event of military hostilities over Taiwan. These are some of the untold strategic calculations behind the formation of the BRICS.

And true enough, in response to the official visit of President Nelson Mandela to Russia in April 1999, President Putin visited South Africa in 2006. Thereafter, South Africa began to distance itself from the hostile activities of the US and its allies toward Libya after the death of Muammar Gaddafi. And true again, South Africa joined the BRICS in 2010 with the active support of the Russian Federation. Within this context, military understanding and cooperation increased substantially under President Jacob Zuma. Closer ties were developed with the South African Security apparatus. For example, members of the South African State Security Agency travelled to Russia for special training. 

Thirdly, South Africa wants to build its own satellite surveillance capabilities with Russian assistance, but this strategic objective cannot be achieved by working with the United States against Russia. This is a matter of protection of the national interest which underlies the current misunderstanding and irritant in the South Africa-American relations. It cannot but be illogical to expect South African hostility vis-à-vis Russia if Jacob Zuma was frequently going to Russia for medical treatment. It cannot but be also absurd for President Zuma to have successfully struck a deal for a $100bn nuclear power plant with Russia and for Western observers to expect South African hostility towards Russia. 

This is why the US attitude towards South Africa on the issue of joint military exercises between Russia and South Africa, on the one hand, and among Russia, China and South Africa, on the other, should be seen as an exaggeration and an unnecessary attack on the political sovereignty of South Africa. Without any jot of doubt, Russia’s Admiral Gorshkov frigate arrived in Richards Bay on February 20, 2023 with sporting war symbols. And expectedly, the deployment of hypersonic missile Zircon-armed frigate warranted condemnation by Ukraine and western allies. It was against this background that in May 2023, the US Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigetty, had to accuse South Africa of arming Russia, alleging that weapons were actually loaded onto a Russian commercial vehicle, the Lady R, which was docked at a naval base in Simon’s Town in December 2022.

As explained by Ambassador Brigetty at a press conference, ‘we would like South Africa to start practising its non-alignment policy.’ This statement is quite interestingly from two perspectives. First, the United States does not want South Africa to be aligned with the Russians but is not against South Africa’s alignment with the United States and its allies. This necessarily makes a non-sense of the notion of non-alignment. Non-alignment cannot be invalid for one and made valid for another. This brings us to the second perspective, the real meaning of non-alignment at the level of intra-African and Africa’s external relations.

The origin of Non-alignment policy is traceable to the founding fathers, Sukarno of Indonesia, Jawaharla Nehru of India, Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. Non-alignment policy is actually a principle predicated on five pillars of mutual respect, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in domestic affairs, sovereign equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence. The principle of peaceful co-existence still requires the non-use of force to settle disputes: diplomacy, reconciliation processes, arbitration, negotiation, judicial approach, adjudication, etc., are recommended rather than use of force. 

The objectives of non-alignment policy are to enable maintenance of peace, promotion of economic growth, nipping in the bud colonialism and imperialism, opposition to military alliance and acquisition of nuclear weapons, protection of human rights, and assist the United Nations in the maintenance of global peace. But in this regard, what really is the meaning of non-alignment? Is it that, in absolute terms, there should not be alignment? Speaking grosso modo, many observers believe that non-alignment is about not taking side with disputants. This is not always the case. 

From the example of Nigeria, non-alignment policy is the exercise of political sovereignty to decide whether to align or not to align. The decision to align must be a resultant from the need to protect the national interest. Aligning or not aligning is therefore a function of national interest needs. Consequently, the long-term implication of the request and advice of US Ambassador Brigetty is nothing more than an encouragement to South Africa to seek the protection of its own national interest. Put differently, nothing can be wrong if Russian and Chinese vessels docked at the Richard Bay Port in South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal Province for a ten-day joint military exercise beginning on 20th February, 2023. As rightly observed by many, the joint military exercises coincide with the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The joint exercises also appear to be more significant diplomatically because it was on 28th February, 1992 that Russo-South African diplomatic ties were established. Thus, it is a general week of anniversaries.

Russo-American Cold War

Sooner than later, the Russo-American cold war cannot but have the potential to be transformed into a hot war. The beginning of the transformation is, in fact, the current Russian-Ukraine war. US foreign policy interest is not simply to promote democracy, defend capitalism and human rights, and ensure economic vibrancy in the United States, but particularly to tell the whole world about the superiority of western civilisation, and the unsurpassed greatness of the American people. In other words, the United States sees itself as the leader of the world and wants to be seen and considered as the primus inter pares. 

True, following the end of World War II, the former Soviet Union and the United States emerged as the two most powerful countries in the world. To differentiate the two of them from other great powers, the use of ‘superpowers’ was reserved for them. Following the dismantlement of the Soviet Union, only the United States remains and the most critical   challenge for the United States is how to continue to sustain the status of the only superpower. Professor Jean-Baptiste Duroselle of the University of Paris 1, Pantheon-Sorbonne has argued that ‘tout empire périra,’ that is, ‘every empire shall perish.’ This means that there cannot but be an end to the United States’ leadership of the world. 

However the Americans do not want to subscribe to this theory.

On the contrary, the Russian Federation strongly believes that it is impossible, if not 

unacceptable, for the United States to remain the leader of the world beyond this time. The United States should not be talking about leading the world for eternity. As a matter of fact, President Vladimir Putin was, and still is, against the dismantlement of the former Soviet Union. He now wants to reunite the former Soviet empire. This simply means that the Russian foreign policy interest is directly in conflict with the United States foreign policy interest. The Americans want to dominate and direct all global affairs. Russians are vehemently opposed to this type of agenda. This is a situation of order and counter-order amounting to disorder.

This disorderliness is well captured in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Following the 

Collapse of the Soviet Union, agreement was reached that both the NATO and the Warsaw

Pact should be dissolved. The Russians complied with the gentlemen agreement by taking life 

out of the Warsaw Pact. On the side of the US-led western world, it has been total disregard 

for the agreement. Additionally, Russia made it clear that she is vehemently opposed to the 

expansion of NATO membership, especially to its international borders. The United States 

and all its allies disregarded this. Many countries of Eastern Europe have been persuaded to 

join the NATO, and they have, indeed, joined the NATO. 

This angered Russia to a great extent. Russia in reaction, annexed Crimea 2014 and

also supported the pro-Russia secessionists by fighting the Ukrainian military in the Donbas war. All the founding members of the NATO (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, and the United States) actively support Ukraine. For example, the Canadian Defence Minister pledged the deployment of 150 Canadian Armed Forces staff to Poland on a philanthropic mission to help Ukrainians. Australia took sanctions against Russian state-possessed endeavours. The European Union individually and collectively took several sanctions aimed at incapacitating Russian war effort

Belarus, the biggest of the Russian supporters, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Kyrgyzstan and possibly a few invisible others who can be said to be supporting Russia indirectly. For instance, Syria supported the recognition of the newly created republics in Eastern Ukraine. In the eyes of Iran, Russian special military intervention in Ukraine is in response to US provocations. In the same vein, Armenia voted against the removal of Russia from the Council of Europe. Many countries have also claimed to be neutral and therefore not taking side with anyone. They include UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan. What is noteworthy about all the positions is that neither of them has lessened the tension. On the contrary, the prosecution of the war has been made more complex. It is deepening day after day. 

The Sino-American dimension to the Ukrainian conflict cannot be ignored. The United States does not want China to be associated with Russia in its war against Ukraine but US misunderstanding with China is more complex than the Ukrainian saga. For instance, China is actually planning to take over as the next leader of the world from the United States in the conduct and management of global questions. The United States wants to maintain the status quo and is therefore is against the Chinese dream. 

Another aspect of the relationship is US-Chinese trade misunderstanding which has generally been fraught with US accusing China of technology theft. The United States has taken a number of sanctions against China. But to a great extent, to no avail. Again, in terms of politico-diplomatic ties, the United States wants Taiwan to be separated from China and exist as a sovereign state. The Beijing authorities see the American option as a joke and have therefore proposed only one option: ‘One China, Two systems.’    

In the context of the international politics of the Ukrainian war, the merger of Russians in Eastern Ukraine with the Russian Federation is quite consistent with the Chinese quest to have Taiwan remain with one China. Again, it cannot but be in the interest of China’s long term calculations to have Russia win the war, in which case, the ‘Russian win’ will become a fait accompli. The punitive measures being taken against Russia by the European Union cannot but become useless if Russia wins the war. So, in the event of a similar Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the Russian experience will not be anything new. Explained differently, China prefers to be a silent supporter of Russians in her invasion of Ukraine. China is remaining silent to learn lessons from international politics of the war, and then use the lessons to prepare for likely worst scenarios in the event there is war over the future of Taiwan. Meanwhile, there is nothing to suggest that the Chinese authorities want to bend their position. Beijing is quietly insisting that Taiwan must remain a part of Mainland China. Whether tactical nuclear weapons will be used by Russia to defeat Ukraine and also used by China in the event of a war over Taiwan, it is only time that will tell. What can be said as of today is that the conflict in Ukraine is deepening. The increasing support given to Ukraine by the European Union is unnecessarily strengthening Ukrainians to suffer the more for a longer time. If the Europeans want to fight Russia, the fight should not be by proxy. They should take the battle directly to the doorsteps of Kremlin. Using Ukraine as an instrument for military experimentations is a direct threat to the maintenance of international peace and security. As it is today, Russia, because of the European support for Ukraine, has not been able to defeat Ukraine, thus creating a military lull. As such, the natural question is quo vadis? When and where is the next manifestation of the Russo-American and Ssssssino-American proxy war? Where will South Africa be in all these? Again time will tell.

·       Trade union centre presents list of demands to govt

·       FG: demands not impracticable, to set up tripartite committee

·       Parties to reconvene tomorrow to finalise discussion 

·       NNPC lacks power to fix petrol price, NLC insists

·       Maintains there’s appropriation for subsidy till end of June

·       Declares no division among its members ahead of strike

·       Electricity, judiciary workers mobilise for planned nationwide strike

·       PDP urges Tinubu to engage labour, blames FG for lack of adequate consultation

·       Apologise to Jonathan, Okonjo-Iweala, Obi, Atedo Peterside tells Tinubu, others

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja, Raheem Akingbolu and Peter Uzoho in Lagos

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was absent yesterday at the reconvened meeting between the federal government and representatives of the organised labour centre at the State House, Abuja.

The first meeting held last Wednesday to discuss the contentious issue of withdrawal of fuel subsidy by the federal government was attended by representatives of both NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC). But at the reconvened meeting yesterday, representatives of NLC did not turn up, just as TUC presented its demands to government, with minimum wage review topping the list.

President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, while speaking in an interview on ARISE News Channel, yesterday, accused the federal government of foul play, insincerity and insensitivity on the subsidy matter. NLC insisted that the federal government lied in its declaration that there was no appropriation for subsidy beyond May 2023.

The NLC also stated that all its branches and affiliates across the country were united in the struggle to reverse the unilateral increase in pump price of petrol.

However, following the directive by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) to its members to withdraw their services nationwide from Wednesday, and join the planned strike called by NLC, some industry analysts warned workers against downing tools, saying it portends national security risk. They stressed that the law clearly stated that it was an offence for anyone or group to prevent or obstructs the transmission of electricity through any electricity or main transmission line.

Similarly, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), in a letter dated June3, 2023, started mobilising all its chapters and members for the nationwide action and withdrawal of service from Wednesday.

“This followed a decision of the NEC of the NLC at her meeting on June 2, 2023, over the increase in the pump price of PMS by the federal government,” the letter signed by JUSUN General Secretary, M.J. Akwashiki, read.

“All zonal presidents are to coordinate their zones by ensuring that branch and chapter chairmen mobilise their members for total compliance,” the letter added.

Weighing in on the subsidy matter, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, called on the federal government to engage the organised labour to find solution to the raging dispute.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and former leader of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, yesterday, appealed to the national leadership of NLC not to embark on its proposed nationwide strike, saying Tinubu means well for the country.

But founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc. and Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside, yesterday, called on Tinubu and others in the present government, who had in 2012 opposed the removal of fuel subsidy by the administration of then President Goodluck Jonathan, to tender an unreserved apology to the former president as well as Nigerians.

In a tweet on his handle, Atedo pointed out that following the decision of Tinubu to end the fuel subsidy regime, the president and some members of his party, who vehemently protested against subsidy removal by Jonathan, ought to apologise to Jonathan, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Peter Obi, and other members of the 2012 Economic Team.

Peterside wrote, “The petrol subsidy removal is complicated by the fact some liars who held sway in 2012 are now singing a different tune in 2023. They should apologise to @GEJonathan @PeterObi @NOIweala & others in the 2012 Economic Team and beg Nigerians for forgiveness so we can move forward.”

NNPC had last week adjusted the pump price of petrol by nearly 200 per cent, from N195 per litre to between N488 and N557 nationwide. The development followed the announcement by Tinubu in his inaugural speech on Monday that fuel subsidy was “gone.”

Tinubu promised to re-channel the expected savings to education, health and other sectors. 

But the development did not go down well with NLC, which has announced plan to commence a nationwide strike from Wednesday.

NLC Absent as FG, TUC Agree on Wage Increase to Cushion Effect of Fuel Subsidy Removal

Speaking with newsmen after the meeting between the TUC leaders and federal government’s representatives, held at the conference room of the Chief of Staff’s office, both sides disclosed that negotiations would continue from tomorrow, when the federal government would be taking labour’s demands to President Bola Tinubu. The meeting lasted about two and a half hours.

The government was expected to come with answers to labour’s demands.

Apart from the demand for a review of the minimum wage, TUC demanded a tax break for Nigerian workers. It said it would leave the remaining items on the list undisclosed until the government representatives must have relayed the list to the president and come back with positions.

