The commissioning of a N21 billion official residence for the vice president, Kashim Shettima, by President Bola Tinubu is a glaring example of government insensitivity and profligacy in the face of widespread economic hardship. At a time when the nation is grappling with a staggering poverty rate and soaring inflation, the decision to allocate such a colossal sum to an opulent project is both tone-deaf and irresponsible.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria's poverty rate has surged to 46% in 2023, translating to 104 million citizens living in poverty. Compounding this dire situation, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that the country's inflation rate climbed to 33.69% in April 2024, exacerbating the cost of living crisis for countless Nigerians. Against this backdrop, the government's expenditure on a luxurious residence for the vice president is indefensible.

The timing of this project could not be more ill-conceived. Workers across the nation are locked in a contentious negotiation with the government over a new national minimum wage. The government's offer of N60,000, while a 100% increase from the current N30,000, has been deemed insufficient by unions, leading to a 48-hour shutdown of economic activities by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). The contrast between the government's frugality in addressing workers' demands and its extravagance in funding the vice president's residence is stark and disheartening.

The justification provided by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, citing the project’s history and revised budget, fails to mitigate the discontent. The initial cost of N7 billion in 2010 ballooned to N21 billion by 2024, reflecting a gross mismanagement of resources over 14 years. Wike’s assertion that completing the project symbolises "renewed hope" rings hollow when millions of Nigerians struggle to afford basic necessities.

Tinubu’s remarks, delivered by Vice President Shettima, about the administration’s commitment to completing inherited projects and avoiding waste are overshadowed by the reality of the economic hardship facing the nation. While it is true that abandoning projects can be wasteful, prioritising such a lavish expenditure amidst a severe economic crisis is a misallocation of public funds. The argument that the residence is a symbol of respect for the office and its occupant overlooks the pressing need for policies and actions that directly alleviate the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

The government’s focus should be on pragmatic and impactful measures that address the urgent needs of the populace. Investing in critical infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social welfare programmes would be far more beneficial and morally defensible than completing a luxurious residence for the vice president. Demonstrating genuine respect for the office entails making decisions that reflect an understanding of and empathy for the hardships faced by the citizens.

In conclusion, the commissioning of the N21 billion vice president's residence is a poignant reminder of the disconnect between the ruling elite and the Nigerian populace. It underscores the urgent need for a shift in priorities towards equitable and responsible governance that prioritises the welfare of all citizens over opulent expenditures. The government must realign its actions with the economic realities of the country and strive to earn the trust and respect of its people through prudent and compassionate stewardship.

Ahead of the forthcoming Eid-el Kabir celebration, prices of animals used for sacrifice during the annual festival have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many celebrants.

Every year during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, Muslims around the world who have the means, slaughter animals like sheep, goat, cow or camel – to reflect the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, for the sake of God.

While it is not the only livestock acceptable, a narration in Sahih Muslim records that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) sought out horned, white rams to sacrifice during the Eid el-Kabir, as the ram of Prophet Ibrahim had been.

At least, one third of the meat from the animal should go to the poor or vulnerable people.

Like that of ram, prices of cow and camel have also hit the roof top, as findings by our correspondents revealed.

The hike in the cost of basic commodities in Nigeria has reflected itself boldly in the livestock sector, a situation that is likely to deny average Muslims the means to partake in the annual sacrifice amidst economic crunch.

Findings by Daily Trust Saturday in Abuja, Kano, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, among others, showed that the cost of rams currently hover between N150,000 and N1 million, depending on the size and the location one is buying from.

Stakeholders interviewed blamed the situation on the insecurity around some major rearing states in the North West and North East, devaluation of the naira as well as withdrawal of fuel subsidy, which have in addition affected the price of animal feeds and the cost of transportation.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, had declared Friday, June 7, 2024, as the First Day of Dhul Hijjah 1445AH and Sunday, June 16th, which will be equivalent to the 10th of Dhul Hijjah will be marked as this year’s Eid-El-Kabir.

Low patronage in Abuja  

Few days to the Sallah celebration, sales have yet to pick up as noticed during a visit to the Abuja main livestock market located in the Dei-Dei area in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

This is a sharp contrast with the past when the market served as a rallying point for suppliers and off-takers well ahead of the Sallah festivity.

A livestock merchant in the market, Uzairu Dan-Kudalo, said that the insecurity bedevilling some major rearing states, like Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina, is affecting the sector, sending many stakeholders out of the business.

“I know a lot of our members from Zamfara State that lost their capital to this problem just in one fell swoop, after their communities were attacked by bandits or run into their trap along the way. You can see how our animals’ stalls look empty, and it is less than 10 days to the Sallah festivity.

“From Zamfara State alone, we used to receive a supply of no less than 30 trailers during this period, with each trailer loading between 200 and 250 rams,” he said.

