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President Buhari Urges Judiciary Not To Disappoint Nigerians

By
Henry Williams
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President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Judiciary not to fail Nigerians in order not to lose confidence in them.

He made the call on Monday, at the swearing-in of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), following the resignation of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad on health grounds.

The President said as the country prepares for the 2023 general election, the Justices of the Supreme Court must abide by their oaths of office.

“I want to admonish the Justices of the Supreme Court to always remain faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and to remain steadfastly committed to the Oath of Allegiance which they all subscribed to, as contained in the 7th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“Our Nation is approaching a critical general election in 2023, the Judiciary must not do anything to fail the ordinary people of Nigeria which may make them lose confidence in the Judiciary,” he said.

He said he accepted the resignation of the former CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko with mixed feelings, adding that he was hopeful that Justice Tanko would complete his tenure.

President Buhari, who lauded the good work done by Justice Tanko, emphasized that the three arms of government work in harmony, in line with their mandates.

President Buhari saying Nigerians are better off today than in 2015 gets swift rebuttal

By
Henry Williams
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When a politician seeks to write his own history, he only indulges in self-adulation. That may be exactly what President Muhammadu Buhari sought to do last week when in a written response to questions from Bloomberg, he posited that Nigerians are in a better place today than in 2015.

Unsurprisingly, the rebuke against the president’s comments was swift in coming. In the Bloomberg interview, Buhari had been asked how he will rate his performance in fulfilling his pledges to fight corruption, secure the country and fix the economy. “We leave Nigeria in a far better place than we found it,” the president said.

Finding Nigerians who say they are better off today is like looking for a needle in the bed of an ocean. The day after Buhari’s assertion, leaders of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and economists countered the claim made by the President.

Chairman of the Gas Group, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mr Ola Adebayo, said Buhari’s regime’s policies have not translated into positive economy growth and real sector development, insisting “we only have very good policies on paper.”

Deputy-President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Gabriel Idahosa, said the reality was at variance with the claims, explaining, “the business community has been consistent in saying so. It’s not a matter of disagreeing with him. It’s a matter of looking at the facts.”

APC reacts to reports of voting N6.5 trillion for bribery, vote buying in 2023 general election
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied reports that it has set aside the sum of N6.5 trillion to rig the 2023 general election, accusing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being the brain behind the rumour.

The APC which describes the allegation as senseless and mischievous, said that the leaked document which has been circulating on social media that alleged that the party has voted the above mentioned obscene amount of money, did not emanate from the party, and so was not authored by them.

The clarification by the APC is contained in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on Monday, where he described the leaked document as the figment of the imagination of PDP.

Morka said that the allegation is a handiwork of the PDP as part of desperate attempt to smear the image of PDP.

The Naira falls again to 615 as dollar scarcity lingers

By
Henry Williams
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The naira has plunged to a new all-time low of N615 against the dollar at the unofficial market amid the scarcity of the greenback, traders told BusinessDay on Friday.

The local currency, which closed at 608/$ a week earlier, has lost 8.13 percent of its value since the start of the year, when it stood at N565 per dollar at the parallel market.

The traders said the dollar shortage had worsened on the back of the demand by would-be pilgrims and summer travellers.

A total of 43,008 pilgrims from Nigeria are expected to join others from across the world to perform this year’s Hajj, according to a media report quoting the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

The Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) said in May 2022 that it expected that at least 10,000 faithful would go on a pilgrimage from Nigeria this year.

It said the 2022 pilgrimage would begin in Nigeria on May 31 when the faithful would travel to Israel and Jordan.

The exchange rate at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) forex window fell by N0.08 week-on-week to N421.33/$, according to Afrinvest Securities Limited.

Kenyan Divers Are Restoring Indian Ocean Coral Reefs

By
faith Jegede
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Divers in Kenya are helping to restore coral reefs by planting special structures that encourage displaced corals to re-grow.

Minutes away from the Kenyan mainland, the densely forested island of Wasini is one of several starting lines for coral reef restoration efforts in the western Indian Ocean.

The foundation`s activity today is to clean up the coral nurseries, transplanted them and nurtured them back to life. The structures are made of plastic pipes and pyramid-structured steel nets.

The foundation and the nearby community of Mkwiro village have established a locally managed marine area to restore degraded corals and enhance coastal resilience.