Spokesman of the government’s side, Mr. Dele Alake, expressed satisfaction with the proceedings. Alake hinted that the demands by TUC were not impracticable. But he noted that the president must be allowed time to consider them.

According to Alake, government would look into the issue of minimum wage, since the removal of subsidy has the immediate consequence of reducing the purchasing power of the people. He added that government would be putting a tripartite committee together to study all dynamics relating to the subsidy.

Alake said, “Well, as you all know, we had this reconvened meeting today as we promised you few days ago when we had the initial meeting with the labour movement. We said we were going to reconvene today to keep the engagement on, in order to diffuse the tension in the land as a result of the withdrawal of subsidy, which is a reality. Now, we are very happy to announce to Nigerians that this engagement has been very productive.

“The TUC that attended today’s meeting presented a list of demands and those demands we have studied and we are going to present to Mr. President for his consideration. But those demands, we can announce to Nigerians that a lot of the items on the list are not impracticable.

“What we need to do is to study the numbers very well, then we have asked the TUC to also give us a leeway to consult very exhaustively and reconvene on Tuesday to actually look at the numbers’ viability, practicability of all the items that have been presented to us. 

“Now, most important and top priority on the list, which the government is also looking at very seriously and the president has announced before, is the issue of the minimum wage, which the labour movement has demanded is the consequential impact of this removal of subsidy. 

“So, government is to look at that and Mr. President is most likely going to constitute a tripartite committee that is a committee of federal government, including the states, and then the organised labour and the private sector. 

“Now, this is a tripartite arrangement, it will be a committee that will study all the dynamics of a wage increase in percentages, the numbers and the categories that will be affected. So by Tuesday, when we come back to reconvene to meet with the TUC again, we should have very concrete items to present to the world. But the most important thing for today is that we are making appreciable progress with labour.”

Asked what the TUC demands were, Alake said, “It is a list, but we are not going to be listing all of them now. The most important is the minimum wage, that is increase of minimum wage. Because, when this thing is removed, the argument of labour is that there is an immediate impact on the workers, on the purchasing power because price of fuel has gone up. 

“So, that will necessarily reduce the purchasing power of the average worker. The next thing of immediate consequence is to increase the purchasing power of the worker. That, to me and to all of us on this side, is the top most priority on the list. There are other things, like the tax holidays, which some categories of workers will be beneficiaries. But the most important is the minimum wage.”

On whether the team was also negotiating with NLC, Alake said, “No, we are not, but we are making efforts to reach the NLC. We all agreed that we are going to meet here, but again, in this game there are dynamics. Sometimes, they could be meeting with their own executives and not able to meet with us, or they could want to postpone or they have not actually articulated their list of demands as the TUC.

“But we cannot second guess why they are not here. But efforts are being made to reach them, we are not isolating them at all.”

Asked if the meeting discussed the claim that NLC was working for the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the just concluded elections, Peter Obi, Alake declared, “No, not at all. It has no relevance to the discussion on the concrete terms of the welfare of the workers. Our discussion was majorly on the welfare of workers, how to cushion the impact of this subsidy removal on workers that’s all. Not on any political partisanship.”

Speaking to reporters, also, President of TUC, Festus Osifo, said his team attended the meeting as directed by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC). Osifo said his team had submitted their list of demands to the government and would be expecting a feedback by next Tuesday.

Asked if his union was satisfied with the discussion so far, Osifo said, “Yes, we have presented the list of our demands to them and they received it in good faith, that they will go back to their principal and come back to us on Tuesday. 

“So we’re hopeful that the demands that we have presented will be reviewed in the best interest of Nigerian workers and the entire Nigerian masses.”

On what the specific demands of TUC were, he said, “The demands are so long, they are so many, part of it is the demand for a (review) of the minimum wage and we stated that for us, quite apt that the minimum wage today is not a living wage, as we all know. The value of the minimum wage since it was negotiated has plummeted to a very abysmal level, as it is today. 

“Because they are going back to Mr. President, we also think that we should also give them that benefit of doubt because the things we presented to them the last time, they did not also reveal it before the press so it is also quite apt for them to go back, maybe when we meet on Tuesday, we can dissect them one after the other and be much more specific.”

The federal government’s delegation to yesterday’s meeting was led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume. Other members of the team were Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole; and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari.

At the meeting, also, were Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Zacch Adedeji; Executive Vice President, Downstream, of NNPC, Yemi Adetunji; and Hon James Faleke, among others.

The seven-man TUC team was led by Osifo.

NNPC Lacks Power to Fix Price of Petroleum Products, Says NLC

Ajaero said federal government lied in its declaration that there was no appropriation for subsidy beyond May. He insisted that records showed that there was provision for subsidy till end of June.

Contrary to the federal government’s position that there was no provision in the budget 2023 beyond May 29 for subsidy, the labour leader argued that there was a backlog of about 2 .3 trillion, according to NNPC.

The NLC president also argued that NNPC lacked the constitutional power to fix price in a competitive market, like Nigeria.

Ajaero stated, “Now if he is saying that there is no appropriation for subsidy, then fine and good. We can take it from there and we have to discuss it. No appropriation for subsidy doesn’t mean that the NNPC, a private limited company, will now determine for us the price.

“If they say they have removed subsidy and it should be subject to market forces, then it shouldn’t be for NNPC to determine prices. They don’t have such powers and there is no provision that their board, as a limited liability company, ever met and took such resolution. Such details are not acceptable to the labour movement.”

Ajaero added, “By Tuesday night, I held a meeting with Mr. President and his team. There and then, the NNPC said they were going to bring out figures and prices. And on the spot, I told them, if you do that, we’ll fight back. There’s no basis for you to take that decision before discussion. And they went ahead and did that.

“We decided to boycott the meeting, but people still prevailed. We attended the meeting and asked them to return to status quo to enable us discuss freely. And up till now, they have not done that. So what are we going there to do?”

Ajaero challenged the government to give Nigerians details of the subsidy they had been paying and who and who were paid.

“We had agreed on some alternatives before now. Why are those alternatives not working?” he asked.

Reacting to a question on why labour was not persuaded by various factual arguments put forward by the federal government and the likely impact the newly constructed Dangote refinery would have on the industry, Ajaero said market forces did mean monopoly in a sector.

He said, “How can there be market forces if Dangote is the only person producing? Are we not repeating a private sector monopoly?

“Why is the Port Harcourt refinery not working? Why is Warri refinery not working? Why is Kaduna refinery not working? Unless there are other players in the sector, we can’t be talking of market forces. We can’t be talking of competition in the sector. We can’t have a single market participant in the sector and we are talking of market forces. It doesn’t go that way. Between now and December, if care is not taken, if it is only Dangote that is producing, a litre of oil will be selling for over N1,000. So the argument doesn’t make sense before us.”

No Division Within Our Ranks, Says NLC 

NLC said all its branches and affiliates across the country were united in the struggle to reverse the unilateral increase in pump price of petrol.

A statement by NLC’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, Mr. Benson Upah, described the insinuation that the congress might have split over the planned nationwide strike on Wednesday  “as laughable and desperate attempt by enemies of the people to polarise Nigeria Labour Congress along ethnic or regional lines on an issue with a national spread”.

Upah added, “Happily, this scenario only plays in their imagination, as Nigeria Labour Congress continues to be the biggest pan-Nigerian organisation united by a common vision/mission and shared national values.”

NLC said regarding the looming strike action, “We want to assure that all the affiliate unions of the congress stand together with an unshakeable resolve to prosecute, come Wednesday, except the NNPC and government do the needful.

“Whereas, primordial sentiments, such as religion, region or ethnicity, may be refuge for some, at the Nigeria Labour Congress, they have no place.  

“What counts for us are issues, such as the mindless and criminal increase in the pump price of PMS, whose burden will be borne by the already impoverished communities of the poor across Nigeria. 

“The burden of this malevolent policy will not be borne by other segments of the country to the exclusion of the North or South-west. Thus, there is no reason for these regions to back out of the strike.”

Electricity Workers Threaten to Join Planned Nationwide Strike

NUEE directed its members to withdraw their services nationwide from Wednesday, over the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.

The union, in a strike notice issued yesterday by its acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, urged its members to comply with the directive from NLC to stop work from the early hours of Wednesday.

In the letter, NUEE said its decision was in response to the NLC emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting held last Friday, in Abuja, over the removal of fuel subsidy by government 

The letter said, “To this effect, all national, state and chapter executives are requested to start the mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive.

“Please, note that withdrawal of services nationwide commences from 0.00 hours of Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

“You are encouraged to work with the leadership of State Executive Councils (SEC) of the congress in your various states with a view to having a successful action.”

PDP Urges Tinubu to Engage Labour

PDP, yesterday, called on the federal government to engage the organised labour in finding solutions to the removal of fuel subsidy.

The party stated that there were no adequate consultations before the decision was taken.

In a communiqué at the end of the party’s retreat in Bauchi, which was signed by its National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, PDP noted, “The retreat expressed concerns over the quick removal of the petroleum subsidy and the lack of adequate consultation.”

It urged the federal government to engage in genuine dialogue with organised labour and other stakeholders to reach fair and reasonable solution.

On party unity, the PDP communiqué stated, “There was an emphasis on fostering unity both within the party and across the nation. The members agreed on the need for constant engagement and focus on issues concerning the welfare, stability, economy, and security of Nigeria.”

The retreat featured discussions around good governance, democratic accountability, the party’s role in opposition, the recent removal of petroleum subsidy, prevalent poverty, the decline in the quality of life of Nigerians, on-going post-election judicial processes, and the necessity of returning Nigeria to proper constitutional governance.

It also resolved to, “Support party members and candidates in various tribunals to seek redress for electoral injustices and defend victorious candidates. The judiciary was urged to respect and apply the Electoral Act impartially.”

On inter party alliance, PDP encouraged coalition-building with other opposition parties to form a minority caucus and strong alliance for effective national development.

The party stated that on the choice of National Assembly leaders, its support would be given to candidates that promoted unity, independence, and viability of the legislature, which were necessary for good governance, democratic accountability, and united opposition.

Don’t Embark on Strike, Tinubu Means Well, Sanwo-Olu Tells NLC

Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, implored labour leaders to exercise patience on their proposed strike. He urged the labour leaders not to be political over the issue of the removal of fuel subsidy. 

In a statement, the governor said subsidy removal was in the interest of all Nigerians, and urged them to support Tinubu to run the affairs of the country creditably. Sanwo-Olu was quoted to have said this while speaking to journalists after the post-inauguration church thanksgiving service held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina in Lagos. 

The governor urged the labour leaders to join hands with the present administration at the federal level and be patient with the president in his commitment to turn the economy around and make Nigeria a better place for all.

 He said, “We are thankful that Mr. President is a product of Lagos. We will pray for him and everything that he stands for. We believe he will replicate all the good things he has done in Lagos in our country, Nigeria.

 “I want to wish and plead with our citizens, even as NLC has said to us that they want to go on strike. It is not the time for a strike. During the campaign trail, every one of our presidential candidates did say that the first thing they are going to do is to remove the subsidy.

“So, what has changed? What has the current president said or what has he done that is different from what any of the other aspirants said they would do?

 “We need to be very patient. He (President Tinubu) has not even done a week. So let us talk to ourselves and say that we shouldn’t turn it political. Let us wait and support this man. He had not done a week on the job. Let him go and reflect and at the sub-national level, we are willing to support him.”

The governor added, “The point is no industrial strike will solve anything at this point, it will certainly not bring an end to the issue. The point will be, how are we going to ensure that there is a turnaround in our economy.

“He has mentioned something about a better wage. We have started that in Lagos. We started it in January; so other parts of the country can also do the same. We don’t need to wait for the national government. We just need to reflect on what the challenges are in our country and let us solve the problem.”

Sanwo-Olu also stated, “I want to plead with the NLC. It shouldn’t turn into a political thing because we have begun to see that. The leadership should know that they are leading a pack of people and they need to restrain themselves. 

 “Let us be patient. Let us work around it. NNPC has said that there is more than enough petrol. So there is no need for us to begin to heat up the polity. There is no need for us to begin to get political; it is governance now and people just want to see purposeful governance. 

 “So let the president settle to do the job and he has said to us he is going to put in place a team that will take the country out of poverty and that is what we are praying for.”

Ndume Begs NLC to Shelve Planned Strike

Ndume also called on the national leadership of NLC to call off the planned strike, expected to commence on Wednesday. 

Ndume, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, urged labour leaders to return to the negotiation table and sort out areas of disagreements with the federal government before opting for the industrial action.

The Borno South senator, who is also Director-General of Akpabio for Senate President Campaign Organisation, also called on Tinubu to personally meet with the labour leaders and assure them of the benefits of removing the subsidy. 

Ndume said, “This fuel subsidy removal is something we must do now or never.”

He added, “We need to open the wounds now and begin to heal them. The NLC needs to work with the government and see how the effects can be minimised. 

“If we don’t remove the subsidy now, some people will continue to milk this country. NLC should go to the negotiation table with the federal government.”

He urged the leadership of NLC to jettison the planned industrial action.

 Ndume said, “The NLC should not go on a strike first before negotiation. They should not make that mistake. Besides, there is no budget for subsidy. Where will the money come from?

“I call on President Tinubu to personally meet with labour leaders and resolve the issues. He should also assure them that things would be all right.”

Meanwhile, the senator said with the appointment of Senator George Akume, agitation by leaders from the North-central zone about the non-inclusion of the zone in the 10th National Assembly leadership will fizzle out.

INTERVIEW

Roger Delves, an associate dean and professor of Practice at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School. Delves, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and educated at the University of Oxford, shares insights in this interview on TEXEM, UK’s ‘Strategic Leadership for Enduring Impact During Volatile Periods’ executive development programme. It is scheduled to take place virtually, from April 15 – May 6, 2023, featuring world-renowned, apart from Delves, Ambassador Charles Crawford, Prof Paul Griffith and Prof Rodria Laline. Excerpts:

Can you tell us about yourself?

