The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Much ado about new presidential aircraft

    Much ado about new presidential aircraft

    Sir: The recent recommendation by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence for the Federal Government to purchase two new presidential aircraft for the president and vice president has sparked widespread debate. Critics argue that the acquisition is insensitive given the country’s current economic challenges; hence suggest that existing aircraft should be overhauled. On the other hand, proponents maintain that the purchase is a necessity rather than a luxury, crucial for the effective functioning of the highest offices in the land.

    Recent travel issues faced by the president and vice president underscore the pressing need for reliable and functional aircraft. In April, the president was forced to take a chartered plane from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia, and also recently returned from South Africa using a chartered flight. Additionally, the vice president aborted his flight to the United States due to a faulty presidential jet. These incidents highlight the necessity for dependable transportation to ensure that the president and vice president can perform their duties without undue risk or delay.

    The ability to travel at short notice is vital for both national and international responsibilities. Just as business CEOs invest in private jets to ensure punctuality and reliability, the same principle applies. The stakes are even higher for the president and vice president.

    Read Also: Security talk shop; Tinubu calls for stability, united northwest, peaceful Nigeria

    Maintaining outdated aircraft can be prohibitively expensive. Similar to how companies replace cars after a certain period to avoid high maintenance costs, the same logic applies to presidential aircraft. Furthermore, owning aircraft is more cost-effective in the long run than frequently chartering flights, which can accumulate substantial expenses. Newer planes are likely to be more fuel-efficient and require less frequent repairs, thereby reducing operational costs, contributing to the overall efficiency of government operations.

    Functional aircraft will enable the president and vice president to fulfil their duties optimally. This is not about luxury but necessity. Reliable transportation is critical to the effective execution of their duties; including attending international summits, engaging in diplomatic missions, and responding promptly to emergencies. Presidential planes also serve as symbols of national pride and the status of the office. They are often seen as extensions of the country’s sovereignty and dignity, carrying the nation’s leaders to important engagements. Ensuring these planes are in optimal condition reflects positively on the country and its leadership.

    While avoiding waste and corruption is essential, leadership involves making investments that facilitate effective governance. The planes, considered assets, will serve beyond the current administration, contributing to the long-term efficiency of government operations. The concept of saving money is often over-emphasized. Government leaders are elected to positively impact the lives of citizens and perform their duties effectively. Overemphasizing cost containment can lead to cost savings at the expense of service delivery. Therefore, the focus should be on making prudent investments that enhance governance and public service. The primary concern for Nigerians should be ensuring that the planes are not purchased at inflated prices.

    While the economic hardships faced by Nigeria are real and pressing, the acquisition of reliable presidential aircrafts is a step towards ensuring that the government can function effectively and fulfil its primary function of the security and welfare of its citizens. However, this decision must be communicated transparently to the public, emphasizing its necessity for effective governance while acknowledging the current economic difficulties.

    •Kenechukwu Aguolu  FCA Abuja.

  • Emir as a trespasser

    Emir as a trespasser

    The action of the Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, particularly the imbroglio over the throne of the Kano emirate, has further diminished the traditional institution in Nigeria. Historically, after the conquest of the Hausa kingdoms, in the 19th century, by the Fulani jihadists, the emergent religious/traditional kings, known as Emirs, became omnipotent within their domains, until their kingdoms were reconquered by the British imperialists. Notably, their powers have continually whittled down with each new democratic constitution, until presently, when they seem to be completely emasculated under the 1999 constitution (as amended).

    Clearly, the constitution did not reserve powers for the Emirs, Obas, Ezes, and similar traditional title-holders, across the country, despite the glamour and influence they have over the people within their domain, and even beyond. While the governors, when expedient refer to themselves as subjects of the traditional kings, and give the impression that they treat their kings with some reverence, the kings’ impotence are revealed whenever they disagree or hold different opinion from the governors, who wield enormous constitutional powers under the 1999 constitution.  

    Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has shown that any claim about his respect for the royal institution of the Kano emirate, is glib. Despite any pretence of being a subject, he has shown scant respect and regard for the title of the Emir of Kano. Otherwise, how could he in an effort to get at his political opponents, desecrate the same institution that he purports to protect? To add salt to the festering injury inflicted on the Kano emirate, he has declared the 15th Emir of Kano, HRH Ado Bayero, a trespasser, in what ordinarily should be the Emir’s court.

    Read Also: Kano ruling unambiguous, Abba Yusuf must resign, says Coalition

    According to a media aide to Governor Abba Yusuf, the dethroned Emir Ado Bayero has been served an eviction notice, to vacate the Nassarawa palace, where he took refuge, after he was unceremoniously and ignominiously removed from office. In a manner reminiscent of the military era, within 24 hours, the governor procured a law from the state House of Assembly, reuniting the five emirates carved from the old Kano emirate, into one. The law was made without any pretence to democratic tenets of public hearing, to know what stakeholders and general public think.

    The result was the purported sacking of Emir Ado Bayero of Kano, and the other four Emirs of Bichi, Karaye, Gaya and Rano, in a most contemptuous manner. Feeling abused and humiliated, a kingmaker, Aminu Agundi, approached the Federal High Court, praying the court that his fundamental human rights have been violated. Hon. Justice Muhammad Liman, by ex parte, ordered for the maintenance of the status quo, pending the hearing of the motion on notice. While the matter was sub judice, Governor Yusuf, flagrantly went ahead to sack the five emirs, installed Emir Lamido Sanusi, as the 16th Emir, and contemptuously abused the judge, for allegedly issuing the orders from outside the country.

    But for his immunity, under section of 308 of the 1999 constitution, the governor ought to have been charged with the contempt of court. This column, believes that a court whose unequivocal order has been desecrated by parties before it, should not surrender like a helpless wimp, but rather strike at the contemnor with its enormous inherent powers. In reaction to the publicly declared contempt of the governor, the court went ahead to declare all actions done by the governor in violation of its interim order as null and void.

    Of course, the issue of jurisdiction would be dealt with at the Court of Appeal, and the appellate court would determine whether the substantive issue before the court is a fundamental human rights claim or substantially a chieftaincy matter. At the end, while the governor may eventually have his way, actions done in defiance of the court’s interim order, which the federal judge rightly frowned at, would have become casualty. Governor Yusuf, clearly denigrated the court, when he ignored the interim injunction, and went ahead to depose Emir Bayero and install Emir Sanusi.

    The latest order that Emir Bayero would be evicted like a common trespasser further shows how low the traditional kingship has been defamed in Nigeria. The governor through his aides said Kano has earmarked N99.92 million to renovate the Nassarawa palace, which they derisively called a cemetery/graveyard, albeit with a part of it serving as a guest house for important dignitaries. They also claimed that the building is defective, and needs to be renovated, adding that it is therefore unsafe for the Emir to live in the palace. 

    But assuming that the Kano State government is the rightful owner of the palace, a trespasser, especially one which has the consent of the landowner has some rights which the law would protect. There is no doubt that Emir Bayero until he was purportedly dethroned, had right of access to the Nasarrawa palace, now in contention. If that is the case, there would be no doubt that he had the express consent of the Kano State government to use the palace.

    As held in Okubule vs Oyagbola, (1990) 4 NWLR (pt 147) 737, the Supreme Court, per Karibi-Whyte JSC held that “A person whose entry or continuance upon premises is with the leave and license of the owner who is the landlord, cannot become a trespasser. The relationship of landlord and tenant having been created exists between them.” In Ekwere vs Iyiegbu (1972) NSCC 438, the court further held that “a customary tenant who misbehaves should be sued for forfeiture of his holding, not trespass to land.”                   