“This does not include other mini trucks like canter, which used to supply without getting any attention. But as I am talking to you today, we are yet to receive any kind of supply from there. If you are talking about other states, by this time, a single merchant alone from other states like Kano, Jigawa, or Yobe, would supply about 200 rams into the market. However, many of them can no longer afford a capital of 50 rams now, due to the cost of transportation and the naira devaluation”, he said.

He said bulk buyers and individuals were also not forthcoming.

“By now, I would have finished with the supply of rams to all my regular customers who may decide to keep the animals here, or transport them to their agency, for onward distribution among the beneficiaries. But I am yet to witness this gesture so far,” he said.

Another trader, Yahuza Abdullahi, said that some of them that usually travel to the neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad, or Cameroun to supply the animals are now constrained as a result of the naira devaluation, which according to him has given an edge to the traders that come from the Francophone currency nations.

“Their currency (CFA) has greater value compared to the naira, and as such, nothing you can buy from those countries and expect to make any gain out of it there.

“Rather, the traders of those countries stand to gain a lot when they convert their currency to naira and export our commodities,” he said.

The price of ram has either tripled or doubled when compared with how it went last year.

The same thing goes to the animal feed and cost of transportation.

Given the breakdown of ram price, based on their categories, a trader, Abdullahi Adamu, said the smallest animal that attained the level of sacrifice currently sold between N120,000 and N150,000.

He said such categories of rams were sold between N70,000 and N100,000 last year.

According to him, a middle-sized ram, which sold between N150,000 and N180,000 last year now costs between N250,000 and N300,000.

There are also jumbo-sized rams, which cost from N800,000 and N1.4 million.

Same rams were said to be sold last year, at the rate of N500,000, while the biggest of all, sold at N1.1 million last year.

The same scenario is playing out at the animals’ feed commodity.

A breakdown of the commodity in the market indicates that a bag of animals’ feed extracted from raw beans is now sold between N13,000 and N14,000 per bag, depending on product quality and location. This is in contrast to the N7,000 to N8,000 sold last year.

Same goes to the dried groundnut leaves, which are currently sold at between N5,000 and N6,000, compared to previous year, when it was sold at between N3,500 and N4,000.

For the harvested corn by-product, its bag costs between N6,000 and N7,000, compared to the previous price of N4,000 and N4,500.

A bag of grounded maize by-product, or dusa in Hausa, is sold at between N18,000 and N20,000, compared to its previous price of N9,000 to N10,000 last year.

In the transportation sector, the traders said a canter truck supplying rams from Katsina or Kano that they paid between N200,000 and N250,000 last year, now goes for between N400,000 to N500,000.

Same truck transporting the animals from either Adamawa or Yobe states in the North East costs around N700,000, in contrast to between N400,000 and N500,000 paid in the past.

It was further learnt that transporting rams in trailer trucks from Mubi, in Adamawa State, a town neighbouring Cameroon Republic, now costs up to N1.5 million, as against last year’s N800,000.

They’re beyond our reach

An Abuja resident, Alhaji Shuaib Hassan who went to buy ram at the livestock market on Wednesday, left there disappointed, as according to him, the N200,000 he budgeted for the kind of ram he bought at N150,000 last year could not get him a ram as it now costs N300,000.

He said he was contemplating returning to the market on Saturday when more traders, especially those from the rural areas, are expected to arrive.

Sani Yusuf said he found succour when he bought two rams at his home town of Bichi, in Kano State, two months ago.

“I bought them at the rate of N150,000, and so far, I have sent about N10,000 for their feeding. I am expecting to pay an additional N10,000 for their transportation from the area to Abuja in the company of other animals tomorrow,” he said.

There was the same lamentation from some roadside ram markets visited in the neighbouring Niger State.

A ram trader in Suleja town in the state, Abubakar Kwamba, predicted the likely drop in ram supply, as well as patronage of buyers this year, owing to the present economic reality.

“We are about 20 traders that supplied ram to this makeshift market last year. But as I am speaking to you now, there are only three of us that arrived, and still with lower supply, compared to what we brought last year. I could only afford to buy 12 rams this year, against 20 that I bought last year”, he said.

Sale outlets springing up in Kano

Roadside livestock markets are springing up in Kano, our correspondent reports.

At Kofar Naisa, where the sacrificial animals are available for would-be buyers, a trader, Yusuf Sani said they were bringing the animals from outside the state, in the hope of making little profit.

He said that the economic situation in the country makes everything look bleak at the moment, but he was hopeful that in the next few days, the market will record improved patronage.

He said the price of a big ram starts from N400,000, while medium-sized ones go for N300,000. A small-sized ram costs N100,000.

Another ram seller, Aminu Gwagwarmaya from Hauran Makaranta, said with N150,000, one can get a modest ram in the market.

Ummah Kulthum Muhammad Lawan was seen at one of the markets.

She said the money she used and bought many rams last year, which she shared with relatives, will not give her half the number this time around.