I’m a professor of leadership and management practice with experience that dates back over 44 years in international advertising (my first career) and (since 1996) in management development and education. I have worked in several top business schools, written books and chapters and countless articles on leadership and management. I have been on the board of an impactful MNE at the age of 30, and I have helped thousands of organisations to win. I am an alumnus of Oxford, and I have developed self-awareness from an early age and have been blessed to have studied with some of the world leaders, some of whom are still making a positive difference in many spheres of life.

What will you be doing in TEXEM UK’s April 2023 programme, ‘Strategic Leadership for Enduring Impact During Volatile Periods’?

I’ll be delivering an interactive workshop that looks at how leaders who are well-versed in thinking and acting strategically will be well-placed to make an impact throughout periods of turbulence and change. This TEXEM programme will help challenge assumptions, offer fresh insights and inspire leaders to aspire to do more with less, inspire their team to develop innovative solutions and achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

Tell us about your professional experiences and how will you apply this in assisting the global, African leader in developing the requisite skill sets to handle the present leadership challenges they are facing?

I have spent many years in senior leadership roles, including roles on boards and advisory boards and as an advisor, mentor and coach to board directors and C-suite executives. I have taught in Europe, Africa, America, Australia, India, China and many other parts of Asia, both teaching Masters level students and teaching in the company and open courses. I have taught thousands of executives literally through several different crises, including the Falklands War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Credit Crunch, the Austerity Years, the Covid Crisis and now the Ukraine War and its consequences, alongside the growing threats of climate change crisis, the ever-increasing influence of China as a world power and so on. I am well versed in sharing best practices of lessons across diverse contexts, which will benefit all leaders. My approach entails helping leaders to develop the capacity to turn challenges into opportunities.

How do you intend to carry out the task of delivering the purpose of TEXEM UK’s April 2023 programme?

I have taught for almost 30 years. I have always believed that participants must be engaged if they are to learn, and to be engaged, they must be constantly rewarded. So I intend to create a constantly rewarding experience that will engage participants to maximise their learning experience. I will also leverage TEXEM’s tested and proven methodology, making learning fun, memorable and impactful on this programme. The TEXEM methodology comprises games, group discussion, role play and a gamified experience.

What possible experience should executives look forward to during TEXEM’s forthcoming programme titled ‘Strategic Leadership for Enduring Impact During Volatile Periods’, which holds between April 15 to May 6 2023 for the African Leader?

A relevant, purposeful, engaging, interactive and rewarding experience under the benign eye of a very experienced practitioner and with the directorship of the impactful TEXEM’s founder, Dr Alim Abubakre.

Do you have any doubts about the result of this programme, given that it is an entirely virtual programme?

The results of the programme will be very positive and beneficial. We are living in a digital world, and many of the stakeholders that we engage, we do this virtually. Moreso, for the busy executive, it is easier for them to spend an average of one hour studying every day and three hours every weekend than to travel for four weeks. Furthermore, the content of this TEXEM programme is useful, pertinent and applicable. I am confident that if participants apply themselves diligently to the content and with TEXEM’s engaging customer support, I believe they will achieve results with which they will be delighted.

Why do executives need to plan to attend TEXEM UK’s April 2023 programme, ‘Strategic Leadership for Enduring Impact During Volatile Periods’?

Executives should participate in the TEXEM forthcoming programme because it will be an excellent opportunity to network and learn how to unlock scarce value in these turbulent times. The TEXEM methodology is also another reason that participants should attend as this assures quality, and this programme will help leaders and their organisations to shore up their core competence and capabilities to thrive.

What will the programme cover?

The programme will help executives see better and understand their approaches to addressing their contemporary strategic leadership issues. To help them understand better that despite the plethora of challenges, there is a myriad of opportunities for prepared leaders. The programme will also equip them with actionable frameworks to help them make better decisions, inspire their team to act agilely and position their organisation for success.

How is the programme structured?

The TEXEM, UK ‘Strategic Leadership for Enduring Impact During Volatile Periods’, is a combination of self-paced study and live sessions. Participants will study for an average of one hour every day between April 15 to May 6, and there will be live sessions every Saturday for four weeks. The experience has been gamified such that participants will get points ranked on a league table for every article read, video watched, and comment made. The top 5 on the league table will be recognised each weekend when we have the live sessions via zoom, during which different faculty will deliver. For example, each live session on Saturday will have Prof Rodria Laline, founding director of Harvard Maximise Your Board programme, Prof Paul Griffith, the world’s first professor of Management to lead a team to launch a rocket, Ambassador Charles Crawford and I will deliver. For more information, email exec@texem.co.uk or register at https://texem.co.uk/strategic-leadership-for-enduring-impact-during-volatile-periods.

•Observer group faults declaration of Yusuf as Kano governor-elect 

•PDP alleges plot to cancel collated results ahead Adamawa’s rerun

•Insists re-run will take place in 69 polling units

Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced that all outstanding governorship, national and state assembly supplementary elections would take place on Saturday, April 15.

But a coalition of accredited INEC Domestic Observer Group, has faulted the declaration of the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Alhaji Abba  Yusuf, as winner of the recently held governorship election in Kano State.

This is as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has accused INEC of planning to cancel already collated results in the Adamawa State governorship, insisting that the supplementary elections could only take place in 69 polling units in Fufore Local Government Area of the state.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in a statement yesterday recalled that 26 state governorship, 104 Senatorial, 329 Federal and 935 State constituency elections had been concluded and winners declared.

Consequently, the commission said supplementary governorship elections would be held in Adamawa and Kebbi States, five  senatorial districts, 31 federal and 58 state assembly constituencies.

Okoye stressed that owing to the competitive nature of the elections, especially for legislative seats, supplementary elections would be held in just a few polling units in some constituencies.

He said, ”The Commission met today Monday 27th March 2023 and reviewed the areas,where supplementary elections are required to conclude the outstanding Governorship, National and State Assembly elections across the country.

“A comprehensive list of the polling units by State, Local Government, Registration Area, registered voters and PVCs collected will be published on our website on or before Wednesday 29th March 2023.

“Meanwhile, the Commission has fixed Saturday 15th April 2023 for the conduct of the supplementary elections in the affected polling units nationwide.”

INEC, therefore, appealed to all political parties, candidates and stakeholders to note the date and locations of the supplementary elections, adding that the earlier accreditation for polling and collation agents, observers and the media still subsists for the supplementary elections.

The Commission  again urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to see the exercise as an election and not war, saying they should avoid incendiary statements and negative mobilisation so that the elections could be conducted and concluded as scheduled.

However, chairman of a coalition of accredited INEC Domestic Observer Group, Ali Abacha, in a statement, has called on INEC to examine Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine deployed to verify the figures on the results sheets Form EC8As in Gwarzo, Tudun Wada, Bagwai, Dala, Fagge, local councils of Kano State.

The coalition said there were reported cases of irregularities of some state actors and non-state actors that undermined the process of election in the aforementioned local councils.

The coalition argued that there was no way the declaration of Yusuf as winner of the election would stand since the margin of lead, which was put at 128,897 votes was less than total number of cancelled votes of 273,442.

It noted that Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended was very clear on cases like this.

In a related development, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, at a press conference, said, the PDP had evidence of reported complicity of the Adamawa State REC Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari, in which he was allegedly caught on tape directing the Electoral Officer of Fufore Local Government Area in Hausa Language to alter results in favour of the APC governorship candidate.

According to him, “This action by the Adamawa REC is reprehensible, sacrilegious, profane and unbecoming of an Electoral Officer. INEC should therefore immediately relieve Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari as the State Resident Electoral Commissioner and hand him over to the Police for a thorough investigation and prosecution.

“The PDP in very strong terms cautions INEC and the APC not to, under any circumstance or guise whatsoever, tamper with the results already announced and declared at the Polling Units, where election has been concluded and returns made by the returning officers without any reported case of disruption or cancellation.

“As already declared by INEC, the final tabulation of results from the Polling Units across Adamawa State, the PDP Candidate, His Excellency, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, is in clear lead with 31,299 lawful votes above the defeated candidate of the APC, Senator Aisha Binani, who has been desperate to compromise the election against the expressed Will of the good people of Adamawa State.

“It would be recalled that the PDP had earlier alerted Nigerians of how the APC and some compromised INEC officials attempted to move the collation of results of the Adamawa State Governorship election from Yola to Abuja to enable the INEC Returning Officer declare the defeated APC candidate the winner; a move which was firmly resisted by the people of Adamawa State.

“When that plot failed, the APC pressured INEC to cancel results in 69 Polling Units, citing overvoting but with the clandestine intention of manipulating the re-run election in favour of the APC candidate,” he said.

Ologunagba said the APC candidate has been allegedly boasting that she had the REC and Returning Officer for the election, whom she reportedly claimed were willing to manipulate the election results in her favour notwithstanding the votes by the people of Adamawa State.

“Such reported boasting by the APC candidate is in complete effrontery to the democratic right and Will of the people of Adamawa State to choose their leaders. This is evident of the arrogance, contempt and disdain to which the APC holds the people of the Adamawa State.

“It has come to the knowledge of our Party that the APC and its candidate, having realised that they cannot defeat Governor Fintiri in the 69 Polling Units, given his popularity and determination of the people, are now putting pressure on INEC to alter already collated and declared results in other Polling Units where no cases of malpractice or disruption of election took place,” Ologunagba stated

Bola A. Akinterinwa 

Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, held on Saturday, 25th February, 2023, was fraught with many problems contrary to the pretentious submission of some international election observers. The Independent Foreign Observers Mission (IFOM) was quoted in The Nation of Wednesday, March 1, 2023 as saying that there was a large turn out and that the election was ‘peaceful and transparent.’ The IFOM was also quoted as having commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for doing very well. This report can be admitted to the extent that it was given as a preliminary report of the IFOM. Largely, it can be posited that the election was peaceful in some areas, but it was still largely characterized by transparent electoral magouilles and violent destruction in many other areas. This fact necessarily neutralized the alleged peacefulness of the election. 

Besides, one major problematic aspect of the election, which is often ignored, is that most Nigerians strongly believe in the promises of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) that he would ensure a free, fair and credible election. As a result, they are generally tolerant. In the same vein, the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, also consistently told Nigerians that the INEC was ready for the election to take place, hence glitches were ruled out. However, there was nothing to suggest that efforts were consciously made to ensure free, fair, and just election. This partly explains the rejection of the election results by some opposition parties and their decision to go to court. 

Without doubt, the election was, stricto sensu, between a northern candidate and a southern candidate, on the one hand, and between a sexagenarian and a septuagenarian, on the other. The four leading candidates were Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the standard-bearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) who are both from the North, while Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progessives Congress (APC) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) are southerners. Hence the choice is either a northerner or a southerner.

In the same vein, Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu are 76 years and 70 years old respectively while Peter Obi and Kwankwaso are aged 61 years and 66 years respectively. Again, the election was a choice between the 60-year-old generation and the 70-year-old generation candidates. For Candidates Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, the election was  a must-win or a do or die contest, hence the readiness to engage in sharp electoral malpractices. With the declaration of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday March 1, 2023, at about 4.10am, the President-elect of Nigeria, the electoral choice is older generation and a southerner to succeed PMB. This is in spite of very serious allegations of electoral magouilles by the INEC.

Problematic Electoral Magouilles

The first expression of electoral magouilles, that is wuruwuru in Yoruba language, is a resultant of constitutional contradictions which have prompted many questions on whether the INEC has consciously disregarded the provisions of the Electoral Act. Explained differently, the main problematic is the determination of the extent to which the election can be considered credible and generally acceptable. In this regard, it is argued that the collation process as engaged in, was in violation of Section 64(4) of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that ‘a Returning Officer at an election can only collate and announce the result of an election subject to verification and confirmation that the accreditation number and votes stated on the collated result are correct and consistent with votes or results recorded and transmitted from the polling units.’ 

In this regard, who has the responsibility to verify and confirm the consistency of the accreditation number and votes stated on the collated result? Naturally, the answer cannot but be the INEC. However, what happens if the INEC is seen and believed to have been compromised? Have the party agents not the right to be convinced that there is consistency? If not, what is the opposition parties complaining about? For instance, the opposition elements argued that the collated results were not transmitted directly from the polling units, hence their call for the stoppage of the collation process and the cancellation of the election results.

Related to this is how to interprete Section 134 in relationship to Section 160 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. Section 134 provides for the conditions to be met in the event there are only two presidential candidates (vide Section134 (1) (a) (b), and when there are more than two candidates (see Section 134 (2)(a)(b). As there are more than two candidates in the 2023 presidential election, it is Section 134(2) that is applicable. It provides that ‘a candidate for an election to the office of President shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being more than two candidates for the election, a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.’

The first problematic here is whether the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) should be equated as another constituent State of Nigeria to which the electoral laws should be applied in the mania of other States. The law says a candidate must obtain ‘at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the FCT’ whether the clause is interpreted conjuctively or disjunctively, the implication remains the same. Conjunctively, there will be 37 territories or States in which a presidential candidate must obtain two-thirds of votes cast. If considered disjunctively, there are 36 States plus the FCT because the law specifically mention ‘and FCT’. The intendment of the law is to ensure that a presidential candidate obtains two-thirds of votes cast in every constituent State and also in the FCT. Because the FCT is not considered a State, that is why it is specifically mentioned. Consequently, if a candidate does not have two-thirds of the votes cast in the FCT, he or she does not qualify to be considered for the office of the President, regardless of whatever number of votes already scored in the various States.

In other words, whatever is the interpretative position of the learned people on this issue, the FCT is a territory and not a State but the regulatory electoral law applies to it, meaning that every presidential candidate must obtain at least one quarter of the accredited votes as part of the qualifying conditions for the office of the President. In this case, the APC candidate, declared as President-elect, is not on record to have obtained the necessary number of votes in the FCT as constitutionally required. 