    Governor Yusuf must realize that Justice Liman while not annulling the law made by the Kano State House of Assembly, had annulled the deposition of Emir Ado Bayero, and the installation of Emir Sanusi. The import is that he entered the Nasarrawa premises legitimately, and may be staying there lawfully. The Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Dederi, who sought to interpret the ruling of the Federal High Court, to make Governor Yusuf, happy, must resist the temptation to resort to self-help, in evicting Emir Bayero from the Nasarrawa palace.

    The admonition of Salami JCA in McLaren vs Jennings (2003) 3 NWLR (pt 808) 470, on self-help is recommended to him. He said: “Resorting to force rather than rule of law is fast gaining currency. This does not augur well for the profession. It is a wind of change that blows no one any good. If the members of the profession decide to throw to the winds the ideals of rule of law they, in no distant future, stand to reap whirlwind.”

    What is happening to the Kano Emirs, in the hands of their “subjects” elected to constitutionally guaranteed offices, shows that the traditional kingship in Nigeria, has become anachronistic.

  • Scaling up the trajectory of Nigeria’s civil aviation

    Scaling up the trajectory of Nigeria’s civil aviation

    By Morohundiya Ola

    Global efforts to improve the lot of civil aviation regulations continues to gain traction as more countries including Nigeria plug into safety improvement programmes introduced by the global apex regulator – the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

    ICAO, at different times had introduced a raft of safety initiatives such as “The No Country Is Left Behind”, for aviation-consumer countries including Nigeria to key into the improvement of its safety processes, procedures and programmes.

    Though Nigeria may have attained Category One, the highest civil aviation rating by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (USFAA), the country and the managers of its civil aviation have not left slip any opportunity through training of its technical safety/airworthiness personnel in complying with regulations rolled out by continental, regional and international aviation organisations.

    Just like any country/organisation that navigates emerging challenges, the NCAA in the last few years has had to grapple with developments in the civil aviation space that has put to test the capacity of managers running its affairs.

    From issues bordering on lopsided bilateral/multilateral air agreements between Nigeria and over 80 countries across the globe, to trapped foreign carriers funds, difficulty in accessing the low ticket inventory for Nigerian passengers to the entrance of Air Peace into the Lagos/London route, the NCAA has had to grapple with the challenges.

    Read Also: Cholera: Nigeria records 53 deaths in 107 LGs

    But, like anything under the sun, time and chance has also caught up with the governance structure in the apex civil aviation regulatory system resulting in the suspension of its former Director General, Captain Musa Nuhu. Though the federal government is currently investigating some infractions that enveloped the agency during his tenure, another pilot, a one-time director in the Air Transport Regulation and Public Affairs / Consumer Protection unit, Captain Chris Najomo has been serving as the acting Director General.

    A few months into his leadership at the NCAA, industry watchers could attest to the paradigm shift that has enveloped the regulatory authority. A thorough aviation professional with over four decades experience, Najomo has brought to bear his wealth of expertise, capacity and network to nudge civil aviation regulations to noticeable heights.

    Aside pushing for good liaison with airline operators, concessionaires and other agency chiefs in Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Nigerian Aerospace Management Agency, NAMA, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and the parent ministry – the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in achieving industry sector reforms as encapsulated in  the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Renew Hope Agenda, Najomo has not left anyone in doubt that his vision on what civil aviation regulation should look like.

    Sadly, these strides by the Acting Director General of NCAA, has attracted the attention of fifth columnists and naysayers who would rather dredge mud to tarnish his “Work in Progress Journey to Improve Aviation Optics/ Soundbites”.

    Though undaunted by these distractions, the  NCAA continues to swim in the unfortunate concoction of lies targeted at destroying the healing process he has birthed after the suspension of the former Director General, Capt. Musa Nuhu.

    Truly, corruption knows how to fight back and this is not a new case. For someone who has stepped in to clean the mess in a thorough overhaul of the odoriferous stench that has led to the suspension of the former Director General, the Acting DG understands the tendencies he has to contend with.

    For the sake of truth and transparency, Capt. Chris Najomo never purchased a 2022 Toyota Landcruiser (70th Anniversary Edition) allegedly worth over 250million after three months of being in the saddle.