The marine area, jointly managed by the foundation and the island’s community, has been planting over 8,000 corals a year since 2012 and placed about 800 artificial reef structures in the channel in a bid to restore Wasini’s coral gardens. But the project is threatened by growing costs and a planned fishing port in Shimoni, a mere 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) away on Kenya’s coast.

The threat of waning fish populations due to dying corals adds to the woes of east African communities, millions of whom are already facing a worsening food crisis because of a prolonged drought in the East and Horn of Africa, as well as ripple effects from the war in Ukraine.

In early March, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a dire warning on the threats faced by African coastal and island nations and a complete collapse of corals in the western Indian Ocean.

After a particularly devastating year in 1998, due in large part to the natural weather phenomenon El Nino, huge stretches of the Indian Ocean’s corals — from Somalia to the South Africa — were badly affected.

Coral bleaching occurs when extreme temperatures and sun glare simultaneously trigger corals to flush out algae, causing them to turn white. Corals can survive bleaching events, but are under greater stress and can’t effectively support marine life, threatening the populations that depend on them.

Expert Says Organ Harvesting Scam Put Nigerians At Risk Of Death

By
Olasunbo Okoromi
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A Public Health physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Tanimola Akande, has cautioned Nigerians to be wary of offers of free trips abroad from spurious persons.

According to him, such offers of free foreign travel are being used to trick people into organ harvesting scams.

“Nigerians are already dying from these organ harvesting scams, urging the citizens to be alert and wary of sudden offers of free trips overseas to seek greener pastures even when such offers come from seemingly close family and friends.

“Nigerians, should also steer clear of overseas employment opportunities that did not come abroad through reputable organisations that recruit people for jobs,” he said.

Prof. Akande, mentioned that many Nigerians have lost their lives to such tricks, adding that they end up being murdered for organ harvesting.

Organ harvesting, is becoming common these days because of the increasing need for patients to get organ transplants to replace failing organs in their bodies.

He, however, noted that more cases of organ harvesting are happening in Europe because more patients there require organ transplants, adding that the availability of the needed skills and material resources to do the transplantation makes the demand for it to be high there.

Organ harvesting, is a surgical procedure that entails the removal of body organs or tissues for reuse. The human body organs are often in high demand, include the kidney, liver, and heart.

He said, “Victims of organ harvesting, depending on how the procedure was done and the particular organ harvested are at risk of having serious health challenges.

“Harvesting of a kidney out of the two a victim possesses may not show immediate danger but if the remaining kidney begins to fail, there is no spare kidney to handle the renal functions.

“However, if the organ that is harvested is just one, unlike the kidney, that is an immediate death sentence.

“The procedure of the organ harvest may also lead to excessive bleeding, infections like hepatitis B and HIV. There could also be complications from anaesthesia which may lead to death,” the professor state.

Tearful Barrister Breaks Down Manchester As Lawyers Walkout Of The Old Bailey In Demand Of 15% Pay Rise

By
faith Jegede
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Barristers have joined the picket line today as they become the latest workers to walk out in Britain’s summer of discontent and strike in a dispute over legal aid funding.

The lawyers taking action to follow a vote from BT workers, which could spark ‘tremendous disruption’ for millions working from home, on top of the chaos caused by rail strikes last week, organized by the RMT union.

Doctors, binmen, postmen and teachers are also all considering walking out over the coming weeks as well, adding yet more pressure on public services.

The barristers’ walk-out comes just a week after Britain saw the biggest rail strike in 30 years – as furious commuters were forced to battle for buses, drive or cycle to get around the country.

Around 50 barristers gathered outside the Old Bailey this morning, many in their gowns and wigs, standing close to the court entrance – as the chairman of the Criminal Bar Association claimed barristers are the “poor persons” of the legal system.

And barristers were seen tearing up as emotional statements were read out outside of Manchester Crown Court.

Crowds of strikers formed outside courts in Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, and London as barristers demanded their woes were heard in the battle over pay. 

A sign was held up listing their demands, as it read: ‘Raabed of justice. Pay for criminal bar daylight robbery.’

CBA chairman Jo Sidhu QC said: ‘Right now we are engulfed in a crisis of epic proportions that had never afflicted this country previously, which has brought almost to a standstill the system that we all love.

Exploring Salt Pickers Monument Located In Sint Maarten  

By
Angel Gimalo
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The Salt Pickers Monument, also known as Salt Pickers Roundabout or simply as Salt Pickers, is a bronze memorial that is dedicated to the people who were used to exploit salt deposits, and it is located on a roundabout in Philipsburg, the capital city of the constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean, Sint Maarten.

