Category: Foreign

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Lucky Irabor said it cost Nigeria a princely sum of $8 billion to restore peace in Liberia.

The Liberian war  December 24, 1989 to August 2, 1997 lasted for 7 years, seven months, one week and two days.

Gen. Irabor spoke yesterday  at the event to marking the 75th-year celebration of the United Nations peacekeeping operations.

He also said over 200,000 Nigerians troops have served in UN peacekeeping missions worldwide.

Irabor said: “Since the first engagement of troops of our Armed Forces in the Congo in 1960, Nigeria has been unequivocally committed to the principles and objectives of the United Nations. It has significantly contributed to 41 peacekeeping operations worldwide.

“Ever since, over 200,000 Nigerian troops have served in UN peacekeeping missions worldwide and Nigerian senior military officers have commanded some of these missions.

“Similarly, under regional and sub-regional cooperation, Nigeria has been involved in peacekeeping operations in field missions in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Darfur and Sierra Leone and has contributed a lot in terms of finance, logistics, troops and civilian experts, making her one of the most significant African troops and civilian police contributors to UN missions.

“It is noteworthy that in addition to the loss of lives and injuries to personnel, the ECOMOG, a regional interventionist mediation force advocated to end the protracted Liberian civil war, was operated at an estimated cost of USD 8 billion to the Nigerian government.”

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, in his message, said no fewer than 4,200 peacemakers have lost their lives while securing peace across the globe.

Also, Gen. Martin Agwai (rtd), who was the special guest of honour, pointed out that the UN Peacekeeping had been a unique and dynamic instrument to help countries in conflict transition to lasting peace.

President Joe Biden yesterday called the latest Republican offer in talks on lifting the government’s debt ceiling “unacceptable” but said he would be willing to cut spending together with tax adjustments to reach a deal.

Before leaving Hiroshima, Japan, after a meeting of G7 leaders, Biden suggested some Republicans in Congress were willing to see the U.S. default on its debt so that the disastrous results would prevent Biden, a Democrat, from winning re-election in 2024.

Less than two weeks remain until June 1, when the Treasury Department has warned that the federal government could be unable to pay all its debts. That would trigger a default that would cause chaos in financial markets and spike interest rates.

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Reuters quoted Biden as saying he would speak to top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on his flight home and hoped the Speaker of the House of Representatives had been waiting to negotiate with Biden directly.

“Much of what they’ve already proposed is simply, quite frankly, unacceptable,” Biden said. “It’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely, solely on their partisan terms. They have to move as well.”

McCarthy, in an interview on Fox News, said he expected to speak with Biden later yesterday.

“The difficulty is nothing’s agreed to at all,” McCarthy said on “Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo,” adding that earlier discussions had seemed promising to reach a compromise and accusing Biden of reversing course. “We were in a good place, he goes overseas, and now he wants to change the debate,” he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a rallying call for global cooperation as the 76th edition of the World Health Assembly started in Geneva yesterday.

In a video message, Guterres urged member states to continue working together and to support the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its efforts to ensure the “highest standard of health for all.”

He warned that the climate crisis, wars, and conflicts still threaten millions, if not billions, around the world.

“We risk further eroding the enormous gains made over the past decades, and backsliding on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he said.

“But this is not inevitable,” said the UN chief, stressing that global cooperation remains key to keeping the world on a path of progress.

He said that 75 years ago, in the earliest days of the UN, countries came together and affirmed some fundamental truths, including that “peace depends on health” and “disease in one nation endangers all.”

Since the founding of the WHO, human health has advanced dramatically, Guterres asserted.

Global life expectancy has increased by over 50%, infant mortality declined by 60% in 30 years, smallpox was eradicated, and polio has been brought to the verge of extinction, he said.

The Premier of Alberta, Hon Danielle Smith has awarded Nigerian-born Wale Gbalajobi, the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for his outstanding volunteer work and leadership in the community. 