    While it is verifiable that the suspended DG held on to the official vehicles and never dropped them, it is totally incorrect that the Acting DG purchased an official vehicle worth N250m. It smacks of mischief to quote bogus figures for a vehicle that has not been purchased in order to discredit the leadership of the Acting DG. This is the handiwork of those who wish to bring encumbrances to the process of sanity initiated by the Acting DG. However, vehicles were to be purchased for top management officials and they are necessities, not luxuries.

    In the figment of the imagination of these peddlers, staff training that were duly budgeted for as far as in 2023 budget are yet to be dispensed but due diligence failed them in their haste to tell lies that can be confronted with compelling facts. What sense does it make to bring up staff training when the ones that were duly captured in the 2023 budget have not been dispensed? Is this not hatred taken too far?

    In addition, TSA is not optional and cannot be wished away at the discretion of any DG. The allegation of non-remittance of statutory deductions to the Central Bank of Nigeria is more than laughable. It is a chronic lie that can be trashed at the tip of the fingers. Just recently, aviation union workers fumed over the 50% remittance of IGR to the government. They even threatened industrial action if that was not discontinued. How cheap can the peddlers be when they don’t even understand what goes on in the agency?

    It is instructive to note that Capt. Najomo cannot be derailed by insipid lies that can only be told by toddlers. He is focused on ensuring that the NCAA recovers from the sordid years of locusts and caterpillars. He is aware of the magnitude of trust, honour and respect that his incursion has conjured. He will, undoubtedly, reposition the NCAA and take it to an enviable height.

    However, leadership is so arduous that one’s certificates might not necessarily add any significant value to a rotten system that direly awaits radical positive change. For Captain Najomo with his towering certifications in and out of the country, whose incursion was primarily to salvage a messy system, pulling up, rebuilding and retooling the focus as well as operations of the NCAA became his driving force. He moved beyond making excuses for past failures while instilling patriotism in the workforce via laudable policies and programmes.

    He has long understood that no organization can produce any meaningful results with a disgruntled and unhappy workforce. To achieve workforce harmony, the menace of staff stagnation was decisively dealt with. He reignited the passion of workers by ensuring that they enjoy a conducive environment despite lean resources of the NCAA. With the friendly disposition of the Minister of Aviation, Captain Najomo carefully took workers welfare to its apogee and completely destroyed strife among workers.

    The rich experience of yesteryears as Managing Director/CEO of reputable airlines has paid off in his ability to engender peaceful coexistence between the authority and the trade union that are usually at loggerheads with the management. Like a magic, dissenting voices went down with his touch of humility, candour and respect for all. Without any iota of doubt, Najomo represents modesty and hope.

    Najomo is a team player. He sees everyone as important to the goals of the authority. He listens and bows to superior suggestions. These leadership qualities have earned him massive support from everyone and departments.

    The establishment of the R-PAS unit remains the brain child of a reformer. This is not just timely but audacious. This will enhance safety in civil aviation by allowing for proper security check and monitoring. This ingenuity will generate income for the federal government at a trying time like this when the country’s economy is being shot by inclement economic realities. Such innovation will attract investors who will have confidence in the system and the entire aviation industry will be positively charged for unrivalled development.

    The lofty idea of certification and re-certification of private jet owners is a necessary fillip to the revenue drive of the government while providing ease of doing business as jet owners get AOC in order to go commercial.

    In just five months, four notable airline companies got their AOC through a five stage process. These processes usually take between a year or two in the past because of the rot in the system. However, despite the ease with which airline companies get their AOC, the Najomo led administration ensured strict compliance to all rules and SARPS.

    Concerned about safety and best practices, the Najomo led administration ensures that on a quarterly basis, existing AOC holders are examined to ascertain financial capabilities in order to engender smooth and safe operations. This doesn’t hinder enhanced surveillance carried out by well-trained inspectors on a daily basis.

    Najomo is a reformer with traceable track-records in the aviation industry. His numerous certificates align perfectly with his sterling leadership acumen and the results have been unprecedented in the few months he has acted as the DG.