As the history of the people settling to the Saint Martin Island was based around the salt industry, they even named their home “Soualiga” which translates to the “Land of Salt”.

Still, after being colonized by the Dutch, who mainly settled in the southern part of the island, the exploitation of these deposits was intensified, where annually more than 400 ships were being loaded with salt.

Unfortunately, the salt pickers were mostly slaves, among which there were women, children and even senior citizens from both sides of the island. By 1949 the Dutch stopped with the exploitation of the locals, and halted completely with the salt production, and later when Sint Maarten got their local government, erected the group of statues in honor of those who worked harvesting the salt.

The memorial is comprised of five separate statues, a man with a shovel that represents a central figure taking the salt from the ground, two women gathering the salt in one place, and additional woman and man who are carrying a large tray of salt.

Standing in the center of the roundabout, these simple yet captivating statues are slowly becoming better known around the island and its visitors, who are learning a bit more about the history that Sint Maarten has.

Unfortunately, due to some negligence of the people who are driving fast and hitting the banks of the roundabout, some signs stating the name of the monument are deteriorating, and with the damages done from the hurricanes every year, the man with the shovel is no longer part of this memorial.

There are no sources which will point to what exactly happened to the statue, the others fortunately are still standing.

All in all, even if it is located in the back part of Sint Maarten’s capital city and it does not enjoy great audience, the Salt Pickers Monument is definitely one of the few points on the island that are talking about the history this small island nation has to tell the world.

Conversations on Climate change, Clean energy top priority – German Mission

By
Cleopatra Okohai
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For the German government, addressing climate change and doing everything possible to mitigate its consequences are a top priority, says Marton Köver, Acting Consul General of the country’s mission in Lagos.

Köver stated this at a press conference, on Thursday in Lagos, organised by the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria (AHK Nigeria) ahead of the West African Clean Energy and Environment Trade Fair and Conference 2022 (WACEE’22).

According to reports, WACEE 2022 will hold from Oct. 19 – 21 at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos.

Having held virtually in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year, WACEE will hold as a hybrid event with the theme “Catalysing Sustainable Investments.”

Köver said the conference would provide a platform for over 1500 visitors and over 50 exhibitors in the clean energy, water, and circular economy sectors.

According to him, having an event that brings together “saving the planet,” strengthening the economy and creating economic ties is like “having the best of both worlds.”

He added that the consulate in Lagos and the German Foreign Service across West Africa would support WACEE 2022 in all ramifications.

“For all Nigerian businesses and everyone who is a stakeholder in these different sectors; circular economy, water and renewable energy, this will be a key event you will be proud to be a part of.

“Nigeria has been for many decades, one of the economic partners of Germany in Africa, as witnessed by the number of German businesses and historic ties.

“We are also happy that in partnership with the Swiss Consulate General, we are hosting the second Swiss-Nigerian Forum at WACEE 2022,” he said.

He said Germany was one of the world leaders in developing industries with regards to renewable energy, noting that German companies in Nigeria came to build sustainable partnerships and to innovate.

Also, Katharina Felgenhauer, AHK Nigeria Delegate, said the trade fair and conference had attracted leading inventors, service providers, manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, investors and industry experts.

She added that it had served as a gateway for these stakeholders to access West African markets.

“WACEE has also sparked important policy discussions around its three main topics and has served as a launchpad for startups providing innovative solutions to tackle challenges across the subregion,” said Felgenhauer.

She said AHK Nigeria had sought endorsements from various government agencies but also wanted to make sure that the trade exhibition, as well as the conference remained private sector driven.

This, she said, was because sustainability also meant business viability.

“We want to make sure that the conversations and discussions about technology and business models are driven by the private sector because they are the ones who will have to implement,” the delegate said.

Speaking on solutions to challenges faced by investors, Felgenhauer said the role of AHK Nigeria was to support investments to make sure that more German companies were attracted to Nigeria.

“We will not shy away from challenges. I think we have issues to tackle but we also have a lot of good local partners, German partners and international partners to have these conversations,” she said.

Andrew Aryee, Head, Competence Centre Energy and Environment, AHK Nigeria, explained that the trade fair would include open interactive sessions, insightful workshops, tailor-made training programmes, and an exhibition.