“The price for each ram has almost tripled and only God can see us through,” she said.

At the Kofar Naisa Market, the price of camels range from N780,000, depending on the size.

It is permissible for three to seven people to contribute money to buy a camel or a cow for sacrifice and share the meat, clerics said.

The situation in Jigawa State is the same as merchants at Dutse temporary animals’ market lament low patronage.

One of them, Shafiu Hamisu, said scarcity of rams in the state has forced them to resort to buying from neighbouring states.

He said the prices of rams have increased significantly, with a big ram now selling for between N200,000 and N250,000, compared to less than N120,000 in 2023.

Sani Muhammad Bashir, a buyer at Dutse temporary ram market, said he will manage to buy the ram, though the price is very costly.

He called on the government to look into the matter and make things easy for the masses by finding ways to tackle inflation and provision of affordable means of transportation.

Yobe traders in a fix

In Yobe State, livestock sellers have decried low patronage of the sacrificial animal ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir.

The sellers said buyers are reluctant to come forward, saying this may not be unconnected with the high cost of the animals at a time people were struggling to buy food for their families.

The few buyers seen were lamenting over the price of ram and cow, which has increased significantly compared with last year.

A buyer at the livestock market in Potiskum, Adamu Umar, told Daily Trust Saturday that “A cow that you can buy at the cost of N400,000 last year, has now been increased to N650,000, while a bull, which we used to buy at N1,000,000 has now skyrocketed to N1,600,000.

“The situation of the market is not encouraging and by the body language of the buyers, you will understand that many people will not slaughter cows this year,” he said.

MD Adechu, a buyer from Lagos told our correspondent that cattle are very expensive even though the Potiskum market is one of the largest livestock markets in the North.

“I don’t know what is happening; please, our government should make things easy for the masses and its citizens”, he said.

Abubakar Usman, a dealer said the price of a medium-sized ram starts from N100,000.

Another ram seller, Zakari Yau, said that most of the buyers are from the southern part of the country.

In Lagos, Abduwasiu Ibrahim, a middleman, said rams and cattle are cheaper in the North.

“The ram that you can buy for N120,000 will cost you around N220,000 here; and a cow of N1,000,000 in the North will be sold at around N1,500,000 here,” he said.

He said the situation is the same in Port Harcourt, Enugu and Uyo.

“The reason is the cost of transportation and other challenges on the highway. You have to pay a lot of money to many tax collectors,” he said.

The same thing goes to the animal feed and cost of transportation.

Given the breakdown of ram price, based on their categories, a trader, Abdullahi Adamu, said the smallest animal that attained the level of sacrifice currently sold between N120,000 and N150,000.

He said such categories of rams were sold between N70,000 and N100,000 last year.

According to him, a middle-sized ram, which sold between N150,000 and N180,000 last year now costs between N250,000 and N300,000.

There are also jumbo-sized rams, which cost from N800,000 and N1.4 million.

Same rams were said to be sold last year, at the rate of N500,000, while the biggest of all, sold at N1.1 million last year.

The same scenario is playing out at the animals’ feed commodity.

A breakdown of the commodity in the market indicates that a bag of animals’ feed extracted from raw beans is now sold between N13,000 and N14,000 per bag, depending on product quality and location. This is in contrast to the N7,000 to N8,000 sold last year.

Same goes to the dried groundnut leaves, which are currently sold at between N5,000 and N6,000, compared to previous year, when it was sold at between N3,500 and N4,000.

For the harvested corn by-product, its bag costs between N6,000 and N7,000, compared to the previous price of N4,000 and N4,500.

A bag of grounded maize by-product, or dusa in Hausa, is sold at between N18,000 and N20,000, compared to its previous price of N9,000 to N10,000 last year.

In the transportation sector, the traders said a canter truck supplying rams from Katsina or Kano that they paid between N200,000 and N250,000 last year, now goes for between N400,000 to N500,000.

Same truck transporting the animals from either Adamawa or Yobe states in the North East costs around N700,000, in contrast to between N400,000 and N500,000 paid in the past.

It was further learnt that transporting rams in trailer trucks from Mubi, in Adamawa State, a town neighbouring Cameroon Republic, now costs up to N1.5 million, as against last year’s N800,000.

They’re beyond our reach

An Abuja resident, Alhaji Shuaib Hassan who went to buy ram at the livestock market on Wednesday, left there disappointed, as according to him, the N200,000 he budgeted for the kind of ram he bought at N150,000 last year could not get him a ram as it now costs N300,000.

He said he was contemplating returning to the market on Saturday when more traders, especially those from the rural areas, are expected to arrive.

Sani Yusuf said he found succour when he bought two rams at his home town of Bichi, in Kano State, two months ago.

“I bought them at the rate of N150,000, and so far, I have sent about N10,000 for their feeding. I am expecting to pay an additional N10,000 for their transportation from the area to Abuja in the company of other animals tomorrow,” he said.