The award ceremony held at the Siksika room McDougall Centre was organised by the Office of the Deputy Premier and Minister of Skilled Trades and Professions. It took place on April 28 in Canada.

The occasion was attended by esteemed guests, community leaders, and representatives from various organisations. 

The event was to acknowledge and celebrate the charismatic Gbalajobi’s remarkable contributions in making the community a better place to live, work, raise families, and establish businesses.

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Gbalajobi, deeply humbled by the recognition, expressed his gratitude. He stated: “I am truly honored to receive this award. It has been a privilege to serve my community, and I am grateful for this recognition.”

The Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal Award is bestowed on individuals who have demonstrated exemplary dedication and commitment to improving their communities.  

Gbalajobi’s remarkable volunteer work and leadership have made a significant impact on the lives of many, uplifting the community and fostering positive change.

The Office of the Deputy Premier and Minister of Skilled Trades and Professions commended the amiable man for his outstanding contributions and extended their congratulations on his well-deserved achievement. They expressed gratitude for his continued dedication and emphasized the importance of individuals like  Wale Gbalajobi in building stronger and more vibrant communities.

This  award ceremony served as a reminder of the power of volunteerism and community engagement. Gbalajobi’s recognition will undoubtedly inspire others to follow in his footsteps, contributing to the betterment of society and leaving a lasting legacy.

 Gbalajobi is a highly accomplished Nigerian-Canadian entrepreneur, financial consultant, and business leader. With degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Calgary, he has made significant contributions to the business and financial sectors in both Canada and Nigeria. 

As the President of Aquafinancial Consulting Inc., he provides wealth management and financial advice to clients, utilizing his vast business experience and entrepreneurial mindset.

His company helped coordinate the business meetings the round table with the Calgary Economic Development Council during the Olu of Warris trip to Calgary in 2022.

Gbalajobi’s entrepreneurial endeavors extend beyond Canada’s borders, as he has helped facilitate the entry of Nigerian businesses into the Canadian market. Notably, he played a crucial role in introducing Oando to the business Exchangecommunities in Calgary and Toronto during its listing on the Toronto Stock, fostering cross-border collaborations and growth.

His professional qualifications include the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and the Partners, Directors and Senior Officers Certificate, Wale has earned esteemed designations such as the Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers (FICB) and the Professional Financial Planner (PFP). These credentials highlights his expertise in providing comprehensive financial planning services.

Wale’s career began at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), where he served in various capacities, including Branch Manager. He became the first black person in Calgary to hold such a position at a major bank. Later, he served as the Country General Manager in St. Lucia, overseeing a portfolio exceeding USD 500 million.

Throughout his career, Wale has been recognized for his achievements, receiving multiple CIBC Chairman’s awards and CIBC Achievers Awards for his exceptional performance within the global CIBC network.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Wale is actively involved in community initiatives. He has chaired fundraising efforts for the United Way in Calgary, raising significant funds for local charities. He has also served on the board of Families Matter, a Calgary-based nonprofit focused on strengthening families. 

Furthermore, Wale has held leadership positions in organizations such as the Nigerian Canadian Association of Calgary and the Igbobi College Old Boys Association of North America. He also advises various nonprofits in Calgary and the surrounding areas.

He is happily married to Bernie Gbalajobi, a CPA and they have two children.

The United Nations has declared that more than half Sudan’s population now needed aid and protection, as civilians sought shelter from air strikes and sporadic clashes between rival military factions in the Khartoum area.

Residents said power had been cut, food was in short supply, and drinking water scarce due to the violent power struggle, now in its second month despite international mediation efforts.

Launching an appeal for some $3 billion in aid, the United Nations said 25 million people needed help – the highest number ever recorded in Sudan, where around 15 million needed aid before the conflict.

Signalling no let-up in the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), anti-aircraft guns and drones could be heard on Wednesday and yesterday in the capital, residents reported.

“We have been moving from one place to the other in past days,” said 27-year-old Abbas al-Sayyed, speaking to Reuters by phone from Bahri, a city adjoining the capital Khartoum, epicentre of a conflict that has killed hundreds of people.

