The recent revelation that each Nigerian senator earns a staggering N21 million monthly is not just another story of excessive greed; it is a scandalous indictment of the country's political class. In a nation where millions of citizens struggle to survive on a minimum wage of N30,000 per month, the fact that these so-called public servants are siphoning off resources at such a grotesque scale is nothing short of robbery.

This shocking figure, disclosed by Senator Kawu Sumaila, lays bare the extent of the rot within Nigeria's political elite. Each senator, according to Sumaila, pockets N21 million monthly in running costs, salaries, and allowances—an amount 700 times greater than the current minimum wage. Even when compared to the proposed new minimum wage of N70,000, this figure remains 300 times higher. This disparity is not just a number; it is a stark representation of the systemic inequality that continues to cripple the nation.

While Nigerians endure unprecedented levels of hunger and poverty, their elected representatives are living in obscene luxury, funded by the very taxes paid by the struggling masses. The recent protests that swept across the country were a desperate cry for help, a plea for dignity in the face of economic hardship. Yet, the political class has responded not with empathy or action, but with a shameless flaunting of their wealth.

What makes this situation even more intolerable is that the N21 million monthly stipend is merely the tip of the iceberg. The formal earnings of legislators are widely known to be only a fraction of the vast wealth they accumulate through corrupt practices. Under the guise of "constituency projects" and "oversight functions," these lawmakers engage in underhanded deals that drain the national coffers and enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

This grand larceny is carried out with impunity, as the National Assembly remains shrouded in secrecy regarding the actual costs and allowances allocated to its members. Despite legal frameworks like the "Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) (Amendments) Act, 2008," which were supposed to regulate the emoluments of public officials, the reality is that the true extent of the senators' financial benefits is hidden from public scrutiny.

The silence of the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, on the total amount a senator earns monthly only adds to the suspicion. The Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC) has been equally evasive, providing only basic salary figures and leaving out the more substantial "running costs" that inflate legislators’ earnings to such astronomical levels. Even when former President Olusegun Obasanjo accused lawmakers of illegally fixing new salaries and allowances for themselves, the response was a mix of denial and deflection, rather than accountability.

This blatant disregard for the suffering of the Nigerian people is not just an affront to democracy; it is a betrayal of the very essence of public service. The role of a legislator is to represent the interests of the people, to legislate for the common good, and to ensure that the nation's resources are used to uplift the many, not to enrich the few. Yet, what we are witnessing is a political class that has turned the machinery of the state into a personal ATM, draining the lifeblood of the nation while millions go hungry.

It is time for Nigerians to demand transparency, accountability, and a complete overhaul of the political system that allows such gross inequalities to persist. The current situation is unsustainable, and the continued plunder of the nation’s resources by those elected to protect them will only lead to greater unrest and instability. The Nigerian people deserve better, and they must not rest until this brazen robbery is brought to an end.

The Presidency is aware of the various failed attempts by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, to take over offshore assets of the Federal Government of Nigeria through subterfuge.

The Federal Government is not under any contractual obligation with the company. The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State Government.

The federal government is fully aware of efforts being made by the Ogun state government to reach an amicable resolution to the matter.

It must be said without any equivocation that Zhongshan has no solid ground to demand restitution from the Ogun State Government based on the facts regarding the 2007 contract between the company and the State Government to manage a free-trade zone.

When the contract with Ogun State was revoked in 2015, the company had only erected a perimeter fence on the land earmarked for a free trade zone.

While the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is working with the Ogun State Government on an amicable resolution, Zhongshan obtained two orders from the Judicial Court of Paris dated March 7, 2024, and August 12, 2024, without any notice being duly served on the Federal Government of Nigeria and Ogun State Government.

This arm-twisting tactic by the Chinese company is the latest in a long list of failed moves to attach Nigerian government-owned assets to foreign jurisdictions.

Material facts in the transaction between the Ogun State Government and Zhongshan point to another P&ID case in which unscrupulous and questionable individuals falsely present themselves as investors with the sole objective of cheating and scamming Governments in Africa.

Undoubtedly, Zhongshan withheld vital information and misled the Judicial Court in Paris into attaching the Nigerian government’s presidential jets, which are on routine maintenance in France. The use and nature of the Presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity whose assets are protected by diplomatic immunity forbid any foreign Court from issuing an order against them.

