The governments of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory owe the federal government an outstanding liability of N1.72tn in budget support facilities.

The figures were revealed in a presentation on state budget support facility by Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, at the 140th meeting of the National Economic Council presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed Thursday titled, ‘NEC endorses take-off of $617M i-DICE programme across states.’

In 2021, the Muhammadu Buhari administration approved a fresh N656bn Bridge Financing Facility for the 36 states.

This was part of earlier interventions to “help state governments meet their financial obligations,” then-Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed said.

The FCT owes N49.11bn and each of the 36 states carries the same debt burden, totalling N1.72bn.

At a previous NEC meeting held in November 2023, the FG had emphasised that it ceased providing budget support loans in July 2023, partly due to an increase in the federation’s revenues.

Meanwhile, the excess crude account, was $473,754.57, the Stabilisation Account, N33,808,342,662.88, while the Current Balance of Natural Resources is N113,925,600,918.68.

On the NEC ad-hoc committee on crude oil theft prevention and control report presented by the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, Nkwocha said:

“On the request of the Vice President and Chairman of Council, Governor Uzodinma of Imo State presented an abridged version of its report on crude oil theft prevention and control on behalf of the NEC ad hoc Committee.

“Uzodinma said the committee met and had far-reaching deliberations and deployed appropriate technologies for data collection. Full report to be tendered at next NEC.”

The statement added, “While noting the presentation, the Vice President observed that the rate of submissions by States were not impressive and urged States yet to make inputs to expedite action to enable robust deliberations on the subject-matter at the next Council meeting.”

Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, presented the update on NEC ad-hoc committee on Economic Affairs.

Recall that at the 138th NEC Meeting held on December 21, 2023, a committee on Economic Matters chaired by the Kwara State governor was established.

The Committee’s main objective was to develop a feasible and effective roadmap for addressing economic issues affecting Nigerians at the national and sub-national levels and avert a possible economic and socio-political crisis.

Members were given one month to prepare their plans and submit their reports by the second quarter of 2024.

NEC also received presentation on the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme.

It was announced that all processes for establishing the phase 1 of the SAPZ have been completed and disbursement for states kick started, expression of Interest have been received from 27 states, while guidance letters have been sent to 27 Governors (TOR for studies and request to provide focal points).

Punch

No fewer than 15 persons were feared killed within three days, following attack by armed herdsmen, who stormed Akpete, Ugbobi, Ijaha, Edikwu Oji and Iyanpu communities in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attacks also left several persons injured and many others still missing and unaccounted for.

It was gathered that the armed men, who have been attacking the communities since Tuesday, destroyed homes and farm produce in the affected communities.

A source, a youth leader in one of the affected communities informed that “the onslaught started on Tuesday, when they attacked a part of Ijaha, where they killed five persons and injured many others. They also burnt down houses and farmland.

“On Wednesday, they again stormed Ediku Oji and Akpete, barricaded the road connecting the village to Ugbokpo, the council headquarters.

“In that attack, they ransacked the village, chased the people out of their ancestral homes after killing two persons and injuring several others.

“Yesterday morning, they moved into Ugbobi village shooting sporadically and for close to three hours, they laid siege to the community and the fear is that about about eight persons lost their lives in the attacks, though it could be more than that because the search for bodies is ongoing at the moment.”

Reacting, National Chairman of Apa Development Association, ADA, Eche Akpoko, said: “The attacks started on Tuesday. The situation is even worst than what we witnessed last year for which we held a press conference.

“It has become a routine and this time around, they have no regard for children and women. In fact, even in international war, there is regard for rules of engagement. Can you imagine that in a village, a hungry lady went to the farm to get tubers of yam, they caught her and butchered her. They do not allow our people to go to farm again, you don’t dare step out.”

We’re under siege, lawmaker laments

Also, the lawmaker representing Apa state constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Abu Umoru, who lamented the unending attacks in Apa council, said: “More than 95 percent of a section of the community is displaced already.

“The entire Edikwu community has been displaced. Opaha where I come from, nobody is in the community, Odugbo nobody is there, Akpete, Ikobi, Akpanta, Ochumekwu, Ijaha and Adija communities have all been deserted.