    •Ola, a public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos.

  • In the news: Two tabloid narratives

    In the news: Two tabloid narratives

    Two tabloid narratives – I am almost prepared to call them tawdry – obtruded from the counter-social and counterfactual media where they were “trending,” to employ the portentous pseudo-scientific term of that platform, into the mainstream of the news last week.

    The first cantered on a report that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had stopped by at President Bola Tinubu’s residence in Lagos to pay “Sallah homage” on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.   Told that Tinubu was not at home, Obasanjo had decided to pay a courtesy call on the First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who happened to be available.

    The second concerns President Tinubu’s official visit to South Africa for the inauguration of  President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term.  Pictures purportedly taken at the occasion,streamed with running commentary mostly in Igbo, showed Ramaphosa delivering a calculated snub to Tinubu, the type that should have roused even the most obidient disciple to patriotic anger.

    Observing all protocols, I start with the report of Obasanjo’s visit to Tinubu’s residence and the many questions it left unanswered.  The whole thing has the marking of a comedy or errors not untinged by elements of farce.

    Obasanjo, it is necessary to concede, is no respecter of the finer elements of social or political engagement.  But even he, I wager, will have sent word ahead that he would like to stop by to greet Tinubu.  And if word had reached him, Tinubu would have indicated that, much to his regret, he would not be available because of a previous commitment. 

    The more likely alternative is that Tinubu would have rescheduled any previous commitment just to receive and honour Obasanjo.  For it is not everyday that a former president undertakes a courtesy visit to a sitting president, especially when, between them, there has never been any love lost.

    The hardest evidence of the visit consists in just one picture, which serves only to deepen the mystery.  The ambience does not reflect the opulence and the lavish furnishing of presidential homes in Nigeria, official or private.

    Read Also: Atiku’s plan to unseat Tinubu in 2027 wishful thinking, says support group

    And the distance between guest and hostess seems curiously wide, suggesting a reluctance of both parties to engage no closer than was absolutely necessary.  That is the conclusion that a plain reading of their body language suggests.  Those gifted with a third or fourth eye may see it differently, of course.

    Even for an informal visit, the former president, who has in late life earned a reputation for dapperness, appeared rather casual.  And the First Lady seemed more demure than usual.  It was almost as if they had posed for the picture against their will and against their better judgment.

    One speculation doing the rounds has it that Obasanjo and Mrs Tinubu had met accidentally at a function in the home of a Lagos socialite known for elegance and haute couture, and that the picture in circulation was taken at that venue.

    Whatever the occasion, both seemed casually turned out.  If it had taken in some of the other dignitaries in attendance, the picture would have supplied a richer context.  Can it be that it originally included other guests,  and that they had been edited out of the published version for reasons best known to those who had made it available? 

    That would seem to explain the large distance between Obasanjo and Mrs Tinubu in the picture.

    Neither the former president nor the First Lady has disavowed the picture.  Neither the former president’s library nor the First Lady’s office seems inclined to provide some elucidation, thus perpetuating what is now shaping up as perhaps the most poignant political comedy of errors in Nigeria’s recent history.  Neither has disavowed it.

    Nor have Abubakar Atiku and Peter Obi, projected to be, respectively, the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the united Opposition in the 2027 General Elections, cottoned on to it as the latest and most telling evidence that the 2023 presidential election was stolen from them severally and jointly.

    But give them time.

    The second narrative that “trended” on the antisocial and counterfactual media before leaping into the mainstream media in the period under review concerns, as I was saying, the reporting of President Tinubu’s official visit to South Africa for the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa to a second term.   The celebration was in order, Ramaphosa having barely steered the formerly all-conquering ANC away from a rout in that country’s recent General Election.

    There, in a video clip, was Ramaphosa shaking hands enthusiastically with guests on a receiving line of African and foreign leaders, studiously avoiding the merest eye contact with Tinubu, who was looking on forlornly from the second row and was saved from further humiliation by an announcement summoning Ramaphosa back to the podium.