There was the same lamentation from some roadside ram markets visited in the neighbouring Niger State.

A ram trader in Suleja town in the state, Abubakar Kwamba, predicted the likely drop in ram supply, as well as patronage of buyers this year, owing to the present economic reality.

“We are about 20 traders that supplied ram to this makeshift market last year. But as I am speaking to you now, there are only three of us that arrived, and still with lower supply, compared to what we brought last year. I could only afford to buy 12 rams this year, against 20 that I bought last year”, he said.

Sale outlets springing up in Kano

Roadside livestock markets are springing up in Kano, our correspondent reports.

At Kofar Naisa, where the sacrificial animals are available for would-be buyers, a trader, Yusuf Sani said they were bringing the animals from outside the state, in the hope of making little profit.

He said that the economic situation in the country makes everything look bleak at the moment, but he was hopeful that in the next few days, the market will record improved patronage.

He said the price of a big ram starts from N400,000, while medium-sized ones go for N300,000.  A small-sized ram costs N100,000.

Another ram seller, Aminu Gwagwarmaya from Hauran Makaranta, said with N150,000, one can get a modest ram in the market.

Hajiya Ummah Kulthum Muhammad Lawan was seen at one of the markets.

She said the money she used and bought many rams last year, which she shared with relatives, will not give her half the number this time around.

“The price for each ram has almost tripled and only God can see us through,” she said.

At the Kofar Naisa Market, the price of camels range from N780,000, depending on the size.

It is permissible for three to seven people to contribute money to buy a camel or a cow for sacrifice and share the meat, clerics said.

The situation in Jigawa State is the same as merchants at Dutse temporary animals’ market lament low patronage.

One of them, Shafiu Hamisu, said scarcity of rams in the state has forced them to resort to buying from neighbouring states.

He said the prices of rams have increased significantly, with a big ram now selling for between N200,000 and N250,000, compared to less than N120,000 in 2023.

Sani Muhammad Bashir, a buyer at Dutse temporary ram market, said he will manage to buy the ram, though the price is very costly.

He called on the government to look into the matter and make things easy for the masses by finding ways to tackle inflation and provision of affordable means of transportation.

Yobe traders in a fix

In Yobe State, livestock sellers have decried low patronage of the sacrificial animal ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir.

The sellers said buyers are reluctant to come forward, saying this may not be unconnected with the high cost of the animals at a time people were struggling to buy food for their families.

The few buyers seen were lamenting over the price of ram and cow, which has increased significantly compared with last year.

A buyer at the livestock market in Potiskum, Adamu Umar, told Daily Trust Saturday that “A cow that you can buy at the cost of N400,000 last year, has now been increased to N650,000, while a bull, which we used to buy at N1,000,000 has now skyrocketed to N1,600,000.

“The situation of the market is not encouraging and by the body language of the buyers, you will understand that many people will not slaughter cows this year,” he said.

Daily Trust

Amid widespread power outages and increasing hunger in Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised that foods not properly refrigerated during power cuts should be discarded. According to WHO, perishable and cooked foods stored in a refrigerator become unsafe to consume after four hours without power.

In a series of posts on its X account for the 2024 World Food Safety Day, themed "Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected," WHO stated, “If there has been a power outage in your area, refrigerated or frozen food may not be safe to eat. Products can become unsafe if they have been exposed to temperatures above 5 °C for more than two hours.”

WHO warned that after four hours of a power cut, all perishable foods in the fridge, such as meat, poultry, fish, and leftovers, should be thrown out. Additionally, frozen items that have thawed or been exposed to ambient temperature for more than two hours should either be cooked immediately or discarded. WHO emphasized, “Never eat food to determine if it is safe. If in doubt, throw it away.”

This advisory is particularly concerning for Nigeria, where power supply remains unstable, with outages often lasting for days. Between 2020 and 2022, an average of 21.3% of Nigeria's population experienced hunger. The World Food Programme projects that about 26.5 million people across Nigeria will face acute hunger in 2024, a significant increase from the 18.6 million people affected by the end of 2023.

WHO also highlighted that foodborne illnesses affect 91 million people in Africa each year, with one in 10 people falling ill from contaminated food annually. Over 200 diseases are caused by consuming food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances.

For those living in areas prone to power outages, WHO recommends keeping a stock of pre-packaged, ready-to-eat, and canned food, as well as bottled water for emergencies. It advises that undamaged canned goods and commercial glass jars are likely to be safe but should be sanitized before use. Any canned foods with broken seams, serious dents, or leaks, and jars with cracks, should be discarded.

World Food Safety Day

Celebrated annually on June 7, World Food Safety Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 to raise awareness and encourage efforts to prevent, detect, and address public health risks linked to unsafe food. This year's theme underscores the importance of being prepared for food safety incidents, regardless of their severity.