“Everyday they burn houses in Akpete. In the last three days, they have been going to Akpete to burn houses after chasing residents from their ancestral homes. They lay ambush and kill no fewer than five persons on daily basis. The casualty is very high.

“Today, I could not be at plenary in the House, I went to my communities to sympathise with my people and because of the killings, I have developed a problem that I have to go to the hospital to check myself.

“The killings are terrible. Even on Wednesday, on the highway around Nasarawa Toto leading to Oweto up to Otukpo, between a village called Ojantele and Orozo, the herders put their cows on the road for three hours.

“There was no movement. It was the Hausa people who travel on these big trucks that came down and talked to them before they removed barricade from the road.

“The development is no more a question of moving motion everyday at the state House of Assembly. These killings have gone beyond us. Our representatives at the National Assembly have moved motions countless times, but what has happened? Who do we cry to?

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene said: “I don’t have reports on these attacks.”

Vanguard

US puts pressure on Israel with Gaza ceasefire resolution as Qatar talks continue

Israel's spy chief was due to travel to Qatar on Friday for ceasefire negotiations while the U.S. planned to put a resolution calling for an immediate truce in Gaza to a vote of the U.N. Security Council, intensifying pressure on its ally.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday in Cairo he believed talks mediated by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt could still reach a ceasefire deal between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel.

Negotiations in Qatar centred on a truce of around six weeks that would allow the release of 40 Israeli hostages in return for hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israeli jails, paving the way for more aid to enter an enclave where famine looms due to extreme food shortages.

"Negotiators continue to work. The gaps are narrowing, and we're continuing to push for an agreement in Doha. There’s still difficult work to get there. But I continue to believe it's possible," Blinken said.

The main sticking point has been that Hamas says it will release hostages only as part of a deal that would end the war, while Israel says it will discuss only a temporary pause.

A Palestinian official with knowledge of the mediation efforts, who declined to be identified, told Reuters that Hamas had demonstrated flexibility. Israel "continues to stall because it doesn’t want to commit to ending the war on Gaza,” the official said.

A statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel's spy chief David Barnea would travel to Qatar on Friday to meet mediators.

Meanwhile, Israel said it expected to continue attacks on Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City for a few more days. The facility, where residents reported tanks, gunfire and flames on Thursday, is the only partially working medical facility in the north of the enclave and has already been under attack for four days.

Israel says Hamas gunmen are holding out at the medical complex, something Hamas denies. Israel claims it has killed 150 fighters and captured 358 militants in and around the hospital in recent days.

U.S. EXERTS MORE PRESSURE ON ISRAEL

Washington, which traditionally has shielded Israel at the U.N., has incrementally applied more pressure to its longtime ally, and the draft U.N. Security Council resolution marked a further toughening.

The shift has coincided with rising global condemnation of the five-month-old war, Palestinian civilian deaths, domestic political opposition to U.S. President Joe Biden's stance and the prospect of a manmade famine in Gaza.

The U.N. text, seen by Reuters, says an "immediate and sustained ceasefire" lasting roughly six weeks would protect civilians and allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Earlier in the war, the U.S. was averse to the word ceasefire and vetoed measures that included calls for an immediate ceasefire.

The new resolution expresses support for the talks in Qatar, freeing of Israeli hostages and release of Palestinians detained in Israeli jails. The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

To pass in the Security Council, a resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no veto by the U.S., France, Britain, Russia or China. European Union leaders also issued a call for an immediate ceasefire on Thursday.

The U.S. has wanted any Security Council support for a ceasefire to be linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's offensive has killed almost 32,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian army announces new Donbass gains

Moscow’s forces have liberated the village of Tonenkoye in Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday. Tonenkoye has seen intense combat over the past few weeks, following the taking of the key Donbass town of Avdeevka in mid-February.

The village forms part of the Orlovka-Tonenkoye-Berdychi line, located to the northwest of the town. Over the past 24-hour period, Ukrainian forces have lost over 320 soldiers, a tank, four other armored and up to seven unarmored vehicles, according to Moscow’s estimates.

Earlier this week, the Russian military announced the liberation of Orlovka, effectively cutting the line in half and disrupting Ukrainian communications between Tonenkoye and Berdychi, with the latter continuing to see active combat.