We are convinced the Chinese company misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and did not fully disclose to the court as required by law.

This same Chinese company had tried to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and USA but failed.

Like the P&ID case, foreign companies are trying to defraud Nigeria with the collaboration of some bureaucrats. Zhongshan appeared to have sold the judgment they got to a venture capitalist seeking to make money by embarrassing the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu.

We want to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is working with the Ogun State Government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately.

Nigerian Government will always work to protect our national assets from predators and shylocks who masquerade as investors.

Background to the Zhongshan Fucheng Case:

A contract between Ogun State and Zhongshan to manage a free-trade zone was executed in 2007. The parties entered into a dispute in 2015, and arbitration began in 2016.

By 2019, the arbitration hearing had been concluded. The Arbitral Panel awarded over 60 million USD against the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), a co-defendant, when all Zhongshan had done was build a perimeter fence around the free-trade zone.

Based on legal advice, the Ogun State Government resolved to resist the enforcement of the award. The resistance was successful in 8 different jurisdictions. There are pending appeals against recognition orders issued in both the US and UK.

Ogun State also engaged Zhongshan in settlement discussions on reasonable terms. The last meeting, held in September 2023 in London, lasted for three days and was attended by several officials of Ogun State, including Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Attorney General/Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.

Zhongshan’s initial reasonable readiness to consider Ogun State’s offer was surprisingly reversed by the second day when it insisted on the government paying the full arbitration debt. This led to a breakdown of the mediation, with parties agreeing to meet again in the first quarter of this year.

Since then, Zhongshan has been evasive. Instead, it embarked on a series of enforcement proceedings, which the legal team appointed by the FGN and Ogun State successfully opposed. In cases similar to the present one, where Zhongshan obtained an ex-parte order, Ogun State successfully set aside the orders.

Ogun State has not given up on a reasonable settlement option, with the most recent letter sent to Zhongshan last week. Zhongshan only responded after obtaining this latest illegal order.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy

August 15, 2024

Nigeria's headline inflation rate fell in July for the first time in well over a year, dipping to 33.40% in annual terms (NGCPIY=ECI) from 34.19% in June, data from the statistics agency showed on Thursday.

Analysts had said June's reading could mark the peak in inflation as currency devaluation effects start to fade.

July's slowdown will bring some relief to frustrated Nigerians, who protested this month over cost-of-living pressures and governance issues in Africa's most populous nation.

Price pressures have been stoked by President Bola Tinubu's decision to remove a decades-old fuel subsidy, devalue the naira currency and hike electricity tariffs. The reforms are aimed at lifting economic growth and shoring up public finances but have sent inflation soaring, eroding people's incomes.

The last month that annual inflation fell was December 2022.

The central bank has increased interest rates four times this year to try to get inflation under control, but after the last hike in July some analysts said that could be the final act in the bank's hiking cycle.

The Central Bank of Nigeria's next rate setting meeting is scheduled for late September.

A report by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed food and non-alcoholic beverages continued to be the biggest contributor to inflation in July.

Food inflation (NGFINF=ECI) eased to 39.53% from 40.87% in June.

 

Reuters

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concerns about the 8-15% dropout rate among adolescents in primary and secondary schools across the Southwest region of Nigeria, which includes Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, and Ogun states.

UNICEF’s Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti, highlighted these concerns following a two-day regional stakeholders meeting on strategies for improving retention, transition, and completion rates among out-of-school children. The meeting, which took place in Ibadan, aimed to address the challenges facing education in the region.

Menkiti reported that while the completion rates for primary and secondary education among adolescents aged 10 to 18 are currently 92% and 85% respectively, the existing dropout rates pose a significant threat to the future of education in the region. She warned that if efforts to ensure full retention and completion are not intensified, the education sector could face severe setbacks.

"This meeting was focused on the Southwest zone of Nigeria," Menkiti explained. "UNICEF is working to support states in improving the retention, transition, and completion of secondary education for adolescents. This builds on a decade of successful interventions in girls’ education, which have proven effective in bringing girls to school and keeping them there."