A school of thought has tried to justify the action of the INEC based on Article 160 of the 1999 Constitution which stipulates that the INEC, which was created under Section 153 of the Constitution as one of the 14 Federal Executive Bodies, is empowered ‘to make its own procedure’ which ‘shall not be subject to the approval or control of the President.’ All the other 13 bodies established at the same time with the INEC can regulate their own procedure or confer powers and impose duties on any officer or authority for the purpose of discharging its functions but subject to the approval of the President of Nigeria. 

In this regard, the INEC regulation and guideline is that results should be scanned and uploaded to the server from each polling station after authentication by the party agents and election officials. But this guideline could not be complied with because of what the INEC Chairman has called ‘technical glitches’ and for which he has tendered apology. This is seen as magouille per excellence. Can any apology remove the perception of electoral injustice and unfairness? Does it solve the problem of interpretation of the technical glitches as a calculated attempt to rig the election result in favour of the APC presidential candidate? Expectedly, in a joint PDP-LP press conference, the PDP Vice-Presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, and his Labour Party counterpart, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, argued that it was either the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was down or the INEC had connived with the APC to rig election in favour of the APC. 

As raised by Governor Okowa, ‘if the system was down and they knew it was down, then they ought to have postponed the election. If the system was not down, and they didn’t allow the upload of the results in (the BVAS), it means that they have connived, and they are no longer neutral and impartial.’ Based on this reasoning the PDP and the LP have decided to refer the issue to the court for possible adjudication and justice. They have seven days within which to file their objections to the INEC’s declaration of Senator Ahmed Tinubu as President-elect.

In a preemptive manner, the President-elect and the APC have urged the Federal High Court in Kano to restrain the PDP, LP and the Action Alliance and any other persons from taking any step or steps, be they judicial or extrajudicial, that is capable of preventing the INEC from completing the process of the conduct of the presidential election held on February 25. Justice A.M. Liman granted an accelerated hearing and ordered that ‘parties shall within 24 hours of the hearing of the motion on notice be availed with meeting and access code.’

There are still other problematic areas: complaints of non-holding of election in some polling units, and yet, results were still collated and announced for the same polling units, money laundering, financial inducement of voters, bribery and conspiracy, snatching of BVAS machines, willful destruction of ballot papers, forgery of election results, under-age voting, dereliction of duty by electoral officers and party agents, misuse of voter’s card, presentation of old election results as new ones in 2023, declaring election results for what election officials announced as ‘inconclusive’ as it was the case with the senatorial election in Abia South, reducing the vote count of one candidate to add to that of another candidate, and asking aggrieved candidates to go to the court for not accepting the declaration of election results of polling units where election never took place, etc.

There is also the problem of political philosophy  that whatever is possible to win election should first be done and then leave the rest to the court to determine, a situation that largely explains the resort to destructive political thuggery often with impunity. More important is the political belief that the judicial system can always be manipulated to unnecessarily delay cases to the extent that whoever might have been illegally elected could be allowed to end his or her term before the cases could be heard. Thus, it is not only the integrity and credibility of the whole election process, but also that of the judicial system that is being called to question.

Again, when Femi Falana, SAN, and Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) called for the arrest and prosecution of electoral offenders, because, as reported by Adebisi Onanuga in The Nation of March 1, 2023, page 6, ‘the activist-lawyer said this has become imperative because the INEC, empowered by Section 145 of the Electoral Act, 2022 to prosecute electoral offenders has said it cannot combine the conduct of elections with the trial of electoral offenders.’ With the foregoing perception of bias, conscious technical incompetence, deliberate disregard for the Constitution and self-made guidelines and the resultant tension being generated, what is the foreign policy implication, and quo vadis?

The Foreign Policy Dimensions

One important foreign policy dimension to begin with is the three-point direct message from former US President, Barack Obama, to all Nigerians: first,  to eschew violence; second, to confront the Boko Haram which wants to destroy Nigeria; and third, to make keeping Nigeria united as a task that must be done. He assured Nigerians that in sustaining democracy as an instrument of national development and working strenuously to advance security, prosperity, and human rights, all Nigerians can always count on him, and on the people of America as a whole, as friends and partners.

As Barack Obama put it directly to Nigerians, ‘Nigeria is a great nation and you can be proud of the progress you have made. Together you have won your independence and emerged from military rule and strengthen the democratic institutions. You strived to overcome divisions and turned Nigeria’s diversity into a source of strength. 

You’ve tried to improve the life of your families and build the largest economy in Africa. Now, you have the historic opportunity to help write the next chapter of Nigeria’s progress by voting in the upcoming elections.’ This statement constitutes the first chapter for Barack Obama. It is a chapter that recalled the gallant efforts already displayed by Nigerians in liberating themselves from the mainmise of colonialists and military dictators. In the eyes of Barack Obama, efforts at democratic development have been so far so good.

Regarding the next chapter, Obama pontificated that, ‘for elections to be credible, they must be free, fair, and peaceful. All Nigerians must be able to cast their votes without intimidation or fear.’ Consequently, he called ‘on all leaders and candidates to make it clear to their supporters that violence has no place in democratic elections and that they will not excite, support or engage in any kind of violence, before, during or after the votes are counted.’ He called on all Nigerians to peacefully express (their) views and to reject the voices of those who call for violence.’ More importantly, he said ‘when elections are free and fair, it is the responsibility of all citizens to help keep the peace no matter who wins. Successful elections and democratic progress will help Nigeria meet the urgent challenges you face today. Boko Haram, a brutal terrorist group that kills innocent men and women and children must be stopped. Hundreds of kidnapped children deserve to be returned to their families. Nigerians who have been forced to flee deserve to return to their homes. Boko Haram wants to destroy Nigeria and all that you have built. By casting your ballot, you can help secure your nation’s progress. I am told that it is the same in your country. To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done.’ In essence, Barack Obama ‘urged all Nigerians, from all religious or ethnic groups to come together and keep Nigeria one. In this task of advancing security, prosperity, human rights of all Nigerians, you will continue to have a friend and partner.’ 

Now that the election has come and gone and there is nothing to suggest that the election has been in any way transparent, fair and credible, how will the former US president, Barack Obama and the people of America perceive Nigeria and Nigerians: dependable ally or what? A good democratic country? The US government once warned that whoever undermines the election would be denied access to US visa. To what extent can the denial of visa help to prevent election rigging and electoral thuggery in Nigeria that has actually been systemically entrenched in electoral magouilles? Can fairness, justice and peace ever reign in Nigeria without cancellation of the election results that were not uploaded directly from the polling units into the BVAS?

Secondly, the intervention of the leader of the ECOWAS election observers, former President of Sierra Leone, Mr. Ernest Koroma, and the former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta-led AU observer missions is similarly relevant. It appears that the election monitors from the ECOWAS and the African Union knew well in advance that Nigeria’s 2023 general elections would not be fair, just and peaceful, hence their insistence and plea to all Nigerians not to make the elections a matter of do or die. As explained by Ernest Koroma, the ECOWAS and the AU observers were in Nigeria to ensure a peaceful transition. Had he already foreseen a non-peaceful transition? 

In his words, ‘we appeal to Nigerians to remain peaceful and calm, listen to the official sources of dissemination of result and do not listen to the general social media platforms. They are disinformation and can cause problems. That is why as the AU and ECOWAS, beyond observation, we have now been transformed to a preventive diplomacy engagement. And we will continue to engage the stakeholders, INEC, political parties until the whole process is concluded and there is a peaceful transition to a new leadership.’ The AU observation team leader had it that the only thing he could do was to ‘join President Koroma in appealing to INEC to recognize the mood and see what the situation is to speed up the process of accountability and credibility that they have maintained so far.’ 

More important, President Koroma said ‘we have no reason whatsoever to doubt the integrity of INEC. For us, it is to continue to appeal that those glitches they are having be rectified. The sooner the process is brought to a transparent conclusion, the better.’ And most importantly, he said, ‘the only appeal we will have over and above that, is to all stakeholders, political parties, the candidates to have the patience to await the final authority to speed up the process and ensure that process of accountability and credibility that they have maintained so far.’ 

The Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, His Excellency, General Embalo, conveyed the ‘heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’ He also appealed to all ‘the stakeholders to promote peace and to use constitutional means to address any grievances they may have.’ The message is good but does not address the environmental conditionings. The British also did not bother much about the societal conditionings in their congratulatory message to the Presdient-elect. The British Prime Minister was only much concerned about looking ‘forward to working together to grow our security and trade ties, opening up opportunities for businesses and creating prosperity in both our countries.’

Grosso modo, the understanding of the international election observers is that the environment of election is generally peaceful, that there were several irregularities and that the February 25 2023 electoral processes are below international standard. With the afore-analysed electoral magouilles, and the observations of the election monitors, can it be said that Nigeria’s 2023 presidential was fair, just, peaceful and therefore credible? If the elections are not credible, why is it that the international leaders are quick in congratulating the President-elect and do not want to wait until the final determination of the case in court?

For examples, the United States government, in a press statement issued on March 1, 2023 by the US Department of State, not only congratulated the President-elect, but also ‘join other international observers in urging INEC to improve in the areas that need the most attention ahead of the March 11 gubernatorial elections.’ More importantly, the US, while commending ‘the active participation of civil society and the media for advancing electoral norms and political discourse on issues of importance to citizens, also noted ‘with concern reports that numerous members of the media were attacked during the course of the election, and we urge the government, security forces, political actors, and all citizens to respect the media’s critical role by refraining from any damaging acts against them and ensuring accountability for such acts when they do occur.’

In international diplomatic practice, when a government is noting ‘with concern’, it simply means ‘noting with seriousness.’ It is another way of complaining and saying the matter is of a major interest that should not be carelessly ignored. This is why the US government has asked the Nigerian Government and its agencies, as well as all the citizens of Nigeria ‘to respect the media’s critical role…’ And without any jot of doubt, Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution as amended,

Above all, it cannot be sufficient to have good intention in political governance. What will be sufficient is to have political governance largely predicated on honesty of purpose, which has always been far-fetched in the governance of Nigeria. True, Nigerians have been made to believe that providing a homeland for the Fulani ethnic group coming from Central and West African regions to Nigeria is a desideratum and a task that must be done. Nigerians have been told that cabals rule Nigeria and not ruled by thosed elected by the people. Nigerians have been told that national unity is not by negotiation and popular consent, but by manu militari and use of force. Nigerians have also been told that there is nothing wrong with presidential nepotism and that any possible means must be used to win election, no matter the extent of the crookedness of the means. This situational reality cannot in any way help nation-building. It only enhances the agitation for regional separation. In fact, for as long as the INEC is defiantly dependent on the President of Nigeria who appoints the INEC Chairman, never will there be a truly independent INEC. Based on the Nigerian electoral experiences, the only electoral method that can nip in the bud election rigging, ballot snuffing and snatching, as well as vote buying, is to revisit Professor Nwosu’s Option A4 model. It was an open balloting that sustained electoral transparency and honesty of purpose, without which a Nigerian nationahood can be possible in an enduring manner.The implication cannot but be obvious. Already, the image being presented of the President-elect is that of a drug baron in an Austrian newspaper and yet international leaders are purporting to be happy with his election.  

Bola A. Akinterinwa 

One critical issue raised at the Family Reunion Luncheon and Cocktail organised by the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN), Lagos Chapter, was the ‘Golden Years’ of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The issue was raised by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCVO, CFR, CON, the third Commonwealth Secretary General (1990-2000) during his opening remarks as Chairman of the event. As he explained it, the golden years of the MFA coincided with the time it was located at 23 Marina, Lagos. The Ministry, which was created in 1961, was moved to Abuja in 1992 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. Thus, 1961-1992 were the ‘Golden Years’ of the MFA.

Similarly, Professor Akinjide Osuntokun, OON, FNAL, an academic diplomatist, noted in the Academy of International Affairs’ WhatsApp platform that the ‘Golden Years’ of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy dates back to 2007. As he put it, ‘we should not forget that what our colleagues are saying may be right up to the end of Obasanjo regime up to 2007. After that time the ‘‘golden era’ of Nigeria’s foreign policy collapsed.’’ True, Nigeria had a foreign policy in the period 1960-2007. Thereafter, foreign policy focus was not clear, not programmatic and not forward-looking. From 2007, it was more of reactive foreign policy.

Explicated differently, Nigeria first made Africa the cornerstone of Nigeria’s foreign policy in 1960 and then the centrepiece in 1976 under General Olusegun Obasanjo following the recommendation of the Professor Adebayo Adedeji committee. In 1963, Nigeria formulated two exceptions to the principle of non-interference and non-intervention as contained in Article 2(7) of the United Nations Charter: Nigeria could not remain indifferent to the killing of Sylvanus Olympio in Togo, a very friendly person to Nigeria and Nigeria could not but have the responsibility to intervene to protect her national interest. The second exception was apartheid which Nigeria considered must not be considered as an internal affair of South Africa. Consequently, Nigeria formulated the policy of ‘No Compromise with Apartheid.

Additionally, during the post-civil war era, the Commissioner for External Affairs under General Yakubu Gowon, Dr. Okoi Arikpo, similarly came up with the policy decision of under no circumstance would Nigeria accept the use of Africa solely as a source of raw materials for the development of Europe. General Obasanjo’s nationalisation of the Barclays Bank and British Petroleum were further illustrations of Nigeria’s foreign policy golden years.

In this regard, were the golden years of Nigeria’s foreign policy the same as the golden years of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Let us first deal with the character of the ARCAN luncheon.