The Ukrainian military has claimed it established stable defensive positions along the Orlovka-Tonenkoye-Berdychi line following the fall of Avdeevka. The defenses are primarily based on a system of ponds and canals stretching along the three villages.

Nevertheless, the combat situation along the line has promptly escalated, with the Ukrainians actively pouring reserves into the area, seeking to stabilize the front line. According to the Russian side, Kiev’s forces have been losing some 400 soldiers in the area daily, after repeatedly staging unsuccessful counterattacks.

The Orlovka-Tonenkoye-Berdychi line has seen the combat debut of US-supplied M1 Abrams tanks, which had long remained in reserve. A batch of 31 tanks was pledged to Kiev by the Pentagon early last year for a long-hyped yet ultimately disastrous summer counteroffensive. The tanks fully arrived in Ukraine only in mid-autumn, by which time the push was largely over. Prior to the fall of Avdeevka, the tanks had stayed away from the front line, starring in Ukrainian propaganda videos rather than participating in actual combat. At least four tanks of the type have been destroyed since late February, according to the Russian military.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian missile strikes damage power supply in Ukraine's Kharkiv

About 15 blasts were heard in Ukraine's Kharkiv on Friday morning, mayor Ihor Terekhov said, and Russian missile strikes appeared to be targeting the city's power supply, causing partial blackouts.

Terekhov did not report any casualties. He said some of the city's water pumps had stopped because of the attacks.

In central Ukraine, Kryvyi Rih mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said blasts were heard in the city, but provided no details. The administration of the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia also reported eight missile strikes.

According to Ukrainian officials, several Russian missiles were still moving towards targets in Ukraine.

RT/Reuters

The press has been unkind to Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. I find it hard to understand why, of all the problems at this time, from the cost-of-living crisis to the war in Ukraine, and from the war in Gaza to the near total loss of trust in politicians, it is Kate’s unguarded photoshop moment on Mother’s Day, of all days, that is the obsession.

And there’s no better time to catch the British pressswooning with testosterone than when a member of the royal family trips. They go all out. Nothing smells like the scent of royal blood and the hounds spare no stone.

And so, it was last week that a number of newswire services recalled or stripped photoshopped images ofPrincess Kate and her three children from their dispatches. The kinder ones among the newspapers nailed every single offending spot on the photo with a red flag, labelling and listing the photographic infractions one by one. 

Daily Mail circled 10 spots, with lengthy captions on what it described as Kate’s “pic scandal.” My heart bled for the Princess of Wales, but something deep inside kept saying, if this had been Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and famous Witch of Windsor, it would have been worse. I can imagine that the most generous description from the Daily Mail stable, for example, would have beensomething like, “Meghan in epic scandal!”

But what’s the point of it, really? Since the outbreak of the so-called Kate pic scandal, I have been brooding overimages that I see very often as DPs and also on someWhatsApp Status. I’m keeping myself to thatmicroblogging site and the mainstream press. There’s no need to bother with Insta, probably the worst photographic crime scene since Joseph Niepce invented the camera.

Who is this?

I have seen DP posts not remotely resembling folks that I know in real life. In a number of these meticulously airbrushed DPs, these same less than averagely endowedfolks look so fine, faces nicely chiseled, neckties in place,or necklines plunging, and every strand of hair in placewith poses like something out of Vanity Fair. You cannotsometimes help but zoom in and look again.

My anecdotal experience suggests that normal people, especially normal young girls and women, have fabricatedmore Kate Middleton moments than they can count. I have seen folks who are fat – that word has been banned by the language police – looking incredibly slim on their profiles or those who are black or brown looking all fair and incredibly white.

I have also seen folks with ageing-borne wrinkles, birth marks or even a few blemishes or dimples in real life look breathtakingly flawless on their DPs. I have never stopped wondering what this digital filter is really all about.

If the Daily Mails of this world have to spotlight every single photoshopped celebrity image – never mind the millions of celebrity wannabes – God knows how many would be out of circulation or perhaps be standing trial in the court of public opinion along with the Princess of Wales.  