Menkiti emphasized the importance of identifying and addressing the factors contributing to the high dropout rates. "When discussing out-of-school children, we consider those who have never enrolled, those who are unlikely to enroll, and those who have dropped out. Our focus is particularly on adolescents at risk of dropping out or failing to complete secondary education, especially in the Southwest, where enrollment rates are high but retention and completion rates require improvement."

The stakeholders' meeting brought together commissioners, SUBEB chairmen, permanent directors, and secretaries from various Southwest states to review and adapt successful intervention models to their respective contexts. UNICEF is advocating for these states to ensure adequate funding for secondary education and to develop reliable data to support efforts in improving education.

Menkiti also outlined UNICEF's focus on system strengthening, expanding access to education, and creating quality learning opportunities for children and adolescents. She stressed the need for credible data to support advocacy and for state governments to develop policies and plans that facilitate the transition to and completion of secondary education. Additionally, UNICEF is working with community and religious leaders to challenge social norms that keep children out of school.

The federal government says its dollar-denominated domestic bond will be issued on Monday.

Gbadebo Adenrele, managing director of investment banking, at United Capital Group, spoke on Thursday during a hybrid roadshow with investors organised by the Debt Management Office (DMO).

On July 25, the federal government said it would issue $500 million in domestic foreign currency-denominated bonds in August.

Adenrele said the bond is expected to offer periodical repayments at maturity in dollars and full repayment of the principal amount at the end of a five-year term and will be listed on the Nigerian stock exchange.

He said the goal is to raise $500 million from local and foreign investors.

“The auction will open next week on Monday. Next week Monday, we will have that open, and the details of that will be communicated to the market,” he said.

“One of the key aspects of this bond issuance is that it will be listed on platforms such as the Nigerian Exchange and FMDQ, making it accessible to a variety of investors.

“The principal will be repaid after five years, with interest payments made every six months. This structured repayment schedule is designed to provide confidence to investors.”

Confirming the announcement, Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, said the country, alongside its financial advisors, is ready to launch the bond.

“In the financial market, you never know. When you wake up and you see an event that helps the issue, you will take advantage of it,” the minister said.

“But we can assume that we are imminently about to launch. We are eagerly looking forward to not just the funds but the experience of Nigerians taking leadership in this all-important area.

“We must also mention that it is another arrow in the quiver.”

Edun said the bond is a strategic move to channel funds into sectors that will catalyse economic growth in the country.

On her part, Patience Oniha, director-general of the DMO, said the settlement date for the domestic dollar bond auction will likely be 10 days after the auction date.

 

The Cable

Gaza ceasefire negotiations extend to another day as death toll exceeds 40,000

Negotiators were to meet in the Qatari capital Doha again on Friday in an effort to hammer out a Gaza ceasefire agreement as Israel continued to slam targets in the Palestinian enclave.

Gaza health officials reported separately on Thursday that the death toll there had surpassed 40,000 people after more than 10 months of fighting.

This round of negotiations opened on Thursday, and the talks would resume on Friday for a second day, Qatari and U.S. officials said.

A U.S. official briefed on the discussions in Doha, who declined to be identified, told Reuters that Thursday's talks were "constructive."

"This is vital work. The remaining obstacles can be overcome, and we must bring this process to a close," U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at the White House.

Israel, meanwhile, pressed its assault on Gaza. Gaza health officials said at least six Palestinians were killed on Thursday night in an Israeli air strike on a house in Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip.

Israeli troops earlier hit targets in the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.

In a statement issued late on Thursday on Telegram, Hamas politburo member Hossam Badran said Israel's continuing operations were an obstacle to progress on a ceasefire. Hamas officials did not join Thursday's talks.

Badran said the talks must move toward implementation of a framework agreement accepted previously and achieve a complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces, return of displaced Palestinians and a hostage exchange deal.

"Hamas looks at the ongoing negotiations in Doha regarding a ceasefire and a hostage exchange from a strategic perspective with the goal of ending the aggression on Gaza," he added.

Mediators planned to consult with Hamas' Doha-based negotiating team after the meeting, the U.S. official told Reuters.