“There is no electricity, no water at all, and even the bread we used to get in the first days of the war, we can’t get now. We can’t move out,” he said.

not immediately verify the video.

Across Sudan, the fighting has uprooted around 1 million people, 220,000 of whom have fled into neighbouring states.

Talks mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah have so far failed to secure a ceasefire.

Canada has called for foreign help to combat wildfires burning out of control and spreading across vast swathes of the western half of the country.

The fires that have devastated the oil-producing Alberta province have in recent days spread to neighbouring British Columbia and Saskatchewan as well as the Northwest Territories.

Some 2,500 firefighters from across Canada backed by 400 military personnel have been deployed across Alberta to try to tame the wildfires, which have already burned more than half a million hectares of forests and grasslands and destroyed many homes and businesses.

But they aren’t enough, officials said.

“It’s still a very significant and dangerous situation in Alberta,” federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told reporters in Ottawa.

Blair said the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre “is reaching out to foreign countries – the United States, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand… We’re asking them to come and help us.”

Smoke from the wildfires has blanketed western Canada, leading to warnings about poor air quality posing risks to health.

In Calgary, the sky had an orange hue to it as the smoke grew thicker throughout the day.

Hundreds of kilometres to the east, residents of Regina and Saskatoon in neighbouring Saskatchewan province said they woke up to a thick haze and a strong smell of smoke in the air.

Across the region, almost 180 wildfires were burning, including 48 out of control, forcing tens of thousands to flee over the past two weeks.

Evacuation orders and alerts were lifted in some parts on Tuesday and Wednesday, including hard-hit Drayton Valley west of Edmonton in Alberta and Fort St. John in British Columbia, as those fires were subdued.

Air quality indexes in several cities, however, indicated wildfire smoke that spread from the Pacific Coast to Manitoba province still poses a “very high risk” to health.

In recent years, western Canada has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather, the intensity and frequency of which have increased due to global warming.

Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia yesterday to attend his first Arab League summit in 13 years, signaling regional reintegration after more than a decade of war.

The scene of Assad’s plane landing in Saudi Arabia to a gracious greeting by top officials was unheard of just a year ago, when Riyadh, Doha, and several other Arab capitals severed diplomatic ties with Damascus and helped finance and arm opposition groups to topple him.

After 12 years of a deadly civil war that killed more than 500,000, wounded hundreds of thousands more, and left millions as refugees and displaced, Syrians at home and abroad seem ambivalent about the Arab states’ re-acceptance of Assad.

Assad arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last week to attend the Arab League Summit at the official invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz. This invitation, which ushers in the end of Assad’s extended diplomatic isolation, can be seen as a failure of his opponents to remove him over the course of the civil war and a victory in legitimacy for Assad.

The move sparked controversy and massive reactions among Syrians. Washington, however, said it did “not believe that Syria merits readmission to the Arab League”.

“We are not going to normalise relations with the Assad regime, and we certainly don’t support others doing that as well,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel recently told reporters in Washington.

Some Syrians expressed their anger at Assad’s invitation, contending that his attendance at the league summit amounts to the legitimising of a “killer regime,” ending the international isolation of the brutal dictator responsible for millions of dead and displaced.

Ghana utility regulator on Wednesday said the average end-user tariff for electricity has been increased by 18.36 per cent for the second quarter of 2023.

According to the regulator, Ghana had previously added almost 30 per cent tariff in the first quarter.

The West African country is grappling with soaring inflation, debt and a depreciating currency that pushed it to the brink of default.

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It has sought support from the International Monetary Fund, which is expected to approve the first loan tranche of a three billion dollars package on Wednesday.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission said the tariff hike was due to the net effect of further currency depreciation, inflation, and an increase in the cost of gas.

“Utility companies are under-covering and require an upward adjustment of their rates in order to keep the lights on,” it added, noting that the potential for outages was high.

(Reuters/NAN)