I have shied away from digital makeover, not out of self-righteousness, but because I have accepted my flaws and physiological shortcomings as part of the gifts of an imperfect earth life. Why do people go to extra lengths to make over and then portray themselves in images that are not remotely who they are?

Of course, photo airbrushing didn’t start with the Princess of Wales or the folk in that DP who’s probably the aspirational version of the image you’re looking at right now.

Fakery industry

Joseph Stalin erased enemies like Nikolai Yezhov, who played a significant role in the Great Purge out of photographs because he thought doing so would wipe away the man’s memory from history. He didn’t quite succeed.

In the 2004 presidential campaign, opponents of John Kerry spliced his photograph and that of actress and anti-war activist Jane Fonda to discredit his war record. And, come to think of it, this same Daily and Sunday Mail that have been unforgiving of the Princess of Wales fell flatfor the epic Kerry photo forgery!

Seven years later, an ultra-Jewish newspaper suspected of religious influence erased Hilary Clinton and Audrey Tomason from a Situation Room picture taken moments before President Barack Obama authorised the strike on Osama bin Laden. Here again, as in the Kerry pic scandal, the press was duped.

Of course, it’s not every time that something bad comes out of an awkward photo moment. In 2016, for example, King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia caused a minor sensationwhen he and his brother, Crown Prince Sultan, were photographed with women without their faces covered.

They would have been pleased to pay a million riyal to plug a leak or scrub it if they had known beforehand. The ticking photo-bomb was released only for a government official to defuse it the next day by simply saying the photo showed that, “It was OK to work with women!”

Does it matter?

Back to the question: why do people manipulate photos?Studies have suggested a number of reasons. A study by BMC Psychology last Aprilsuggested that reasons for image-manipulation or photoshopping are rooted in self-objectification where individuals involved are keenly aware of, even sometimes obsessed by, their physical looks, which tends to affect everything, including their sense of self-esteem.

The higher the investment in social media, the higher the tendency to use tools, including photoshop and other image-filtering apps, to look incredibly, yet quite often,deceptively, good. But that’s the modern playground, the place where billions work and move and define their being.

The domain is not limited to royalty. Obsession to twist, scrub and bend things from their essence as sacrifice onthe altar of the post-modern self is just as widespread in royalty as it is in fashion, journalism, marketing and politics. And the realm is getting larger and larger because increasingly the only thing that matters, that is rewarded and celebrated, is success. Everything else is judged harshly.

The art of it

There is of course also the ethical question of boundaries. While there are those who argue that image-alteration is a form of art which has produced such geniuses as Erik Johansson or Rosie Hardy, for example, there are others who take the view – and I agree – that unethical retouching can contribute to body image issues, especially among young people, fostering feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.

To encourage authenticity and hopefully slowly create a society where people are not ashamed – or afraid – to be who they are, perhaps we need to be less severe and more forgiving and transparent when we scrub those images. And yes, we must also learn to take ourselves a lot less seriously.

We may not yet look like the Madonna we wanted to be, but at least we can go to bed satisfied that we have paid our two cents to create a healthier, more responsible visual landscape.

** Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP

"We do such great work, and no one knows or cares!" This was the fundamental complaint of the large complex organizations that came to my firm for help with their brand image. They felt underknown and undervalued, and it hurt. 

The solution was not jumping into advertising or PR campaigns. Instead, it begins with them getting super-clear on their core identity-and determining if they were being who they wanted to be. As part of the process, we ask these challenging questions:

• In a few words, what is the core of your organization's identity?
• How do you want the world to perceive your organization?
• What truth do you need to tell?

Then, and only then, would we look into the image of their organization-how the marketplace perceived them-to assess how well their identity and image aligned and what to do about any gaps.  

7 Steps to Build Your Brand from the Inside-Out

This is where disciplined leadership comes in, always starting from the inside-out. It involves fostering authenticity, belonging and collaboration – the ABC pillars of the Amare Way of love-powerd leadership.