The Luncheon-Cocktail 

The luncheon-cocktail was held at the residence of Ambassador Omotayo Ogunsulire, a nonagenarian, and one of the original Twelve Diplomatic Apostles of Nigeria, on Sunday, February 19, 2023 on Victoria Island, Lagos. The luncheon was significant because it was a platform for dousing tension. It was also quite interesting because of its purpose, which is first to share ideas on why all those who have patriotically and loyally served the Nigerian nation-state are not always given their due respect; Secondly to create an opportunity to commiserate with the family of, and give honour to, the veteran diplomats that had served Nigeria well and passed on; to reflect on the foreign policy challenges with the Government of Nigeria is currently faced; and thirdly to show solidarity with one another, especially in light of the many controversies surrounding the status of ambassadors in Nigeria and international relations.   

It should be noted that membership of the ARCAN, at least from the name, is only open to ambassadors that were careerists before their retirement. Ambassadors who were accredited to foreign countries on the basis of political consideration cannot be accommodated as members of the ARCAN. This is one reason for the quest by political ambassadors to establish an association of non-career ambassadors. In fact, the initial name of the ARCAN was Association of Retired Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARAN). It was partly because of this non-careerist question that led to the inclusion of ‘career’ into the name. Retired Ambassadors-in-situ are legitimately qualified to join the ARCAN as diplomatic careerists before the issuance of their Letters of Commission. 

Noteworthy in this case is the comparative attitudinal disposition of a career ambassador and a political ambassador.’ Career ambassadors have a diplomatic culture and discipline which political ambassadors much often do not have. The culture of civil and public servants in Nigeria is necessarily Nigerian in character, while that of career ambassadors extends beyond the shores of Nigeria. Their culture is internationally defined and regulated. This is the first fundamental difference. Secondly, political ambassadors often attempt to bypass the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, preferring to deal directly with the presidency. Probably this partly explains why the more powerful ambassadors of the great powers also seek to relate directly with the Presidency, not going through the Foreign Ministry as required. This unconventional style undoubtedly undermines the Foreign Ministry and also belittles the established diplomatic processes. This behaviour of the political ambassadors is partly explained by their first line of interest which is that of their political party and not the national interest. Thirdly, political ambassadors often ignore protocolar rules and often behave arrogantly because of their belief in political connections. Although many political ambassadors are as much disciplined like the career ambassadors, the truth remains that every career ambassador has ‘yours obediently’ as his operational watchwords. Political ambassadors are obediently disobedient. 

Organisationally, the luncheon reflected diplomacy in practice. For instance, on arrival at the venue of event, invited guests first took a ‘diplomatic selfie photograph,’ backing a good, shining, colourful and cultural background before going round to greet the elders and sitting down. Although tables and seats were not numbered, and no table name cards were provided, all invited guests knew where to sit in the way water always finds its own level. Diplomatic seniority and camaraderie played a major factor in finding where to find a seat. More importantly, room was never given to gate-crashing and security was water-tight. The luncheon took place in an open oxygenated air. All the guests were dressed in Nigerian attires and national dresses. The women dressed more gorgeously than their men. Speeches delivered followed the rule of KISS (Keeping It Short and Simple). 

Additionally, the foundation diplomats and the diplomatic eggheads sat in the innermost part of the event venue, which was considered as the head-table. The approach to the table arrangement was à la Chinoise, that is, the tables were neither square nor quadrilateral, meaning that there was no room for a head of table. The Anglo-Saxons have tables in quadrilateral or square shape and often have a head at one edge. However, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a veteran diplomatist, who did not serve as an ambassador before his appointment as the Commonwealth Secretary General and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, served as the Chairman of the cocktail-luncheon and his table was round. Seated with him at his table were the sagacious Super Permanent Secretary, Chief Phillip Asiodu and his wife, and Ambassador Abdullahi Attah and his wife. The light complexioned Henry Odein Ajumogobia, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, with his wife, Awuneba, sat next to the Anyaoku table.

While Chief Asiodu, Chief Anyaoku, and the Ajumogobias sat at angle 90 degrees to the left of the venue, the wives of former Foreign Ministers, seasoned ambassadors and Foreign Service Officers sat at the other angle 90 degrees to the right. Her Excellency, Mrs Kehinde Ashiru; Her Excellency, Mrs Bunmi Adeniji; Her Excellency, Mrs. Yinka Fowora; Mrs. Yemisi Olukanni, Mrs Abolurin, wife of the Secretary to the ARCAN, were in thisangle 90 degrees to the right. Etc.  Perhaps more interestingly, three people could not sit: Ambassadors Segun Akinsanya, the ARCAN President, Lagos chapter; and Ambassador Wole Coker, because they were coordinating receptions and food diplomacy. The third person, while Ambassador Ayo Olukanni served as Master of Ceremony, coordinating the speeches.

And perhaps most importantly, what can be described as an extraordinary seat without a table, backing the food service centre, was occupied by Mrs. Soba Ogunsulire, who was visibly wrapped up in the glory of her beauty at old age, physiognomically quiet, cool, calm, and collected, and looking at all guests coming in and sitting down.

What could have been more interesting than having a very sumptuous luncheon provided by the V. GINIS caterers who provided assorted food à la Nigériana and Chinoise. was provided. Food was unlimited and bar was inexhaustible! The environment was serene, quite oxygenated. No music. The various drivers and support staff who came with the invited guests, were all seated outside along the Macadamised Akin Adesola way. Inside and outside, everyone was itching to eat, wine and ‘cool temper.’ The environment was made natural. And true enough, Ambassador Segun Akinsanya, could not have been much happier. So were Ambassadors Ani and his wife, Ganiyu Akanbi, Korede Willoughby, Layi Laseinde, Wole Coker who took advantage of the occasion to engage in discussions on foreign policy challenges.

Perhaps most interestingly were the various developments of the week, anxiety of the February 25 presidential elections, and the reflexion of Chief Emeka Anyaoku on the golden years of Nigeria’s foreign policy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which prompted the journey down the memory lane by many guests. In this regard, can there be any golden age of the foreign Ministry again in light of the deepening diplomatic challenges and complexities?

New Golden Years and Challenges

It is useful to begin the analysis of the new golden years by first reconciling whether Nigeria’s foreign policy is different from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is a desideratum in finally determining the beginning and end of the golden years of Nigeria’s foreign policy and of the Ministry of Foreign Ministry. True, at one level, the Foreign Ministry formulates and implements foreign policy, meaning that the two cannot be considered to be synonymous. The Ministry is a subject while foreign policy is an object that the subject is acting upon. 

And yet, both foreign policy and Foreign Ministry constitute two sides of the same coin, and therefore inseparable. It is like the relationship between a pestle and a mortar in pounding functions. Considered as such, the golden years of Nigeria’s foreign policy and those of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are largely a resultant from the personality of all the actors, and particularly the ambassadors who are involved in formulation and implementation of foreign policy as careerists. He serves as the nexus between foreign policy and the Ministry. It is actually the ambassadors that define the goldenness of any of the years.

Put differently, can the goldenness years of foreign policy be different from the goldenness of the Foreign Ministry? The answer can be yes and no, depending on the extent of quality of decision processes, success or failure of policy in question, and overall self-satisfaction. In this regard, if we admit that the golden years of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ended at the point of movement of the Ministry from Lagos to Abuja, how do we explain the discontinuity of the goldenness? Were the environmental conditionings inclement? Did the Ministry relocate without its staff? If the relocation also included the staff, how do we explain the change of attitude of the same staff to the extent that the staff could no longer perform the way they had been doing well before relocation to Abuja?  Could the factor of non-goldenness be traced to no foreign policy focus? De-apartheidisation was a major dynamic of the golden years. If the Foreign Ministry was moved in 1992 to Abuja after the carving out of the Federal Capital Territory in December 1991 and Apartheid South Africa was only liberated in 1994, lack of foreign policy focus can be a tenable excuse understandably for two reasons. 

First, time was needed to settle down and reorganise the way forward following relocation. It is important to recall here that, based on the original plan, the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were to be the last to move to Abuja. One credible diplomatic source has it that the Foreign Ministry was actually planned to move to Abuja twenty years after the settlement of Abuja as Federal Capital. However, for various reasons, especially security, the military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, unexpectedly instructed that all government agencies should move to Abuja without having made adequate preparations for their settlement. In fact, the source also had it that several civil and public officials were lodged by Government gratis in hotels for six months. In this type of situation, no logical thinking of a new foreign policy strategy could be contemplated or expected.

Secondly, dismantlement of apartheid, with few cases of decolonisation agenda, the need for re-definition of a new foreign policy focus became necessary. This is probably where there was failure of policy and why the goldenness of the Foreign Ministry could not but collapse. And true enough again, there were, and still are, many other factors that may explain the setbacks of the Ministry. For instance, under President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), nepotism was brought to its crescendo in total disregard for the Principle of Federal Character, which was introduced into the Constitution of Nigeria in 1979. The first topmost positions in the NNPC are occupied by Northerners and Nigerians drew the attention of PMB to the irregularity, but to no avail. One explanation given by PMB was that he appoints the people he knows. This explanation is most unfortunate and too ethnic to be tenable.

As clearly noted by Professor Ladipo Adamolekun, John Erero and Basil Oshionebo in their article, “Federal Character and Management of the Federal Civil Service and the Military” (vide Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 21 Fall 1991), ‘federal character principle, which has been enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution since 1979, seeks to ensure the appointment to public service institutions, fairly reflect the linguistic, ethnic, religious, and geographic diversity of the country. Application of the principle in the federal civil service and the military has amounted to a confused balancing of the merit principle and the quota system, based essentially on states of origin. This has had adverse consequences for both institution in terms of discipline, morale, and overall effectiveness and efficiency.’ Professor Adamolekun et al could not have been more correct as at 1991, as this factor of Federal Character Principle partly explains why the golden years of foreign policy and Ministry of Foreign Ministry had to collapse and inexistent as at today.

And true enough again, public officers are indiscriminately cross-posted to the Foreign Ministry, not simply at junior levels to allow for in-house training, but at the level of Permanent Secretaries. Indeed, it has been policies of bastardisation. The level and quality of Foreign Service Officers has been unnecessarily reduced to a very shameful level. An ill-equipped Foreign Ministry cannot be expected to perform well in international relations. Consequently, the critical challenge before the ARCAN that is seeking a new Nigeria and a new golden era of foreign policy and Foreign Ministry must begin with the stoppage of bastardisation of the Foreign Ministry.

To begin with, the issue of pension scheme should be urgently addressed. It is unbelievable, but true, that many of the ARCAN members earn less than one hundred thousand naira monthly as pension. This is so, because most of them, when they were still on active service, fully concentrated their time and energy on defending the national interest. They had little or no time to engage in part time businesses to make money as many other civil servants do. Stealing and economic chicanery was quite strange to them. Additionally, with the new pension scheme introduced in 2004 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, the more elderly ambassadors who retired before 2004 necessarily fall under the old pension scheme. The situation is not all that better for those who even retired after 2004. The ARCAN must therefore first seek how to seek redress at the level of the Head of Service. 

A third major challenge is how to present to the world of the institutional corruption, struggle for secession, armed banditry, Fulani-herdsmen, boko haramism and decadence that have all come to characterise political governance in Nigeria. The diplomatic corps is surely monitoring the 2023 elections. Consequently, Nigeria’s ambassadors cannot but find it quite difficult to tell their host governments a different story. This is where the past experiences of the members of the ARCAN may be quite useful to the Government. 

Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, Chief Emeka Anyaoku suggested that, in preparing for a new era of golden years of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Ministers, former and serving, should value advice given by the ARCAN to them, as he found the ambassadors playing active parts in promoting the national interest. The support he enjoyed when he was contesting for the position of the Commonwealth organisation was given as a reference point. Chief Asiodu recalled that when the public service began, people who failed in elections were simply given ambassadorial appointments. He suggested that should not and no longer be. Ambassadorial appointments are a very serious business in his eyes. Mr Odein Ajumogobia admitted that he found the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a very serious organisation of different and qualified professionals when he served as Foreign Minister. He advised on the need for great caution in closing down Nigeria’s diplomatic missions without considering the implications of the costs and enmity that may be generated at the level of the host country of the mission to be closed down. 

Finally, under normal circumstance, a methodological framework for translating the character of extraordinary and plenipotentiary of any retired ambassador of Nigeria in the preparation for a new era of golden foreign policy and Ministry of foreign Affairs is what we can call triangnosis, rather than diagnosis which can be carried out by one person or more, but basically by two people because of ‘dia’. Triangnosis is more appropriate in the context of the global challenges with which the Nigerian foreign policy process is currently faced. The first angle of the triangnosis is a priori comprised of the Federal Government at the level of which the final decision is taken. The second angle should be occupied by the ARCAN which, by necessity, has the unique role of offering suggestions to Government based on their past empirical knowledge, while the NIIA which has to occupy the third angle should be charged with the responsibility of special further research on the feasibility of suggested policy attitudes, as well as carry out investigation on the foreign policy attitudes of foreign countries toward Nigeria. Triangnosis as an analytical method can then be articulated from time to time. It is by so doing that any effort at restoration of the old Golden Years can come to be. In this regard, what led to the collapse of the previous golden years must first be meaningfully addressed.

*Video of vote-buying with N1,000 old notes in Ogun state surfaces ahead of elections

*Buhari vows to end hardship faced by Nigerians over naira scarcity
*Appeals for more patience as necessary actions are taken to ease pains
*Your loot now completely useless, Kwankwaso taunts APC governors
*Dogara hails Buhari’s move to curb vote-buying
*Kaigama faults attacks on banks, ATMs

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Contrary to a recent comment by the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo in which he had faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that the old N200 be recirculated until April 10, 2023, while the old N500 and N1,000 cease to be legal tender, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), at the weekend argued that the directive of the president was not a direct affront to Supreme Court that had temporarily halted the move to ban the old currencies by February 10, 2023.

Speaking on Television Continental, the former Lagos State governor maintained that the president only took the step to help ameliorate the pains of Nigerians who were becoming the unintended victims of the policy.