    An Igbo-speaking commentator, his guttural voice chafing with bitter disappointment at the fate he said had befallen Nigeria under Tinubu, helped the audience make sense of the proceedings. Reactions came thick and fast.

    Not a few regarded it as South Africa’s latest act of ingratitude to Nigeria and demanded the immediate expulsion of its High Commissioner and simultaneous recall of Nigeria’s High Commissioner from Pretoria.  It was one thing for South Africans to mistreat resident Nigerians. It was another for the government of South Africa to show such consummate disrespect to the President of Nigeria and Nigerians.

    Ingrates all, others chimed in.  Where would they be today if Nigeria had spared any exertions in freeing them from the vicious jaws of apartheid?

    Was it the case that Ramaphosa could not distinguish Tinubu from other dignitaries on the receiving line, despite his trademark cloth cap embroidered with the mathematical symbol of infinity as motif?

    Most unlikely.  In three reporting trips to South Africa – two in the time of apartheid and the third after the collapse of apartheid — I found its policy-makers and officials sell versed in virtually every aspect of life in Nigeria.  As I reported back then, it was as if the apartheid state had prepared to engage its most formidable adversary on the continent, based on the old international relations dictum:  Know your enemy.

    Still others called for the immediate confiscation and nationalization of assets of more than 100 South African-owned businesses in Nigeria, among them Multichoice, Shoprite, Standard Bank, and Clover Industries, to name a few of the better-known.  Even those calling for restraint said the least Nigeria could do was to carpet South Africa at the next summit of the African Union and demand an unconditional apology.

    They were all agreed that South Africa would not have embarked on such reckless conduct in the time of Sani Abacha, Muhammadu Buhari, or even Goodluck Jonathan.  Still, the point had been made.  The world now knows that though we have our differences at home, you cannot assail the Nigerian state and its President and escape without swift retribution.

    Nigerians were warming up for such retribution when a picture of Ramaphosa engaging in talks on bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest with Tinubu during a courtesy call on Tinubu in Pretoria – the same Ramaphosa who had snubbed Tinubu with visceral contempt the previous day, in an event seen in real time across the world? 

    And now he is ingratiating himself with Tinubu in an attempt to escape from the consequences of his contumely?

    “We no go gree, we no go gree.”  That was the chant that burst forth from the lips of irate citizens under the aegis of the League of Patriotic Nigerians who had been following the story as it unfolded in the counterfactual media.

    Your move, Mr President.

  • The Bullfight cometh

    The Bullfight cometh

    Thursday, 27th June, is the D-Day. President Joe Biden and ex-President Donald Trump will on that day square off in a stage debate that will be akin to a bullfight over the prized jewel of the United States presidency. It is the first of two debates agreed to by the candidates, who ahead of the party conventions in the summer have emerged presumptive nominee for their respective party: Biden, 81, for the Democrats and Trump, 78, for the Republicans. Thursday’s debate will hold on the platform of CNN networks, while the second in September will be on ABC News.

    Candidates’ debate is an important feature of the American electoral system and the Biden-Trump match is no less billed to reset the momentum of electioneering leading up to the 5th November presidential poll. The two men will  lock horns in what analysts noted will be packed with firsts.

    Read Also: Wire fraud: Court gives AGF nod to extradite Nigerian to US

    This is the earliest televised stage debate in US general election since 1960. Never before in modern history have two presumptive nominees met on the debate stage so early in election season; but polling has revealed dicey trends and the gladiators aim to factor in states where American voters cast early ballots. Never before have two major White House contenders battled at such advanced ages amidst widespread concerns about their fitness for office. Biden is the oldest in America’s history to seek the presidency and there are questions about his cognitive health. Never before, also, has a contender had a felony conviction hanging on him: the stage debate holds just two weeks before Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money trial.