WHO noted that food safety incidents can occur due to accidents, inadequate controls, food fraud, or natural events. Managing these incidents requires dedicated efforts from policymakers, food safety authorities, farmers, and food business operators, with consumers also playing an active role.

Israeli forces batter central, south Gaza as tanks advance in Rafah

With a renewed ceasefire push in the eight-month-old Gaza war stalled, Israel bombarded central and southern areas again on Friday, killing at least 28 Palestinians, and tank forces advanced to the western edges of Rafah.

U.S.-backed Qatari and Egyptian mediators have tried again this week to reconcile clashing demands preventing a halt to the hostilities, a release of Israeli hostages and Palestinians jailed in Israel, and an unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza to alleviate a humanitarian disaster. But sources close to the talks said there were still no signs of a breakthrough.

A month after rumbling into Rafah in what Israel said was an assault to wipe out Hamas' last intact combat units, tank-led forces have advanced to the southwest fringes of the city that skirts the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, residents said.

They said tanks were stationed in the al-Izba district near the Mediterranean coast while snipers had commandeered some buildings and high ground, trapping people in their homes. They said Israel machinegun fire had made it too dangerous to go out.

Gaza health officials said two Palestinians had been killed and several wounded in western Rafah from tank shelling there. In central Gaza, Palestinians medics said at least 15 people died overnight in Israeli bombardments.

"I think the occupation forces are trying to reach the beach area of Rafah. The raids and the bombing overnight were tactical, they entered under heavy fire and then retreated," one Palestinian resident told Reuters via a chat app.

In the larger city of Khan Younis just to the north of Rafah, an Israeli airstrike on a house killed eight people and wounded several, including children, medics said.

In north Gaza, three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school building that was sheltering displaced families, rescue workers said.

The Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas gunmen operating from a container inside the school premises, similar to its explanation for an airstrike on a U.N. school building in al-Nuseirat in central Gaza on Thursday that medics said killed 40 people including 14 children.

Israel said it killed in Thursday's strike many of 20-30 militants concealed in the compound. Around 6,000 displaced people were sheltering at that site, the U.N. said.

CEASEFIRE IMPASSE

Israel's military blames Hamas for Gaza's high civilian death toll, accusing it of operating within densely populated neighbourhoods, schools and hospitals as cover, something it denies. U.N. and humanitarian officials accuse Israel of using disproportionate force in the war, which it denies.

Hamas said on Friday militants in the central city of Deir al-Balah shelled a house where Israeli troops were barricaded, killing some and wounding others. It said helicopters were seen landing to extricate the stricken Israeli unit.

The Israeli military focused on central Gaza in its latest update, saying it had killed "dozens" of militants and destroyed more militant infrastructure in continuing operations in the al-Bureij refugee camp and nearby city of Deir al-Balah.

Israel has ruled out peace until Hamas is eradicated, and much of Gaza lies in ruins, but Hamas has proven resilient, with militants resurfacing to fight in areas where Israeli forces had previously declared to have defeated them and pulled back.

Hamas precipitated the war when militants stormed from Israeli-blockaded Gaza into southern Israel in a lightning strike last Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's invasion and bombardment of Gaza since then has killed at least 36,731 people, including 77 in the past 24 hours, Gaza's health ministry said in an update on Friday. Thousands more are feared buried dead under rubble, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced.

Since a brief week-long truce in November, repeated attempts to arrange a ceasefire have failed, with Hamas insisting on a permanent end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Israel says it is prepared to discuss only temporary pauses in the hostilities until the Islamist militant group, which has ruled the narrow, impoverished enclave since 2007, is wiped out and Gaza poses no more security threat.

The latest round of indirect talks began on Wednesday when CIA Director William Burns met senior officials from Qatar and Egypt in Doha to discuss a proposal U.S. President Joe Biden publicly endorsed last week. Biden described the three-phase plan as an Israeli initiative.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia will win – Putin

Peace talks are based on either victory or defeat, and Russia intends to win, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, when asked about the Ukraine conflict.

Putin’s comments came during a question-and-answer panel at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Stating that the leadership in Kiev is illegitimate and that the West cannot be trusted, the Russian leader said this will not get in Moscow’s way.

“All negotiations are based on either military defeat, or military victory. Of course, we will win,” Putin said.

Moscow is open to negotiations, Putin repeated, but it needs to be able to trust the people on the other side and be offered conditions that are in its interest. Peace talks can’t be based on “fantasies,” he added.

Putin was referring to the admissions by former leaders of Germany and France about the Minsk peace process, which ostensibly sought to resolve the dispute in Donbass which began in 2014. The West was merely stalling for time, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande said in December 2022.