Keyamo, who is spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, had in an interview on Channels Television, said the president was wrongly advised to make the pronouncement in a nationwide broadcast.
According to Keyamo, although Buhari had good intentions for the naira redesign policy, he was wrongly advised. He had also said he would have advised the president to comply with the Supreme Court order, which was to recirculate all the old notes until they decide on the matter.
“My view is that the president acted honestly, without intention to slight the Supreme Court, but he may have acted on wrong advice. I did not give that advice, it’s not my responsibility. I do not know who gave that advice.

“In his speech, he acknowledged that there were certain matters in court. So, he thought he was playing safe by saying okay, before you decide these matters in court, may I just provide some middle ground, so that the country is burning, there are riots everywhere, so let me just try and provide some succour for people, whilst acknowledging the matters are in court.
“Now, if I were to advise him, I would have advised differently. I would have advised him to comply with the terms of the order of the Supreme Court. All the notes should circulate for now, all the notes. All the old notes should circulate side by side with the new notes for now, because that is the order of the Supreme Court,” he had said.

According to him, the matter was not discussed at the Federal Executive Council.
The comments by Fashola came just as a viral video of some residents of Ogun State were being bribed ahead of Saturday’s election with the old N1,000 notes. Those who received the money in white envelopes with the logo of the state government, however, expressed concerns that commercial banks were no longer accepting the currency. But someone suspected to be a government official, who spoke in Yoruba, was heard assuring the beneficiaries that they should go ahead and spend the money, adding that the government had vowed to ensure that banks in the state collect the old banknotes.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, reflected on the current hardship faced by Nigerians in the wake of the naira redesign project of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and pledged to put an end to the pains the programme had inflicted on the citizenry.
But former vice president and presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, described as comical the reaction of the ruling APC and its governors to recent developments around the naira redesign project.

Weighing in also on the debate around the currency policy, the presidential candidate of New Nigerian People Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, knocked the APC governors who criticised Buhari over the naira policy, saying the governors’ loots are now useless.
The Supreme Court had temporarily halted a February 10 deadline to phase out the use of some old banknotes. But a day after the court adjourned the suit filed by some APC states and Sokoto in a move to stop the federal government from banning the use of old N1, 000, N500 and N200, Buhari in a nationwide broadcast, directed that the N200 should be returned as legal tender, while the N1,000 and N500 should be phased out.

The broadcast by the president generated reactions, with nine APC states and Sokoto State now asking the Supreme Court to void Buhari’s directive. Some senior lawyers had also argued that the directive by the president was a clear contempt of the court in a pending matter.
Fashola claimed that the recent nationwide broadcast by Buhari on the ongoing naira redesign policy was not a direct affront to the Supreme Court.
He stated that although the naira swap policy needed to be reviewed, the president took the decision because he had seen the suffering many Nigerians were facing and not to spite the apex court.

Fashola explained, “Let me say that in a democracy where there is a right to speak freely, there’s bound to be divergence of views, as you have had. But I think that the principle about respecting and awaiting the outcome of a court decision sometimes has been stretched, if I may use that word.
“There is also a lot of jurisprudence and scholarship about the boundaries of contempt in actions done and in things said. If I shut the door on your finger, and you went to court to say that the court should direct me to remove or open the door, do I say let’s wait for the outcome of court decision when you are in pain, and people are in pain?

“The question to ask is if I attempt to open that door, would you, the person in pain, say I was acting in contempt or would you gladly have me open the door and then go back to the court and say the matter we have resolved it?
“And that is another angle to look at this thing because I think that whatever interventions the president sought to make were interventions in response to the very palpable pain and I think he said that much in his speech about the unintended consequences of the policy.

Noting that his argument should not be misunderstood for misbehaviour while a case was pending in court, Fashola stated that the conversation around the matter had helped enrich Nigeria’s democracy. He explained that it had also shown the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu, and others that had spoken up as people of courage who would not sit in their comfort zones when the people were suffering.

Fashola said the fact that recent central bank governors in Nigeria tended to get into trouble close to elections should spur a review of the system to look at how political the apex bank had become. He stressed that although the central bank had a right to implement the current naira redesign policy, some of the reasons adduced by the bank were outside the law.

“So the question to then ask is, has a law been used for a policy seeking to achieve an objective that is not within the law? And this is an invitation to parliament and I think this is the time to step up and say, has our politics left our central banking-related laws behind?”
The minister argued that what happened was a mop-up of Nigeria’s currency and not a swap, arguing that the central bank may not have expected the outcome.
“It seems to me that the central bank does not intend or contemplate a mop-up policy, it actually contemplates in my view, a swap of notes,” he added, pointing out that the central bank may have overreached itself.

Fashola said Nigeria changed notes some 15 years ago, stressing that it did not cause this much pain, but wondered why the present case was causing untold hardship. He stated that the current development might negatively affect the banking system in Nigeria. He said everyone must work together to ensure that the effect on the banks were mitigated.

Buhari Vows to End Hardship Faced by Nigerians Over Naira Scarcity

In the message he sent home from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, where he was attending the annual summit of the African Union (AU), Buhari said he was fully aware of the hardship some policies of government, “which are meant to bring overall improvement to the country,” had caused. He appealed for further patience, saying the government is taking appropriate measures to ease the suffering.
Buhari, according to a statement issued yesterday by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, also expressed gratitude to Nigerians for electing him president for two terms. He urged the citizens to vote for the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu, in the forthcoming election, saying, “He is reliable and I know he will build on our achievements.”

In a video recording to shore up support for Tinubu in the election coming up in a few days, Buhari, according to a statement issued yesterday by Shehu, expressed gratitude to Nigerians for electing him president for two terms. He urged the electorate to vote for the APC presidential candidate.
The president emphasised that Tinubu had demonstrated commitment to the development of the country and the well-being of its people.
In the campaign message to voters, Buhari called on “our traditional rulers, religious leaders and parents to warn their followers and wards alike, to not allow themselves to be used by a few to foment trouble”.

The president stated, “I want to assure you that the government has taken adequate security measures to allow everyone to come out and cast their votes. I am, therefore, appealing to everyone to give them the necessary support.
“Fellow Nigerians, I want to use this opportunity to once again thank you for electing me to be your president on two occasions.
“I am not a contestant in this election, but my party, the APC, has a candidate in the person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As I mentioned before, Tinubu is a true believer in Nigeria, who loves the people and the development of our country.

“I am calling on all of you to vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is reliable and I trust he will build on our achievements.
“Finally, I want to once again assure you that I am fully aware of the current hardship you are facing as a result of some policies of the government which are meant to bring overall improvement to the country.
“I am appealing to you to exercise further patience as we take appropriate measures to ease these hardships. God willing, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.”

Atiku: APC Governors’ Reaction to New Policy Comical

Atiku described as comical the reaction of the APC governors to the naira design project. In an email message he sent to out yesterday, Atiku stated, “In the last weeks of the campaign, it is comical to see the ruling APC in open disagreement about how their party has taken the country aback.
“The good part of it is that the APC governing elite has by itself admitted that the party has only brought pains and hardship on the country.
“But while the APC continues with their rumblings, I am very proud of the work that we have done together in bringing the Recover Nigeria message to every doorstep across the country.

“It is the determination and commitment by folks like you in pushing the campaign that gives me the confidence that we shall achieve victory on Saturday. In these final days, we have to do even more!
“We still have ample time to push harder in ensuring, first, that everyone around you with their PVCs comes out to vote.
“Secondly, we must rally our base by convincing our friends, colleagues, families, and spouses to vote for the safe choice, which the PDP represents. Governor Okowa and I are exceptionally proud of your terrific work and we both believe that you shall deliver your polling units for the PDP on Saturday.”

Your Loot Now Completely Useless, Kwankwaso Taunts APC Governors

Kwankwaso knocked the APC governors criticising Buhari over the naira redesign policy. The former Kano State governor said he was shocked that APC governors could act in that manner.
Kwankwaso said at an NNPP function, “In each state, you have branches of banks and in some states, you have even the national headquarters of those banks, on one hand we thought they (governors) would take all the billions from government houses and so on to banks.
“But we realised these same governors were abusing their leaders, insulting them, I was shocked. I never thought some of them could abuse Buhari to that level.
“On one hand, I was surprised that facts were coming out and we began to wonder what is wrong with them? Maybe the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was right that some governors are keeping billions of naira in their compounds across the country.

“Now the policy has made that looted money completely useless, I think that is why they are angry. So we are so happy with the federal government on that, the money they have collected is completely zero, it has expired.
“And I think all agencies should keep their eyes on that and I want to assure you that our party is going to assist the federal government, especially on election day, please tell all members of NNPP to join EFCC, to join the police and other security agencies that wherever they see them trying to buy votes, please stop them.”

Dogara Hails Buhari’s Move to Curb Vote-buying

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, commended Buhari’s efforts aimed at curbing vote-buying ahead of the 2023 general election.
Dogara said he was also affected by the hardship caused by the naira redesign and currency scarcity, but pleaded with Nigerians to endure this for a few weeks and see it as a sacrifice for free, fair and credible elections.

He spoke at the weekend in Kaltungo, Gombe State, at the gathering of over 15,000 Christian youth under the auspices of Evangelical Churches Winning All (ECWA) International Youth Conference, where he was honoured with the award of service to the youths, the church and humanity.
Dogara stated, “For those critising the president on the issue of timing, I want to remind them in the words of Dr King Jnr that time is eternally neutral and the time is always ripe to do right.

“Let me end by calling on the CBN to ensure the redesigned notes are made available to our people but even if the CBN failed to do so, my plea to all Nigerians is to endure the pains for few more weeks for our votes to count and for us to elect a president we truly deserve.
“Let me emphatically say that the president has the sole constitutional powers over currency matters and all those busy running their mouths because they have been denied the opportunity to deploy the ill- gotten naira they have stashed to buy votes, they are committing treason,” he stated.

The former speaker added, “The president is absolutely right not to have given in to the greed of the few against the needs of the many.  While the president is right to have acted on what he knows and in the best interest of the country, his traducers are petty, unpatriotic, treacherous and grossly irresponsible.
“I want to specifically commend President Buhari over the initiative to curb vote buying in the forthcoming general elections.  I am not uninformed of nor unaffected by the hardship caused by the naira redesign and swap policy, but I want to plead with Nigerians to endure it for these few weeks as sacrifice for a free, fair and credible election.”

The former speaker stressed that Nigeria needed a steady hand, not one that must always be steadied. He emphasised, “We need a hand on which nothing dies not the hand that spills everything that is placed on it if we do not want our collective national destiny to be spilled.
“We need a grounded leader not a feckless pretender who has become a perfect gift to every level of comedy both local and internationally. By our votes, let us send a strong and clear message to those who want to foist this tasteless joke on us that Nigeria is no comedy cellar or Viva Blackpool.”
Dogara urged Nigerians to vote for Atiku.

Kaigama Condemns Attack on Banks, Urges Free, Fair Election

Catholic Archbishop of the Abuja Metropolitan Archdiocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, condemned what he described as unruly acts of rioting in some parts of the country that saw protesters attacking bank ATMs, beating up bank staff, and destroying their property.
Regarding Saturday’s presidential election, the archbishop said his prayer was for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the security agents, and the judiciary not to bow to pressure from any quarter and compromise their work so that only true winners would emerge in the elections.
While delivering sermons at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church Parish, Dutse-Sangbagyi, in Abuja, yesterday, Kaigama said notwithstanding the hardship in the land, persons opposed to certain government policies should react in an enlightened manner.

He said, “The recent bank policy has plunged many Nigerians into untold hardship, because of very limited access to physical cash. However, when we are not comfortable with certain decisions, we should react in an enlightened manner.
“The unruly acts of rioting in some parts of the nation that attacked bank ATMs, beat up some bank staff, vandalised banks and destroyed bank properties, blocked streets, forcing businesses to close, etc., are not signs of maturity.”

Commenting on Saturday’s presidential election, Kaigama said Nigerians must play their role in creating a better country by participating in the exercise.
He stated, “This time we want an election of credible and competent candidate and not an election marred by manipulation or violence that scares away voters.
“Our earnest prayer is that INEC, the security agents and the judiciary will not bow to pressure from any quarters and compromise their work so that only true winners in the elections, who, as Philippians 4:8 says, are honourable, just, pure, lovely, can emerge and free Nigerians from the bondage of economic hardship, criminality and needless division based on tribe and religion.”
Quoting the communique given at the just concluded first plenary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Kaigama echoed the call on leaders to love the people they lead through good governance.

He said at the meeting that the bishops had decried the worsening insecurity caused by so-called unknown gunmen, and urged the government to do more to safeguard the lives and property of citizens. He emphasised the need for the government to improve the economy of the country and arrest the skyrocketing cost of goods and services.

Bola A. Akinterinwa 

Diplomatic centre or villages are generally established by various political capitals of the world in fulfilment of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic conventions. The main rationale is the requirement of International Law that the work of every accredited diplomatic mission in a receiving State be facilitated. Facilitation includes assistance in the acquisition of office building or land for building, absolute protection of diplomatic agents, non-violation of their persons, vehicles, residences, etc. And perhaps more significantly, based on the rule of equality of sovereignty, no sovereign State has the right to tax another sovereign State. 

As provided in Article 23 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, an accrediting state shall be exempt from payment of dues, taxes in the host country. Paragraph 1 of the Article stipulates that ‘the sending State and the Head of the Mission shall be exempt from all national, regional or municipal dues and taxes in respect of the premises of the mission, whether owned or leased, other than such as represent payment for specific services rendered.’ Additionally, Paragraph 2 says ‘the exemption from taxation referred to in this Article shall not apply to such dues and taxes payable under the law of the receiving State by persons contracting with the sending State or the Head of the Mission.’ The import of this Article 23 is the differentiation between what the Head of a Diplomatic Mission purchases that are not subject to taxation and the income or gains accruing to the business contractors with whom the business had been transacted and whose gains may be subject to municipal taxation. 