    Biden and Trump faced off against each other twice before their 2020 contest in ugly and heated shows that few Americans looked forward to recurring. A rematch has, however, become inevitable and the old men are expected to go for each other’s jugular from the starting line to build whatever momentum they can with a jaded electorate. But the rules are firm. Both candidates will stand for the duration of the debate. Campaign staff are not allowed to interact with either candidate over the course of the event, including during the breaks. Each man will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water – but no props or pre-written notes are allowed on stage. Unlike in their previous showdowns, the candidates will have their microphones muted except for when it is their turn to speak. There will also be no studio audience – and CNN intends to “enforce timing and ensure a civilised discussion.” Belt up for gerontocratic show of the year!

  • ‘Women still largely excluded from diplomacy’

    ‘Women still largely excluded from diplomacy’

    In spite progress, women are still largely excluded from positions of power and diplomacy, with the highest levels of influence and decision-making still predominantly occupied by men, says UN Women data.
    A new UN Women data on gender parity across leadership positions showed that globally, women’s underrepresentation in decision-making remained a stark reality.
    The new data was published by UN Women in commemoration of the International Day for Women in Diplomacy, marked on June 24.
    In 2022, the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), by consensus, declared the June 24 as the International Day of Women in Diplomacy to recognise and celebrate the ways in which women are making a difference in the field of diplomacy.

    Read Also: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)


    In a statement, UN Women said male dominance in diplomacy and foreign affairs extended to the Permanent Missions to the UN, where women remained underrepresented as Permanent Representatives.
    “As of May 2024, women held 25 percent of Permanent Representative posts in New York, 35 percent in Geneva, and 33.5 per cent in Vienna.
    UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, was quoted in the statement to have said the UN Agency’s work was guided by the belief that when women lead, the world is better for all people and the planet.

  • 20 bodies found in South Korea’s battery plant fire site

    20 bodies found in South Korea’s battery plant fire site

    Over 20 bodies were found in South Korea’s battery plant fire site, in which 23 workers had been believed to be trapped.

    Yonhap news agency said this yesterday citing police and the fire authorities.

    The fire broke out at a primary battery plant in Hwaseong, around 45 km south of the capital Seoul, at about 10:31 a.m. local time (0131 GMT).

    The bodies were estimated to be of the 23 workers, who had failed to be reached after the outbreak of fire, among the combined 67 workers on duty.

    Fire-fighters went inside the factory and searched the possible victims after extinguishing a large blaze at about 3:10 p.m. local time (0310 GMT).

    Read Also: Abuja. The vice-president spoke shortly after he was decorated with the emblem of the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day by the National Chairman of the Nigerian Legion

    The fire authorities mobilised 159 fire-fighters and 63 pieces of equipment, but they struggled to extinguish the fire because of the difficulty in putting out the flame of lithium batteries.

    Some 35,000 lithium batteries were estimated to be stored on the second floor of the three-story reinforced concrete factory with a total floor area of 2,300 square meters or so.

    Before the internal search operation, one person died after having been found in cardiac arrest.

    Two others were seriously wounded, while four suffered minor injuries such as smoke inhalation.

  • UK’s Princess Anne in hospital after suspected horse incident

    UK’s Princess Anne in hospital after suspected horse incident

    Princess Anne, sister of King Charles III, was in hospital yesterday with “minor injuries and concussion” after apparently being injured by a horse.

    The incident took place at Anne’s country home Gatcombe Park, in southwest England, late on Sunday, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

    It is the latest health issue to hit the British royal family this year, after both Charles and his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, were diagnosed with cancer.

    “Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery,” the statement added.

    “The king has been kept closely informed and joins the whole royal family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the princess for a speedy recovery.”

    Read Also: Prince William parleys  England squad before Euro 2024

    The 73-year-old royal, a keen horsewoman who competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, will remain at the hospital “unless or until her medical team advises otherwise”.

    The palace did not give details of the incident but sources in the princess’s medical team said her head injuries were consistent with an impact from a horse’s head or legs.