The Israeli delegation includes spy chief David Barnea, head of the domestic security service Ronen Bar and the military's hostages chief Nitzan Alon, defence officials said.

The White House sent CIA Director Bill Burns and U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel also took part.

The negotiations, an effort to end bloodshed in Gaza and bring 115 Israeli and foreign hostages home, were put together as Iran appeared poised to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

ESCALATION RISK

With U.S. warships, submarines and warplanes dispatched to the region to defend Israel and deter potential attackers, Washington hopes a ceasefire agreement in Gaza can defuse the risk of a wider regional war.

The White House said late on Thursday attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank were "unacceptable and must stop," after dozens of settlers assaulted a village, killing at least one person.

With U.S. presidential elections looming on Nov. 5, Republican candidate Donald Trump criticised the Biden administration's months-long calls for a ceasefire, saying it "would only give Hamas time to regroup."

Israel and Hamas have each blamed the other for failure to reach a deal yet neither side has ruled out an agreement.

On Wednesday, a source in the Israeli negotiating team said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has allowed significant leeway on a few of the substantial disputes.

Gaps include the presence of Israeli troops in Gaza, the sequencing of a hostage release and restrictions on the free movement of civilians from southern to northern Gaza.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said the Gaza death toll of more than 40,000 reported by the enclave's health ministry was a "grim milestone for the world".

"This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli Defense Forces to comply with the rules of war," he said in a statement from Geneva on Thursday.

Separately, Israel's military said it had "eliminated" more than 17,000 Palestinian militants in its Gaza campaign.

In shattered Gaza where the war has driven almost all of its 2.3 million population from their homes, there was a desperate desire for an end to the fighting.

"We are hopeful this time. Either it's this time or never I am afraid," Aya, 30, sheltering with her family in Deir Al-Balah in the central part of the Gaza Strip, told Reuters via a chat app.

The war started after a Hamas raid on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which Israel says the militants killed some 1,200 people, prompting Israel to attack Gaza in retaliation.

 

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine racks up gains with Russia incursion, faces challenge holding territory

Ukraine has chalked up a string of victories more than a week since blindsiding Russia with a lightning cross-border assault, but the risks are piling up as its troops make plans to hold territory and Russia recovers its footing.

Ukraine poured thousands of troops into the western Russian region of Kursk last week, pulling down Russian flags in towns seized by its soldiers and wresting the war initiative from Moscow for the first time in months.

On Wednesday, officials in Kyiv said Ukraine would use seized Russian territory as a "buffer zone" to shield its north from Russian strikes. Oleksandr Syrskyi, head of the Ukrainian armed forces, said on Thursday that Kyiv had set up a military commandant's office in the occupied part of Kursk, suggesting ambitions to dig in.

The occupied area exceeds 1,150 sq km, Syrskyi said.

Ukraine's goals in Kursk include distracting Russian forces from the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas, where Russia has made steady advances for months and which it is seeking to take in its entirety, former Ukrainian defence minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk said in an interview.

There is, however, no sign of that happening for now.

Apart from a reputational blow to President Vladimir Putin, the biggest invasion of Russia since World War Two has destroyed Russian forces, captured soldiers who can be traded and created a sore on Russia's flank, said Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka.

The Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ukraine's defence ministry referred questions to the armed forces, which did not immediately respond.

Russian officials have said the Ukrainian attack on Russian territory is a "terrorist invasion" and that civilian infrastructure was targeted, which Ukraine denies.

Putin said that Russia will deliver a "worthy response" to the attack but that the immediate task is to eject all Ukrainian troops from Russian territory.

Ukraine, which has not said how long it might remain, was "not interested" in permanently taking Russian land, a foreign ministry spokesperson said this week. Putin has said Ukraine wants the territory as a bargaining chip in eventual peace talks.

Serhiy Zgurets, a Kyiv-based military analyst, predicted Ukraine would seek to retain control of the land between the towns of Rylsk, Korenevoye and Sudzha and the border, giving it control of a roughly 20-km-wide strip of Russian territory.

The area, he said, could be defended by a small force using long-range artillery systems and air defences.

"This line is not difficult to defend, given there are few roads and a large number of rivers," Zgurets said, adding that the area could be easily supplied from the Ukrainian region of Sumy across the border.