Putin also reminded the SPIEF audience that Vladimir Zelensky can’t be considered the president of Ukraine, as his term legally expired last month. The Ukrainian constitution is clear on extending the parliament’s mandate in case of emergencies, but says nothing about presidential terms. Zelensky’s claim to power is therefore illegitimate, Putin concluded, implying that Russia will have to find someone else to deal with.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia-installed governor says Ukrainian forces kill 22 in small town

The Russia-installed governor of Ukraine's southern region of Kherson accused Ukrainian forces on Friday of killing 22 people and wounding 15 in shelling of the small town of Sadove.

Governor Vladimir Saldo said Ukrainian forces had deliberately struck the area a second time, using a U.S.-supplied HIMARS missile to inflict the largest possible number of casualties.

Leonid Pasechnik, another Russia-installed governor in Luhansk, an occupied region northeastern Ukraine, said a Ukrainian strike had killed three people and wounded 35. Russia's Defence Ministry said Ukrainian forces had used U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles on the attack on the city of Luhansk.

There was no comment from Ukraine on either incident.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said both episodes "exposed the inhuman, Nazi essence" of Ukraine's authorities after the United States allowed Kyiv to use U.S.-supplied weapons on Russian targets in limited circumstances.

Zakharova earlier accused Ukraine of using HIMARS missiles to hit civilian targets in Russia's southern Belgorod region.

In Kherson, Saldo wrote on the Telegram messaging app that a shop packed with customers and staff was hit in Sadove, a town south of the regional centre of Kherson, which is held by Ukrainian troops.

He put the death toll at 22, with 15 injured, five of them in serious condition.

Russia's Tass news agency later quoted Saldo as telling journalists: "After the first strike, residents of nearby houses ran out to help the injured and within a short period of time a HIMARS missile struck. Two children are among the dead."

He said Ukrainian forces had "deliberately made a repeat strike to create greater numbers of casualties".

Russian troops quickly advanced into Kherson region during the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces recaptured swathes of the region later that year, including the regional centre of Kherson. Other areas remain in the hands of Russian forces.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of launching repeat strikes in one area -- or "double tap" -- to increase casualties, particularly among rescue squads.

RT/Reuters

The Fanvue Miss AI pageant, the world’s first beauty pageant for AI-generated female models, judges contestants on beauty, social media clout, and their creator’s use of AI tools.

At first, they said artificial intelligence was coming after our jobs, but now it seems that not even beauty pageants are safe. Originally announced back in April 2024 by Fanvue, a subscription-based platform for creators, the world’s first beauty pageant for AI-generated avatars made international news headlines and sparked controversy online.

But, based on the popularity of AI models like Aitana Lopez and Emily Pellegrini on social media, this type of event was bound to happen at some point. About 1,500 AI-generated girls were submitted by creators from all over the world, but only 10 of them made the finalist list.

The top three contestants stand to win a total of $20,000 in prizes, with the creator of the one crowned Miss AI expected to walk away with $5,000. But this event is about more than cash prizes, as winning the world’s first beauty pageant for AI-generated female models is bound to open up new opportunities in the fast-growing AI space.

“What the awards have done is uncover creators none of us were aware of that have compelling backstories, along with talented creators behind them creating content for their fans,” Fanvue co-creator Will Monange said. “That’s the beauty of the AI creator space. It’s enabling creative people to enter the creator economy with their AI-generated creations without having to be the face themselves.”

AI is already being described as the new frontier in content and influencer marketing, with the most often cited advantages being models’ availability 24/7, low maintenance compared to real people, and being able to show up virtually everywhere, anytime. The tech is still not perfect, as most AI-generated models are still easy to recognize as “fake”, but the technology is evolving at breakneck speeds.

Despite the popularity of AI-generated avatars, the world’s first Miss AI pageant has drawn its share of criticism from people accusing it of further exacerbating the unrealistic beauty standards set by social media.

The results of the Fanvue Miss AI pageant are expected by the end of this month.

Oddity Central

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) is experiencing a downtime, leading to delays in completing electronic transactions.

Financial technology firms (fintechs) notified customers of the disruption in transactions in separate notices seen by TheCable on Wednesday.

The NIBSS instant payment platform is an account-based, real-time electronic funds transfer (EFT) system.

It enables financial institutions to provide online real-time funds transfer services to their customers through all available electronic channels.

TheCable understands that customers are having a hard time making simple transactions like the payment of electricity bills.

A message sent to customers by Eversend, a financial technology firm, said delays in naira transactions will last for a while.

“NIBSS is experiencing some delays in processing Naira transactions, this may affect your NGN top-ups and payouts in the app,” Eversend said.

Also, Kuda Bank told customers that “NIBSS, the settlement partner for all banks, is having intermittent issues completing transfers at the moment so money sent to your Kuda account might be delayed and transfers to other banks may not be possible”.

“As the issues are being fixed by NIBBS, we’ll keep you updated on our status page – status.kuda.com,” Kuda said.

“Please, note that transfers between Kuda accounts and transfers between Kuda and PalmPay accounts are working fine.”

Other financial institutions are also being affected by the downtime.