According to him, the three-day tailored plenary programme will bring together industry experts, business leaders, and relevant decision-makers.

He said they would examine key sector topics and engage in thought-provoking conversations around recent developments, challenges and opportunities in the focused sectors across West Africa.

These sectors, he said, included technology providers, key industry players, investors, industry experts as well as political and economic decision-makers.

South Africa’s Govt Calls for Labour Law Compliance in Agriculture Sector

By
Elizabeth Williams
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The Department of Employment and Labour has called for maximum labour law compliance in the agriculture sector during a seminar targeted at employers, employees, employer organisations and trade unions.
The department hosted an agriculture sector seminar in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, under the theme, ‘Paying the National Minimum Wage is the Right Thing to Do’.
In a statement, the department said the seminar was preceded by an agricultural sector inspection blitz, the results of which indicated the need for an advocacy session with sector stakeholders.
Describing the seminar’s purpose, the department’s Advocate Fix Bede stated that the emphasis was on payment of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), registration of workers with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), registration of workers with the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), and referral of disputes to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA).
Dr Naidoo, from the department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) division, told several agricultural sector employers that Limpopo province is dealing with some labour legislation issues. The seminar, he said, was one way for the department to show its willingness to help with these issues in an open and accessible manner.
“Because the department exists to regulate labour markets, it promotes job growth. The department never intends for employers to fail as a result of business closures, as this has a negative impact on communities.
“When it comes to labour legislation, there is a lot to take in but this seminar is just one among many engagements to help employers and employees in the sector understand these laws,” the department said.
“The agriculture sector [labour practice] compliance level in Limpopo for 2020 to 2021 return of earnings [ROE] season revealed that there are still 2 226 registered employers with the CF and 1 007 ROEs and invoices received; 73 invoices paid; an estimated 45% of ROE submission; an estimated 7% level of compliance, with an estimated 32 000 players in the sector (as per Google search),” the department said.
The department has further urged employers in the agricultural sector to comply with labour laws.
“It is important to remember and remind everyone that before these laws were enacted, there was massive public participation, which also allowed employer and employee organisations, trade unions, and civil society to provide input into these laws before they were passed in Parliament, and now all that is required is compliance with these laws,” the department said.
The department emphasised that it strives for a labour market that is conducive to investment, economic growth, employment creation and decent work by enacting its mission.
The department’s mission is to regulate the South African labour market for a sustainable economy through appropriate legislation and regulations, inspection, compliance monitoring and enforcement, protection of human rights, provision of employment services, promoting equity, social and income protection and social dialogue.

Company Buying Trump’s Social Media App Faces Subpoenas

By
Elizabeth Williams
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TOPSHOT - This illustration photo shows a person checking the app store on a smartphone for "Truth Social", with a photo of former US president Donald Trump on a computer screen in the background, in Los Angeles, October 20, 2021. - Former US president Donald Trump announced plans on October 20 to launch his own social networking platform called "TRUTH Social," which is expected to begin its beta launch for "invited guests" next month. The long-awaited platform will be owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which also intends to launch a subscription video on-demand service that will feature "non-woke" entertainment programming, the group said in a statement. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)

The company planning to buy Former US President Donald Trump’s new social media business has disclosed a federal grand jury investigation that it says could impede or even prevent its acquisition of the Truth Social app.

Shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp. dropped 10% in morning trading Monday as the company revealed that it has received subpoenas from a grand jury in New York.

The Justice Department subpoenas follow an ongoing probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission into whether Digital World broke rules by having substantial talks about buying Trump’s company starting early last year before Digital World sold stock to the public for the first time in September, just weeks before its announcement that it would be buying Trump’s company.

Trump’s social media venture launched in February as he seeks a new digital stage to rally his supporters and fight Big Tech limits on speech, a year after he was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

The Trump Media & Technology Group — which operates the Truth Social app and was in the process of being acquired by Digital World — said in a statement that it will cooperate with “oversight that supports the SEC’s important mission of protecting retail investors.”

The new probe could make it more difficult for Trump to finance his social media company. The company last year got promises from dozens of investors to pump $1 billion into the company, but it can’t get the cash until the Digital World acquisition is completed.

Stock in Digital World rocketed to more than $100 in October after its deal to buy Trump’s company was announced. The stock traded at just around $25 in morning trading Monday.

Digital World is a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, part of an investing phenomenon that exploded in popularity over the past two years.

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