    Anne’s husband Tim Laurence was at Gatcombe Park when the incident occurred and accompanied her to hospital, said the palace.

    Her daughter Zara Tindall and son Peter Phillips were also on the estate at the time.

  • Russia blames U.S. for Crimea deaths, vows response

    Russia blames U.S. for Crimea deaths, vows response

    Russia has blamed the United States and vowed “consequences” for a Ukrainian missile strike on Sevastopol in occupied Crimea on Sunday, which officials said killed four people – including two children.

    Around 150 more were injured in the attack as missile debris fell on a beach nearby.

    Russia’s defence ministry said the missiles used by Ukraine were US-supplied ATACMS missiles, and claimed they were programmed by US specialists.

    Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the strike “barbaric” and accused the U.S. of “killing Russian children”.

    Read Also: Why we killed retired Army general, by suspects

    He pointed towards comments by President Vladimir Putin, who recently vowed to target countries supplying weapons to Ukraine.

    Moscow said Sunday’s deaths and injuries were caused by falling debris, after its air defences in Crimea intercepted five missiles loaded with cluster warheads launched by Ukrainian forces.

    Footage carried on Russian state TV showed chaos on the beach in the Uchkuyevka area, as people ran from the falling debris and some injured people were carried away on sun loungers.

    .

  • Reps deputy speaker urges African Union to embrace democracy

    Reps deputy speaker urges African Union to embrace democracy

    Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu has called for the democratisation of the African Union and more involvement of the legislative arm in the budgeting process in the continental body.

    Kalu also advocated for a special fund targeted at funding education on the African continent, while also detailing strategies adopted by the Nigerian government to improve education in the country.

    The Deputy Speaker was speaking at the ongoing 3rd Ordinary Session of the 6th Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament in Johannesburg, South Africa after being inducted as a member of the continental body.

    A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, said Kalu outlined some of the measures to include increased funding for schools, scholarships and the passage of the students loan scheme bill, which has since been assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    He said: “Permit me to reflect briefly on our experience in Nigeria. It is remarkable to note that this theme aligns quite substantively to the legislative priorities established under our leadership at the Nigeria House of Representatives and more fervently with President Bola Ahmed Tnubu’s focus on prioritising education as a major catalyst to economic development.

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    “This involves increased funding for schools, scholarships, and initiatives like free school meals. This commitment has also informed the initiation and passage of the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act in 2023 and its ensuing operationalisation earlier this year after being assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “The purpose of this act is to create seamless access to credit facilities for quality higher education, ensuring that all Nigerian students have the opportunity to achieve their academic potential regardless of their financial background.

    “I also want to share our experience from Nigeria regarding strengthening infrastructure, ensuring educational continuity during crises, and leveraging technology for remote learning. Nigerian regulators in the public education sector are paving the way with innovative licenses that power the next level of innovation from its vibrant edutech industry.

    “A prime example is the MIVA Open University, which received an Open Distance eLearning Licence from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to operate online classes.”

    In addition to the efforts, Kalu also said that Nigeria is championing lifelong learning opportunities through initiatives like vocational training and adult literacy programmes.

    The Deputy Speaker also mulled the creation of a dedicated fund to assist various continents to achieve their education needs.

    While emphasising the need for proper democratisation of the African Union, the Deputy Speaker called for the input of the legislative arm in the union’s budget process.

    “My office, the Office of the Deputy Speaker in Nigeria’s House of Representatives, has already sponsored draft legislation that institutionalises a national apprenticeship scheme for the country and has passed the second reading. This demonstrates our commitment to equipping our citizens with the skills necessary for a dynamic and evolving economy.

    “We must also focus on the education of people with physical disabilities, ensuring that our educational systems are inclusive and accessible to all. Furthermore, it is crucial that we insist on utilizing an African model of learning to pass knowledge.

    “Our knowledge acquisition model should be tailored to suit the African dynamics, ensuring that our educational methods are relevant and effective in our unique continent. With all of these in mind, we must advocate for a specific target percentage of national budgets dedicated to education.”