A customer of the Guaranteed Trust Bank (GTB) said a transfer made at 2 pm is yet to be received by the recipient.

“I made a transfer and I was debited but the person was not credited till now,” he said.

Another customer of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) said transfers have also been difficult.

The Cable

Afreximbank has disbursed $925 million to Nigeria's state-owned NNPC, part of a syndicated $3.3 billion crude oil-backed prepayment facility, the African trade bank said on Thursday.

This brings the total disbursement to Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to $3.175 billion, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) said.

Afreximbank said the deal was the largest crude-backed facility in Nigeria and one of the largest syndicated debts raised in Africa.

The pan-African lender had been tapping oil traders to finance a $3 billion loan to Nigeria's state oil company after the energy firm approached it for the facility last August, to help the government's efforts in stabilising its naira currency.

The naira had hit 1,000 to the dollar on the black market at the time the NNPC approached Afreximbank for the loan. On Thursday the naira was quoted as low as 1,498 per dollar.

Afreximbank said the funds was raised from a consortium of crude oil off-taker lenders including Oando Group and Sahara Energy Resource Limited.

The trade bank had sought oil traders to fund the crude-backed loan to NNPC, with aim to support Nigeria's macroeconomic stability and growth.

In December, Afreximbank received funding commitments totaling $2.25 million for the NNPC loan request.

Nigeria's president Bola Tinubu launched reforms last year May including devaluing the naira twice in less than six months in January to attract dollars after ending a multiple exchange rate system that keep the currency artificially strong.

The country has since been courting foreign investors for inflows with high yield offer by its central bank at its open market Treasury bill auctions.

Reuters

The news that the federal government will spend N5.4 trillion on petrol subsidies in 2024, despite previous denials, underscores the complexities and contradictions in the country’s fiscal policies. The government's acknowledgement, made during a presentation by the Minister of Finance Wale Edun, contradicts earlier statements by key officials, including President Bola Tinubu, who had declared an end to the subsidy regime during his inauguration in May 2023.

This revelation marks a significant shift from the government’s previous stance on fuel subsidies. The administration had asserted that subsidies were removed to promote a deregulated market. The declarations by officials like Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), and Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, bolstered this stance, insisting that no subsidies were being paid and that the government was recovering full costs from imported products.

In response to the news, the Presidency issued a press release denying the official status of the leaked documents that projected the subsidy expenditure. The presidency emphasised that these documents were merely drafts and not approved policies. They reiterated that the government’s position on ending fuel subsidies had not changed and stressed that the documents were part of an iterative policymaking process still under review.

The conflicting narratives between the government's admission in the draft document and its subsequent denial reflect the challenges in managing public perception and policy communication. This situation highlights the tension between the government's intent to reform and stabilise the economy and the practical realities of managing fuel prices in a country heavily reliant on petrol. It also raises questions about transparency and consistency in policy announcements, as the public grapples with mixed messages from different government officials.

The presidency's attempt to clarify and downplay the significance of the leaked documents aims to control the narrative and assure the public that no official decision has been made regarding the reinstatement of fuel subsidies. However, this episode may further erode public trust and complicate the government’s efforts to implement economic reforms, especially in a context where fuel prices significantly impact the cost of living and economic stability.

This development raises questions about the government's commitment to transparency and its handling of economic reforms. The repeated denials and subsequent admission of the subsidy expenditure have eroded trust in the government's ability to manage the economy effectively.

In conclusion, the discrepancy between the reported subsidy figures and the government's official stance underscores the sensitive nature of fuel subsidy politics in Nigeria. It illustrates the need for clear, consistent communication from the government to avoid confusion and ensure public confidence in its policy direction.

Diminished Hamas switches to full insurgent mode in Gaza

Hamas has seen about half its forces wiped out in eight months of war and is relying on hit-and-run insurgent tactics to frustrate Israel's attempts to take control of Gaza, U.S. and Israeli officials told Reuters.

The enclave's ruling group has been reduced to between 9,000 and 12,000 fighters, according to three senior U.S. officials familiar with battlefield developments, down from American estimates of 20,000-25,000 before the conflict. By contrast, Israel says it has lost almost 300 troops in the Gaza campaign.

Hamas fighters are now largely avoiding sustained skirmishes with Israeli forces closing in on the southernmost city of Rafah, instead relying on ambushes and improvised bombs to hit targets often behind enemy lines, one of the officials said.

Several Gaza residents, including Wissam Ibrahim, said they too had observed a shift in tactics.

"In earlier months, Hamas fighters would intercept, engage and fire at Israeli troops as soon as they pushed into their territory," Ibrahim told Reuters by phone. "But now, there is a notable shift in their mode of operations, they wait for them to deploy and then they start their ambushes and attacks."

The U.S. officials, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said such tactics could sustain a Hamas insurgency for months to come, aided by weapons smuggled into Gaza via tunnels and others repurposed from unexploded ordnance or captured from Israeli forces.