1. Be honest: Tell the truth about being underknown and undervalued, or lacking a clear focus, or having lost your competitive edge.
2. Require clarity: Insist on clarity and commitment about who you are as an organization and why.
3. Know your V/U: Do the ideation and research to understand what makes your organization valuable (V) and unique (U). Make the intersection of the two your sweet spot.
4. Empower your team: Audit your resources and priorities and build internal capacity to make sure your team is equipped to successfully and consistently deliver.
5. Evaluate your image: Do your stakeholder research and competitive mapping to assess your image. Require total honesty and no judgment.
6. Get in alignment: Prioritize and clean up any identity-image gaps based on ease of fixing and likely impact.
7. Deliver on your promise: Invest in communicating and providing your unique value to your customers and other stakeholders. Track the impact on your brand reputation and image.

In this way, you will inspire your team to embody and live your organization's identity, creating a cohesive, distinctive and impactful image in the marketplace that fully delivers on your promise. That is how to build a brand the Amare Way.

Inc

A bill proposing a new structure of salaries and allowances for judicial officers in the country has passed the third reading at the House of Representatives.

President Bola Tinubu had forwarded a letter along with the executive bill to the house of representatives on Tuesday, urging swift passage of the proposed legislation.

In the letter, the president said the bill seeks to end the “prolonged stagnation” of the remuneration of judicial officers.

“The judicial office holders salaries and allowances bill seeks to prescribe salaries and allowances and fringe benefits for judicial officials to end the prolonged stagnation in their remuneration and to reflect contemporary socio-economic realities,” Tinubu said in the letter.

On Wednesday, the lower legislative chamber passed the bill after the third reading.

In the breakdown of the bill, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) will receive a monthly salary of N5.4 million, amounting to N64.8 million per annum.

The breakdown of the remuneration shows that the CJN will receive a monthly basic salary of N1.1 million, and N4.3 million in regular allowances.

The annual pay includes various components such as personal assistant allowance of N3.6 million, hardship allowance of N6.7 million, entertainment allowance of N6 million, utility allowance of N4 million, outfit allowance of N3.3 million, journal subscription allowance of N2 million, medical allowance of N5.3 million, long service allowance of N1.3 million, restricted or forced lifestyle allowance of N6.7 million, dual responsibility allowance of N2.9 million, and legal researchers’ allowance of N6.9 million.

The bill also proposes N61.4 million annually for justices of the supreme court.

Also, justices of the Supreme Court are to earn N61.4 million annually and N9.9 million annual basic salary.

The breakdown includes: motor vehicle allowance, N7.4 million; personal assistant N2.4 million; hardship N4.9 million; domestic staff N7.4 million; entertainment N4.4 million; utilities N2.9 million; outfit N2.4 million; journal subscription N1.4 million; medical N3.9 million; long service allowance N991,339; restricted or forced lifestyle N4.9 and legal researchers N6.9 million.

Each justice is also entitled to N39.7 million motor vehicle loan and a severance package of N29.7 million.

Meanwhile, the President of the Court of Appeal is to earn N62.4 million allowance, comprising N9.9 million annually and N52.5 million regular allowances.

The President of the Court of Appeal is also entitled to N39.7 million motor vehicle loan and a severance package of N29.7 million.

Other justices of the Court of Appeal are to get a total of N52.6 million as total allowances. The breakdown shows that N7.9 million is the annual basic salary and N44.1 million as regular allowances.

Others

Also, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, President of the National Industrial Court, Chief Judge of FCT High Court, Grand Kadi FCT Shariah Court of Appeal, President of FCT Customary Court, Chief Judge of State High Court, Grand Kadi State Shariah Court of Appeal and President State Customary Court of Appeal are to earn the same salaries and allowances.

For this category, the annual basic salary is N7.9 million and N42.3 million as annual regular allowances.

Also, the severance gratuity and motor vehicle loan are N23.9 million and N31.9 million respectively.

The Cable/PT

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it has successfully settled all outstanding foreign exchange (FX) obligations.

Hakama Sidi Ali, acting director of corporate communications at CBN, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Ali said the financial regulator recently concluded payment of $1.5 billion to settle obligations to bank customers, effectively settling the residual balance of the FX backlog.

On February 5, Olayemi Cardoso, CBN governor, said he inherited a $7 billion FX backlog when he became the head of the apex bank in September 2023.