In the same vein, Article 34 provides that a diplomatic agent shall be exempted from all dues and taxes, personal or real, national, regional or municipal, but excepting indirect taxes, dues and taxes on private immovable property located in the host State, estate succession or inheritance duties, dues and taxes on private income having its sources in the host country, charges levied for specific services rendered, and also excepting ‘registration, court or record fees, mortgage dues and stamp duty with respect to immovable property, subject to the provisions of Article 23.’ It is useful to also note that Article 32 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations similarly exempts career Consuls-General, Vice Consuls-General, Consuls, Consular Premises and residences from taxation. It is against this diplomatico-consular background that inauguration of a Diplomatic Village should be appreciated. But before dealing with the question, what does the international practice look like?

International Diplomatic Villages

In making life comfortable for diplomatic missions accredited to a political capital of a receiving State, Diplomatic Academies, Centres, Villages, Houses are established and given different names and given different functional facilities. For instance, there are the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, Diplomatic Academy of London, Diplomatic Academy of South Africa, Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia which is internationally adjudged as the oldest diplomatic academy in the world. Most of these academies provide a platform for seminars, academic exchanges, relaxation facilities which are open to registered members. Many of them train people on diplomatic practice.

Many of them are also economic in design and orientation. They are special shopping centres specifically reserved for diplomatic and consular agents. In France, for example, diplomatic agents can buy whatever is buyable without payment of tax in such diplomatic centres by simply identifying themselves. Unlike the diplomats, tourists and foreigners who do not intend to stay in Metropolitan France can still buy de-taxable goods in any shop. The only condition is that de-taxation only takes place at the time and point of exit of the country for shops that do not offer tax refund on the spot. Big shops like the FNAC des Champs-Elysée, des Halles and Ternes; Eurostar departure lounges in Gare du Nord and Or du Monde, etc. do have de-taxation services on the spot. However, some conditions must be met to qualify for tax refund.

The tourists must be residing outside of the European Union. They must not be less than sixteen years of age and must also be visiting France for a period of less than six months.

In shopping malls where provisions are specifically provided for diplomats and foreign travellers, it is really life made easy for them as there are many Parisian shops offering tax reclaim: Airvat Tax refund, Carrousel du Louvre, Westfield Forum des Halles, Village Suisse Paris, Or Du Monde, Aéroports de Paris shops, Vallée Village, Val d’Europe, Galeries Lafayette, the Printemps Haussman, Samaritaine Paris Pont-Neuf, etc. In all these shops, the Paris Official website of the Convention and Visitors Bureau says that ‘the purchase of a touristic nature, must be made over a maximum of three days, at a retailer that offers tax free shopping and in the same brand (or group of brands) for an amount exceeding €100 (since 1st January 2021), inclusive of tax. The retailer then tells the buyer what they must do in order to claim back the VAT and gives them the sales slip for export. The buyer must show their passport to the retailer in the shop to prove their non-resident status.’  

Another point about all the shops is that they are very specialised, they deal with different goods. Shops dealing with clothing surely have wares from various countries of the European Union as well as from outside of Europe. L’Habit Français, which is located in the 6th District of Paris, specialises in French dresses. It is a Made-in-France concept store. There are some that deal with different commodities: electronics, gift items, automobile, ICT, etc.

And perhaps most importantly, as further noted by the Paris Official website, all potential claimers of tax refund should ‘allow the necessary time for refund formalities to avoid stress on the day of departure The visitor must take the sales slip for export to complete these formalities at customs before checking in baggage and before the end of the third month following the date of purchase.’ Additionally, passengers who do not leave the European Union via France, and who travel via international rail can also claim the VAT back. All the details can be found on the dedicated page of the Ministry of France and Public Accounts.’

In Italy, a standard sales tax or VAT is called IVA (Imposta sul valore Aggiunto) and it is 22% of any taxable sales with current contemplation to increase it to 23% any moment from now. Unlike in France where a minimum purchase of €100 is required in order to qualify for refund, the minimum value of purchase to qualify for refund in Italy is €175 from any given shop. For refund, all buyers are to save the receipt of the goods purchased, prepare to show their return travel tickets back home, carry the items purchased without giving them to any third party, present themselves to Italy’s VAT refund stations, most of which are at the international airports and in the tourist points or travel hub. An official application form can then be filled for refund with the receipts of purchase. There are also the Planet Tax Free Refund Point, Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Centro Servizi Caminiti, Global Blue Tax Refund Point, Tax Refund Fiumicino Airport, La Rinascente, etc. where tax refunds are possible.

It should be noted here that, apart from the standard sales tax of 22%, there is also the reduced 10% VAT rate applicable to real estate maintenance services and listed drug supplements, as well as the further reduced 4% VAT rate exclusively reserved for certain foods, drinks and agricultural products. 

Generally speaking, there is no standard procedure for tax refund in the European Union countries. What is normally required is the proof of residency, possession of the relevant papers of purchase, contacting the appropriate customs authorities and then requesting for refund. More importantly, it may be difficult for diplomatic agents to avoid payment of taxes because, be they standard, reduced or super-reduced VAT simply because ‘what you see on the price tag is what you pay. The value-added tax is systematically included in the price. There are a few companies that try to scam travellers making online purchases and only include the VAT at the payment stage.’ This is said to be common when buying a cheap flight ticket. Additionally, it is generally considered in the EU countries that exports are exempt from VAT. Consequently, when goods are purchased in Europe and taken out of the region, they are regarded as exports, meaning that all purchasers of goods are eligible to ask for tax refund when they want to travel out of the EU. Generally noteworthy as well, there is no tax refund for consumer services provided in hotels or restaurants. 

In the United States, the Federal Government does not refund sales tax to foreign visitors as sales tax charged in the US are paid to individual States. Consequently, it is the taxation authority in the very state where purchases are made that should be contacted for tax refund. In this case, the conditions of refund vary from one State to another. While for instance, the JFK airport and the New York State do not provide sales tax refunds, the State of Texas and some areas within Louisiana do provide tax refunds to international shoppers. Interestingly, Government’s Tourist Refund Scheme has been ‘designed primarily for travellers taking items back to their overseas homes or for locals taking purchases on a one-way trip, such as gifts for overseas family and friends. 

In New York, there is the Diplomatic Duty Free Shops, which is considered as a reflection of Manhattan’s distinctive spirit as the greatest city on earth. The shop is also the only travel retail boutique located at the forefront of retail in Midtown Manhattan. In fact, a Diplomatic Duty Free Shops of New York Catalogue for 2022-2023 has been published. The catalogue serves as a guide to all diplomatic agents, especially those accredited to the United Nations. All the shops with facilities for non-taxable goods for the diplomatic community also serve the purposes of the non-diplomatic and consular staff. The basic difference is that the diplomats are not made to pay any tax while all other customers have to pay. 

Nigerian Case and its Environment

From the foregoing, it can be noticed that there is no special village built like the Nigerian model. What generally obtains elsewhere is that several business outfits are authorised to sell goods and refund taxes to those eligible for refund, including diplomatic agents. As also noted earlier, the shops deal with specialised items and they are generally located within an agglomeration of other businesses. In this case, Nigeria’s quest to implement the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by building a village for the diplomatic community in Nigeria cannot but be quite interesting, especially because of the environmental conditionings.

The diplomatic village is built on a 2,700 square metre land along the Olusegun Obasanjo Way, in the Central Business District of Abuja. It has a top-notch shopping centre, recreational services, spa with 12 treatment rooms, clinics for eye and dental care, restaurants, gym, liquid hub, visual art gallery, etc. It is designed to be a one-stop shopping village. In terms of aesthetic look from a distance, the village is good and presentable. We cannot comment meanwhile on the interior until we have the opportunity to pay a visit to the village. Thus, many issues cannot but be raised in the evaluation of the extent to which Nigeria’s foreign policy can be well or better protected as a result of the existence of the diplomatic village.

First is the name of the diplomatic centre. It is called a Diplomatic Village because there is a service provision for the diplomatic community. Accommodating the diplomats in the village cannot be good enough a reason for the name. Considering that Africa is both the cornerstone and centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy, it would have been more decent to qualify the village with ‘Africa’ so as to read African Diplomatic Centre. The way the whole world is described as Global Village, Abuja ought to play host to Africa as an Africa Village. The world is considered as a global village because of globalisation, technological connectivity, efforts at integration of global economies, etc. In the same vein, the Diplomatic Village ought to be the villa cognita of whatever Africa represents in food and dress diplomacy, commercial goods, manufactured goods, clinical services, recreational facilities, liquid or wine hub, etc.

Put differently, in an African Diplomatic Village in Nigeria (ADVN), every Member State of the African Union should be given a plot of land to develop as their own house where to promote their national personality in various ramifications. For Nigeria, all the 36 constitutive States of Nigeria should similarly be given a plot of land for self-projection in the village. It is by so doing that Nigeria’s foreign policy concentricism and beneficial and constructive concentricism policy, as propounded by Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari and Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji respectively, can be given an empirical meaning. Without scintilla of doubt, the idea of a diplomatic village, of which we have been talking about for a long time, is quite commendable, not because one has been built but because President Muhammadu Buhari can now lay a legitimate claim to having contributed to the completion of the project begun in 2010. 

PMB’s foreign policy lacks lustre. It has no focus and only reacts to global developments. Besides, it is unnecessarily dependency-oriented and administered. It is hardly conducted to project Nigeria as a natural giant. In fact, Nigeria is one exceptional country where people have sustained the greatness of Nigeria before their retirement but cannot assist Government because of incapacitation, even in their life of retirement. An association like the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN) cannot keep quiet when it is visibly clear that Nigeria does not have a foreign policy focus? Is there any goodness in the existence of the ARCAN if it cannot operate in the mania of a Council on Foreign Relations?

The Federal Government is reported to be preparing to open a diplomatic village in Maiduguri in Borno State and in Lagos State because of the large size of the diplomatic communities in both States. There is little problem with the expansion of the village, except that it only has the potential to open new windows of institutional corruption and more widely. Diplomatic Villages in other parts of Nigeria can complement and be more of economic productivity.

In the eyes of the PMB administration, the Diplomatic Village would improve diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the Diplomatic Corps, as well as reduce loss in revenue to Nigeria. As explained by Mr. Uche Udozor, the Managing Director of the Diplomatic Village, ‘before now, diplomats brought their consumables to the country, which had been abused, and that drew the attention of the Government.’ More important, there will be more stringent measures on importation by diplomats because they bring in products in commercial quantities, asking for waivers.’ 

This expectation can be likely but most embassies of the big powers are self-reliant and therefore often prefer to be inward-looking. Diplomatic interactions and services in the village are likely to be characterised by caution and suspicion. How will the Russian and Ukrainian relate if they meet in the village? Will the US Ambassador and the Ambassador of The Gambia, or those of France and Mali relate within the framework of the diplomatic village?

Apart from the name of the diplomatic centre and nature of relationships, there is the aspect of insecurity and diplomatic protection. Attacks on diplomatic agents are largely induced by the fact of the obligation of host states to ensure their inviolability. Terrorists consciously target them in order to score some points of protest. This was the genesis of the letter and parcel bombs on American, British and French ambassadors at the initial stage of Islamic fundamentalism and the Palestinian struggle for a homeland as promised in 1917 by William Balfour. Now that a diplomatic village will provide a common platform for many diplomats to be there, this necessarily presents a special security challenge that must not be taken with a kid’s glove.

The mania of political governance in Nigeria is one in which the rule of law is respected selectively. Agree or disagree, there is no disputing the fact that Nigeria is fantastically corrupt. Professor J.S. Cookey, traced, in his 1987 Report of the Political Bureau, the origin of corruption and indiscipline, which was described as the bane of the Nigerian society, to 1967. From 1967 to 2023, Government has been trying to tame corruption but to no avail. The more the efforts at fighting it, the more scientific institutional corruption becomes in a new style. The current New Naira crisis and the refusal of the PMB administration to comply with the judgment of the Supreme Court on the subject-matter clearly point to how democracy is practised in Nigeria. In this regard, how will the Diplomatic Village be managed? Is it the Nigerian way or in the mania of international standard? It cannot be very assuring to say that the diplomatic police are on ground to secure the village. What will be more convincing is visible strengthening of the diplomatic police, ensuring a 24/7 presence and having a water-tight control of access to and from the village. Mr Odozor already admitted that the village has water-tight security and that ‘as from the entrance down into this place is very well secured. The special squadron from 44 Unit, which is the diplomat mobile police unit is stationed here in a very large number… The Government has done the needful security wise and we are happy.’ This is commendable but lessons should be learnt from the Kenyan experience and from attacks on diplomatic missions where security can be said to be more than water-tight.

The Diplomatic Village in Abuja is a private investment initiated by Mr. Uche Odozor, but ‘Government got involved because all the countries that adopted the Vienna Convention operate the tax-free shop. This is what diplomats from Nigeria enjoy and we need to comply and reciprocate.’ This way of explaining the rationale for Government’s involvement is most unfortunate. If Nigeria had not had a diplomatic village before now, it is simply because Nigeria is not faithful to her foreign policy objective of respecting International Law and Treaty Obligations as contained in Article 19(d) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. Countries that have diplomatic shops promptly did so in compliance with the Vienna Convention and not necessarily to please Nigeria. Consequently, the argument of reciprocal treatment is not the issue. Besides, some state governments invested in the Diplomatic Village project in 2011. What is the future of this partnership in light of how public institutions are poorly managed in Nigeria? More important, the environmental diplomatic conditioning in Nigeria is such that diplomacy is now increasingly being bastardised with the CBN Governor being invited to address the Diplomatic Corps. As much as there is goodness in educating the diplomatic community on the Naira Crisis, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele and the HMFA do not need to explain the crisis but to communicate Government’s policy by a Note-Verbale. Godwin Emefiele’s direct briefing has the potential to belittle the Foreign Ministry and strengthen diplomatic bypassing of the Foreign Ministry in the foreseeable future. 