This kind of protracted timeframe is echoed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's national security adviser who said last week the war could last until the end of 2024 at least.

A Hamas spokesperson didn't respond to requests for comment on its battlefield strategy.

In a parallel propaganda drive, some of the group's fighters are videotaping their ambushes of Israeli troops, before editing and posting them on Telegram and other social media apps.

Peter Lerner, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), told Reuters they were still some way from destroying Hamas, which he also said had lost roughly half of its fighting force.

Lerner said the military was adapting to the group's shift in tactics and acknowledged Israel couldn't eliminate every Hamas fighter or destroy every Hamas tunnel.

"There is never a goal to kill each and every last terrorist on the ground. That's not a realistic goal," he added. "Destroying Hamas as a governing authority is an achievable and attainable military objective," he added.

HAMAS LEADERS SINWAR AND DEIF

Netanyahu and his government are under pressure from Washington to agree to a ceasefire plan to end the war, which began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and seizing over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent ground-and-air campaign in Gaza has left the territory in ruins and killed more than 36,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. The United Nations says over a million people face "catastrophic" levels of hunger.

There are about between 7,000-8,000 Hamas fighters reportedly entrenched in Rafah, the last significant bastion of the group's resistance, according to Israeli and U.S. officials. Top leaders Yahya Sinwar, his brother Mohammed, and Sinwar's second-in-command Mohammed Deif are still alive and believed to be hiding in tunnels with Israeli hostages, they said.

The Palestinian group has shown the ability to withdraw rapidly after attacks, take cover, regroup, and pop up again in areas that Israel had believed to be cleared of militants, a U.S. administration official said.

Lerner, the IDF spokesperson, agreed Israel faced a protracted battle to overcome Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2006.

"There is no quick fix after 17 years of them building their capabilities," he added.

Hamas has constructed a 500 km (310 miles) subterranean city of tunnels over the years. The labyrinth, dubbed the Gaza metro by the Israeli military, is roughly half the length of the New York subway system. Equipped with water, power and ventilation, it shelters Hamas leaders, command and control centers, and weapons and ammunition stores.

The Israeli military said last week that it had taken control of the entire Gaza-Egypt land border to prevent weapons smuggling. About 20 tunnels used by Hamas to carry arms into Gaza were found within the zone, it added.

Egypt's State Information Service didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Israel's claims of arms-smuggling from the country. Egyptian officials have previously denied any such clandestine trade is taking place, saying they destroyed the tunnel networks leading to Gaza years ago.

ECHOES OF FALLUJA INSURGENCY?

The Gaza incursion is Israel's longest and fiercest conflict since it invaded Lebanon to oust the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1982.

Netanyahu has defied domestic and international calls to outline a post-war plan for the territory. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that the absence of such a roadmap could trigger lawlessness in the enclave.

One Arab official told Reuters that criminal gangs had already emerged in Gaza amid the power vacuum, seizing food deliveries and conducting armed robberies.

The official and two other Arab government sources, who all requested anonymity to speak freely, said the IDF could face similar threats to those encountered by America in the city of Falluja in 2004-2006 following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

A broad insurgency in Falluja swelled the ranks first of al Qaeda and then Islamic State, miring Iraq in conflict and chaos from which it has yet to fully emerge two decades later.

Washington and its Arab allies have said they are working on a post-conflict plan for Gaza which involves a time-bound, irreversible path to Palestinian statehood.

When the plan, part of a "grand bargain" envisioned by the United States that aims to secure a normalizing of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, is complete, Washington aims to put it to Israel, the U.S. officials said.

A United Arab Emirates official with direct knowledge of the discussions said a Palestinian invitation was needed for countries to assist Gaza in an emergency operation, as well as an end to hostilities, full Israeli disengagement, and clarity on Gaza's legal status, including control of borders.

The emergency process could last a year and be potentially renewable for another year, according to the UAE official who said the aim to be to stabilize the enclave rather than rebuild it.

For reconstruction to begin, a more detailed roadmap towards a two-state solution was needed, he added, as well as serious and credible reform of the Palestinian Authority.

How the United States aims to overcome Netanyahu's repeated rejection of a two-state solution, which Riyadh says is a condition to normalizing ties, is unclear.

David Schenker, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, dismissed any suggestion of a clean IDF pullout from the Palestinian territory.

"Israel says it's going to maintain security control which means that it's going to constantly fly drones over Gaza and they're not going to be limited if they see Hamas re-emerging, they're going to go back," said Schenker, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute U.S.-based think-tank.

Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief serving in Netanyahu's war cabinet, has proposed an Egyptian-led international coalition as an alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza.

In a closed-door briefing last week to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, he emphasized the complex nature of anti-militancy warfare.

"This is a religious, nationalistic, social, and military struggle with no knock-out blow but rather protracted warfare that will last many years," he said.

Reuters