Commenting further on the backlog settlement, Ali disclosed that “independent auditors from Deloitte Consulting meticulously assessed these transactions, ensuring that only legitimate claims were honoured”.

She said any invalid transactions were promptly referred to the relevant authorities for further scrutiny.

“Clearance of the foreign exchange transactions backlog is part of the overall strategy detailed in last month’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting to stabilise the exchange rate and thereby curb imported inflation, spurring confidence in the banking system and the economy,” Ali said.

“Cardoso used the MPC meeting and a subsequent conference call with foreign portfolio investors to set expectations for sustained increases in Nigeria’s foreign currency reserves and improved liquidity in the foreign exchange market.”

According to the spokesperson, at a recent meeting, Cardoso said CBN made clearing the FX backlog a priority to restore credibility and confidence in the Nigerian economy.

“It was important that we go through an independent and credible process that would determine the authenticity of those obligations, and, at this point, I can tell you that we have now cleared all genuine, verifiable transactions,” he said.

“This encumbrance to market confidence in the country’s ability to meet its obligations is now totally behind us.”

On January 29, CBN said $500 million had been released to various sectors to address the backlog of verified FX transactions.

Prior to this, the apex bank said $61.64 million was disbursed to foreign airlines through various banks.

EXTERNAL RESERVES UP BY $993 MILLION

Ali said CBN recorded a significant increase in external reserves.

“The CBN followed this month by reporting a significant increase in external reserves, rising by $993 million to $34.11 billion as of March 7, 2024, the highest level in eight months,” she said.

“The month-on-month increase was driven by a marked advance in remittance payments by Nigerians overseas, as well as higher purchases of local assets, including government debt securities, by foreign investors.”

The Cable

The supremacy fight between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Labour Party, LP, continued yesterday, with the union picketing the headquarters and secretariats of the party nationwide, insisting the national chairman, Julius Abure, quit office.

But the party in a swift reaction, described the forcible entry of NLC members into its headquarters and secretariat as illegal and criminal.

Speaking when workers occupied the Labour Party headquarters in Abuja, the Deputy President of NLC Political Commission, Theophilus Ndubuaku, said the picketing was to express workers’ grievances towards Abure’s administration of the party.

He said: “Nigeria is not the only country that has a Labour Party backed by Organised Labour. There are so many others.

“Why would our own be different, the essence of registering a Labour Party in this country is not only to become a president or hold an office but also to create a viable opposition and any country where there is no viable opposition, then there would be dictatorship. The reason we set up this party is to make us have good governance in this country.”

While faulting the alleged unilateral convocation of national convention without consulting the relevant stakeholders, the NLC stated further: “There has been court judgements declaring labour party as being owned by the NLC and there has been intervention by INEC telling Abure to appoint BOT members and organize all-inclusive convention.

“But what we now saw is a convention that we do not know who and who are going to be at that convention and the elected officers in the National Assembly thought he insulted them.

“You will not believe that a day before Abure issued the notice of the convention, he was with the NLC president and the political commission in the NLC office without telling them.

“All we are saying is that we do not want Abure, he should resign and go. He cannot be the sole administrator of Labour Party.”

Also speaking, the acting General Secretary of NLC, Bello Ismail, said the commission had been engaging Abure, thinking he was following due process,

“We were also thinking he was going to organise a convention, in line with the understanding with Labour to have an all-inclusive convention but Abure, knowing that he can never survive an all-inclusive convention wanted to do a convention in the night.

“Those in the NLC Political Commission have done a lot of efforts to reach this state of taking over our party by ourselves. We would insist that all democratic norms are fulfilled. We will insist that workers take back their party.

“We want a convention where we are all the stakeholders and we are very active and all will participate.
“We do not want a convention where one man will hand pick the officers of the party. We want a convention where in the 37 states of the federation, all stakeholders, including workers, youths, young people, informal workers can have a say in the party.

“We are not money people, but we have a voice and we want a party where, without money, we can participate, and that is what Labour Party offers.

”Now, it is in the hands of this usurper, he is looking for N30 million, N40 million, and so on to buy forms, excluding the people who founded the party. Enough is enough, Abure must go,” he said.