Zimbabwe’s prolonged power shortage is set to worsen after the entity that manages the southern Africa’s biggest dam ordered the suspension of electricity generation at its main hydro plant because of a water shortage.

In a letter dated November 25 and seen by Reuters, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) told the Zimbabwe Power Company on Monday that the Kariba South hydropower station had used more than its 2022 water allocation and that the Kariba Dam’s usable storage was only 4.6 per cent full.

The ZRA manages the Kariba Dam on behalf of the Zimbabwean and Zambian governments.

“The Zambezi River Authority is left with no choice but to firmly guide that … generation activities at the South Bank Power Station are wholly suspended henceforth until January 2023 when a further review of the substantive hydrological outlook at Kariba will be undertaken,’’ the letter read.

Zimbabwe has suffered acute power shortages for several years, as successive droughts have resulted in poor inflows into the Kariba Dam and as ageing coal-fired power stations had repeatedly broken down.

The government had licensed some independent solar producers to try to augment supply.

Kariba South has an installed capacity of 1,050mw but has been producing well below that due to low water levels in the dam. (Reuters/NAN)

United States President Joe Biden is due to appear for a short visit at a major UN climate conference in Egypt’s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Friday.

The stopover comes days after dozens of world leaders gathered in the Red Sea resort for a summit parallel to the climate conference, known as COP27.

Biden is expected to give an address at the event, set to highlight U.S. efforts to curb climate-harming emissions.

Representatives from around 200 countries are grappling at the COP27 conference with how global warming can still be contained and how climate damage mitigation can be financed.

The two weeks of meetings are taking place amid multiple crises, including food and energy shortages, as well as rising inflation in economies across the world – a general situation made worse by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Biden’s stop at Sharm el-Sheikh is the first leg in a tour that is also taking him to a gathering of South-east Asian nations in Cambodia and a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 (G20), the world’s largest economies, on the Indonesian island of Bali.

COP27 marks 30 years since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted and seven years since the Paris Agreement was agreed upon at COP21.

An annual event, the ‘Conference of the Parties’ or ‘COP’ brings together the governments which have signed the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, or the Paris Agreement.

World leaders, ministers and negotiators come together to agree on how to jointly address climate change and its impacts.

Civil society, businesses, international organisations and the media ‘observe’ proceedings to bring transparency, as well as broader perspectives to the process.

With the strapline, ‘Together for implementation,’ COP27 will be an African COP and the first of two COPS in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

COP26 in 2021 was jointly hosted in Glasgow, Scotland by the UK and Italy, who continue to hold the COP presidency until COP27 begins.

COP28 will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2023. (dpa/NAN)

Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health,  Manaouda Malachie, on Thursday said cholera has spread to eight of the country’s 10 regions including the Center region, killing 272 people since October 2021.

Manaouda told a press briefing in the capital city of Yaounde that as of October 20, 12,952 people were known to have been infected.

Efforts were underway to stop the disease from spreading but people needed to observe basic hygienic rules and go for treatment immediately if they noticed symptoms, the minister stressed.

On Wednesday, health officials in Southwest where the highest number of deaths and cases had been recorded,  began vaccinating children in schools against cholera as part of nationwide measures to curb the disease.

Officials blamed poor sanitation and hygiene conditions for the spread of the epidemic.

Cholera is a highly virulent disease characterised in its most severe form by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhoea that can lead to death by severe dehydration. (Xinhua/NAN)

The Ghanaian Government will implement bold and deliberate decisions in the coming days to deal with the country’s economic crisis.

Ghanaian Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia said the ongoing changes in the world economic order, with rising inflations and disruptions in global supply chains, were meant for developing countries.

“Ghana could no longer operate in a business-as-usual mode, but should rapidly pivot and become self-reliant,” Bawumia said at the second edition of the Standard Chartered Digital Banking, Innovation and FinTech Festival in Accra.

The vice-president acknowledged that Ghana was facing an economic crisis that had to be addressed in different dimensions.

According to him, the first and most important issue, which affects confidence in the economy, is to make sure that the West African country has fiscal discipline and debt sustainability.

Ghana has been plagued by soaring inflation, currency depreciation and many other economic challenges in recent months.

In response, the Ghanaian Government embarked on talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July, for a fund-backed economic revitalisation programme.

The government’s negotiation with the IMF for a bailout requires “very bold, difficult, but firm decisions”, Bawumia said.

“I am sure once we conclude those discussions, it will no longer be business as usual because we have to adjust to the new global and domestic realities,” he said. (Xinhua/NAN)

The Israeli Government has approved an agreement with Lebanon on a common maritime border which involves undersea gas exploitation.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, said the step was a diplomatic achievement ahead of a special cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, which paves the way for the deal to be signed after Lebanon gave its approval two weeks ago.

“It is not everyday that an enemy country recognises the state of Israel in a written agreement before the international community,” he said.

Lebanon and Israel are officially in a state of war.

The agreement, signed separately by Israel and Lebanon, is to be handed over to the U.S. mediator, Amos Hochstein, by the negotiating teams at a United Nations (UN) base in Nakura in southern Lebanon Thursday afternoon.

The decades-long conflict for control of the border intensified after the discovery of natural gas resources.

The border conflict concerns 860 square kilometres off the coast claimed by both sides as an exclusive economic zone.

In mid-October, Hochstein handed over the final draft of the deal to both countries.

Talks had been ongoing for the past two years.

According to the agreement, Lebanon is to exploit the Qana gas field and Israel the Karish field.

Lebanese energy expert, Marc Ayoub, said that Qana field is expected to contain a good amount of gas, but will take at least five to six years before Lebanon starts benefiting.

Lebanon hopes that such a deal will help the country’s ailing economy.

Lebanon is experiencing its worst financial crisis in decades.

The World Bank has described the crisis as among the worlds most severe since the mid-1800s. (dpa/NAN)

Peter Uzoho

In continuation of its ongoing restructuring and consolidation, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has changed the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), an arm of the company to the ‘NNPC Upstream Investment Services (NUIS).’

The General Manager, Nigerian Petroleum Exchange (NIPEX), a division of NAPIMS, Mr. Andrew Grant, who represented the Group General Manager, NAPIMS, Mr. Bala Wunti, at the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists’ (NAPE) 40th Pre-conference workshop held in Lagos, yesterday, announced the name change to industry stakeholders present.

 The theme of the pre-conference workshop was, “Energy Security and Transition Strategies: Opportunities and Challenges in Nigeria.”

Since NNPC’s conversion to a limited liability company operating under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, the company had been on a restructuring mode to reflect its new status and achieve its goals.

Just a few days ago, the state oil company had named five executive vice presidents in its efforts to consolidate its post-commercialisation drive, with the Group Executive Director, Upstream, Adokiye Tombomieye made the Executive Vice President (Upstream) while the Group Executive Director, Downstream, Mr. Adeyemi Adetunji took the role of Executive Vice President (Downstream).

In addition, the Executive Director, Gas and Power, Abdulkabir Ahmed became the Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energies, while Inuwa Danladi was named the Executive Vice President, Business Services.

Furthermore, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan took the role of Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Sustainability; while Chidi Momah became the General Counsel for the National Oil Company (NOC).

Aside helping the NNPC establish continuity of leadership in critical business areas, THISDAY reported that the move would further give the NOC the leeway to recruit expatriates from any part of the world and enable the company benefit from international best practices in the oil and gas industry.

Few months earlier, NNPC had changed the official title of its Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari to the Group Chief Executive Director (GCEO).

Sudanese demonstrators began gathering on Tuesday ahead of protests on the one-year anniversary of a coup that halted a democratic transition.
Internet services were blocked, according to monitoring group Netblocks, as protests were planned in many cities and towns, including a march on the presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum.
The military takeover halted Sudan’s transition to democracy following the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in 2019, and threw an economy already in crisis further into turmoil.
Foreign donors quickly suspended relations and the currency tumbled as the government hiked taxes spurring numerous strikes.
Sudan’s military leaders have not appointed a prime minister, while Islamists loyal to Bashir purged from the civil service have returned.
Generals are now engaged in negotiations with the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition that had been sharing power prior to the coup.
The talks are facilitated by the United Nations and African Union, as well as the “Quad” of the United States, the UK, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
The FFC earlier presented its vision for a fully civilian-led authority to lead a transition to elections.
However, the resistance committees that have sustained the anti-military protest movement with regular demonstrations have mostly rejected talks with the military.
It demanded that its leaders be brought to justice over the killings of over 100 protesters and other alleged violations. (Reuters/NAN)

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on all stakeholders in the Chadian political process to work towards consolidating and re-establishing a resolute, resilient and sustainable democracy for the benefit of the good people of Chad. 

The President made this charge Monday in N’Djamena at a bilateral meeting shortly before the inauguration of General Mahamat Idriss  Itno as the Head of the Transition Government and Head of State to oversee the transition process in Chad.

President Buhari, who is the current Chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Countries.(LCBC) congratulated the country’s leader on behalf of the LCBC for earning the trust of the majority of Chadians to head the transition process to full fruition. 

The President expressed hope that the event would bring to closure “the painful phase of the Chadian political history which led to the sad passage of one of Chad’s most illustrious sons, late Marshal Idriss Deby itno.”

He extolled the Chadian state’s responsible engagement within the sub-region and beyond, citing the country’s “very active involvement in the collective activities for peace within the LCBC and MNJTF, the Sahel and in the reactivation of her relationship with Sudan,” which he said were exemplary.

President Buhari expressed his hope and that of the LCBC, which he chairs, that “today’s event will usher in another period of peace and stability within Chad and our sub-region in order to build on the gains of previous efforts.”

At the ceremony, the Head of the Transition Government, thanked President Buhari for the warmth and friendliness he had demonstrated towards the country and sub-region, especially in ensuring peace and stability. 

Itno commended the Chairman of the LCBC for historic interventions in upholding the interest of the Chad Basin, and Africa, assuring that President Buhari’s leadership had been impactful. 

He promised to put in place a transition process that would reflect the will of the people, while focusing on ameliorating poverty through provision of quality education, better health facilities and sustainable infrastructure.

Somali National Army (SNA) said on  Monday that its forces killed more than 200 al-Shabab militants during an operation conducted on Sunday in Bulaburte district of central Somalia.

According to the state-owned media, the militants were planning to block the road between Beledweyne and Bulaburde district and stage an attack but the forces received intelligence in time and foiled the attack.

“Their intention was to block the road between Bula-burde and Beledweyne towns.

“But they made a miscalculation, and ended up in fire,” the Somali news agency reported.

The Somali forces backed by pro-government militia have liberated more than 40 villages and killed more than 500 al-Shabab militants in the past three weeks in operations in central Somalia.

The militant group has lost ground to the Somali government and African Union troops in recent months but still controls some territory in southern and central Somalia. (Xinhua/NAN) 

.*El-Rufai, ministers, others to attend two-day summit

.*Trade volume between both nations peaks at $141m

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

The maiden edition of Nigeria–Egypt Trade Conference and Exhibition (NETCE) will begin on Monday, October 10, 2022, in Cairo, Egypt.

The two-day conference with the theme ‘‘For Africa, By Africa’’, exploring the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking about the conference, is jointly organised by the Nigeria-Egypt Cultural and Socio-Economic Forum (NECSEF) in collaboration with the Embassy of Nigeria in Cairo, Egyptian African Businessmen’s Association (EABA) under the auspices of the Government of Egypt.

Speaking on the conference, President of NECSEF, Mahmood Ahmadu, said welcomed all delegates to NETCE 2022. 

According to him: “Twice we have had to postpone this meeting but we are excited it is happening and it is providing limitless opportunities for us to enhance trade between Nigeria and Egypt to a new and enviable height.’’

The conference will bring together government ministers, governors, ambassadors from Nigeria and Egypt along with over 300 delegates, visitors and exhibitors.

Confirmed speakers at the event include Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna State,  Minister of State for Works and Housing, Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub; Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Katagum; the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr Ezra Yakuzak; the Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Mrs Saratu Umar, and Dr Kassim Gidado, representing Nigeria-Arabian Gulf Chamber of Commerce. 

Others are Dr Yousry El Sharkawy, chairman of EABA; Walid Gamal El Din, Chairman of the General Authority, Economic Zone, Suez Canal; Dr Sherif El-Gabaly, Chairman, African Affairs, Egyptian House of Representatives and Engr. Tarek El Gammal, Chairman, Redcon Construction.

In the course of two days in the ancient city of Cairo, businessmen and women from Africa’s two largest economies will engage in Business-to Business sessions, exchange ideas and attend exhibitions from participating Nigerian and Egyptian companies, showcasing their products and services.

An industrial tour, scheduled for October 12, will afford the Nigerian participants to learn about the industrial environment and the latest technology in Egypt.    

Earlier on Sunday, the organisation took advantage of the gathering to inaugurate its corporate office in Cairo.

The building co-locates Online Integrated Solutions (OIS), a multi-national company also owned by Mahmood Ahmadu, which provides services for Nigerian Foreign missions, Nigerians in the Diaspora, and NECSE.

Speaking at the occasion, the Nigerian Ambassador to Egypt, Nura Abba Rimi, put the current trade volume of the two countries at $141 million.

He expressed optimism that with the successful implementation of reforms promoting transparency and efficiency in the business environment as well as economic diversification into real sectors like agriculture, mining and manufacturing, Nigeria is ready to work towards achieving much higher levels of bilateral trade with Egypt.

The envoy said the high population growth rate and the size of the two largest economies in Africa present a win-win situation for the two countries.