On his part, Chris Uyot, Secretary of the NLC Political Commission, said the national chairman of the party has decided to hold a convention without consulting, without discussion with the stakeholders in the party.

Comrade Uyot said: “He did not discuss with the NLC or with Labour or even with the House of Representatives who are stakeholders in the Labour Party, he did not discuss with anybody, he did not discuss with the Obidients, all the people that belong to this party or even have a stake in this party.

“So, he wants to have a convention where he will pick people as delegates, no it is not done. A convention starts from the local government areas, before it goes to states and then national.

“We are not going to have a dictator in our party, it is not going to be possible. Nigerian workers are democratic, and they support democracy.

“Nigerian workers own this party and would ensure they take hold of their party and chase out the looters.”
Responding, the Julius Abure-led National Working Committee, NWC, of the party decried what it described as unlawful break and entry into its national headquarters by “the militant arm of the Nigeria Labour Congress.”
The party, which noted that the NLC raid led to the collosal destruction of party property, described the act as a criminal misplacement of priority and an action done in bad faith.

National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, said the party was appalled by the desperation exhibited by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero.

Ifoh said: “The party notes that the President of the NLC, Ajaero’s greed and inordinate ambition have pushed him into losing every sense of discretion and decency in his recent conducts, be it in his affairs with the workers or even the government.

“As a party, we wonder how Ajaero would lead a band of lawless persons who are known to have partisan interests in other major political parties such as the PDP and APC against a recognized independent political party.
“Ajaero’s continuous claim that NLC owns the Labour Party is not in any way supported by either the Electoral Act or the Constitution.

“ For his information, a political party is owned by those who are card-carrying or financial members of the party.

“We are aware that more than 90 percent of the members of the NLC have not met this condition and therefore cannot claim to be the owners of the party.

“The constitution also provides that no organisation can own any other organisation. The NLC as an organisation can therefore not claim the ownership of the Labour Party.”

Vanguard

Why Israel is so determined to launch an offensive in Rafah

Israel is determined to launch a ground offensive against Hamas in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost town, a plan that has raised global alarm because of the potential for harm to the hundreds of thousands of civilians sheltering there.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel can’t achieve its goal of “total victory” against Hamas without tackling Rafah.

Israel has approved military plans for its offensive. But with 1.4 million Palestinians jammed into the town, Israel’s allies, including the U.S., have demanded greater care for civilians in its anticipated incursion.

Most of those Palestinians have been displaced by fighting in other parts of Gaza and are living in densely packed tent camps or crammed into apartments.

Netanyahu is sending a delegation to Washington to present the administration with its plans.

WHY RAFAH IS SO CRITICAL

Since Israel declared war in response to Hamas’deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7, Netanyahu has said a central goal is to destroy the Islamic group’s military capabilities.

Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip, after operations elsewhere dismantled 18 out of the militant group’s 24 battalions, according to the military.

Israel says Hamas has four battalions in Rafah and that it must send ground forces to topple them. Some senior militants could also be hiding in the town.

WHY THERE IS SO MUCH OPPOSITION TO ISRAEL’S PLAN

The U.S. has urged Israel not to carry out the operation without a “credible” plan to evacuate civilians. Egypt, a strategic partner of Israel’s, has said that any move to push Palestinians into Egypt would threaten its four-decade-old peace agreement with Israel.

In a phone call with Netanyahu this week, President Joe Biden told the Israeli leader not to carry out a Rafah operation, said the White House’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. He said the U.S. was seeking “an alternative approach” that did not involve a ground invasion.

ISRAEL DOESN’T APPEAR CLOSE TO SENDING IN TROOPS

Netanyahu said he was sending a delegation to Washington “out of respect” for Biden. But in a statement Wednesday, he said he had told Biden that Israel “cannot complete the victory” without entering Rafah.

Despite the tough talk, Israel doesn’t appear close to sending troops into Rafah. This may be connected to ongoing attempts to broker a temporary cease-fire. Qatari mediators say those talks would be set back by a Rafah invasion.

There are also logistical concerns.

Israel’s military says it plans to direct the civilians to “humanitarian islands” in central Gaza ahead of the planned offensive. Netanyahu said Wednesday evacuation plans had not yet been approved.

AP