He said he didn't expect troops to press towards the Russian regional capital of Kursk, something that could expose them to attacks from the flanks.

Muzyka was more circumspect, warning that trying to hold a swathe of Russian land could open up Ukrainian forces to potentially heavy losses, pointing to manpower problems that have dogged Ukraine for months in its war with a much larger foe.

The counter-invasion was "a massive gamble" that in the short term was paying off, Muzyka said.

"But there may soon come a time when costs associated with the attack in the Kursk region will outweigh the benefits, especially given the steady pace of Russian advances in the Donetsk region," he said.

RUSSIA RESPONSE

After a shambolic response to the early days of Ukraine's assault that saw tanks and Western-supplied armoured vehicles among convoys that carried troops across the border, Russia finally appears to have slowed the advances. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said forces had advanced a few kilometres on Wednesday.

A senior Russian commander said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had been pushed out of one village in Russia's border region but that Kyiv's forces were still probing along the front.

Satellite images from Planet Lab and Maxar showed multiple, apparently new, Russian-built trenches further from the border in Kursk region.

Russia has so far relied on military units from near Kursk to try to push back the Ukrainian forces, said Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with Finland's Black Bird Group, which studies publicly available footage from the Russia-Ukraine war.

By bringing the war to Russia, Zelenskiy faces the risk of weakening Kyiv's defences along the front in Ukraine while Russia has already sent in thousands of reserves in a bid to expel the Ukrainian soldiers.

Moscow should have enough reserves, Paroinen said, to respond without pulling troops from the most active frontline of the war in the Donbas region.

Russia has been advancing slowly there for months, deploying gliding bombs in huge numbers as well as assault groups that take heavy losses but make small steps forward, former defence minister Zagorodnyuk said.

Far from a letup in fighting in the east, Ukraine on Thursday reported the heaviest fighting in weeks near Pokrovsk and said there was no sign Russian military pressure was receding along the eastern front inside its borders.

In a tacit acknowledgment of mounting pressure, Zelenskiy ordered his top commander on Wednesday to send more weapons to Pokrovsk and Toretsk, another embattled town that Russia is trying to capture.

Ukrainian soldier Dmytro, 36, who was deployed to the Ukrainian side of the Sudzha border during the incursion, said he wanted the war to end quickly, and he hoped the attack on Russia would put Ukraine on a more equal footing in any negotiations.

He said he viewed the incursion as a necessary step to ward off a Russian attack on Ukrainian territory across the border from the Kursk region, but that he also felt uncomfortable with invading foreign territory.

"Honestly, it does not feel great to do what they (the Russians) did," he said.

 

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

West involved in planning of attack on Russia’s borderline Kursk region — Kremlin aide

Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s borderline region of Kursk was planned with the participation of NATO and Western special services, and was prompted by Kiev’s realization of its imminent collapse, Russian presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev said.

"It was the West who brought the criminal junta to power in Urkaine. NATO countries sent weapons and military instructors to Ukraine, they continue to provide them with intelligence data and they control actions of neo-Nazi groups," he said in an interview with the Izvestia daily. "The operation in the Kursk Region was also planned with the participation of NATO and Western special services."

"This criminal undertaking was prompted by the neo-Nazi Kiev regime’s realization of its looming imminent collapse," the official added.

Patrushev dismissed the US Department of State’s claims of non-involvement into the matter.

"It’s common for the United States to say one thing and do just the opposite. Without their participation and direct endorsement, Kiev would have never dared to set its foot on the Russian territory," he said.

Ukrainian forces started a major attack on the Kursk Region on August 6. Missile attack warnings have been issued repeatedly in the region since then, and the government declared a federal-level emergency there. Most residents were temporarily resettled from the border areas and are now out of harm’s way, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said. More than 720 people have been evacuated over the past day alone, according to the ministry.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev has already lost up to 2,640 troops, 37 tanks, 32 armored personnel carriers since the beginning of the hostilities on the Kursk direction. The operation on elimination of Ukrainian troops continues.

 

Reuters/Tass

Jessica Chen

Have you ever sat in a meeting and wondered why it feels like only two or three people dominate the entire conversation? These louder colleagues usually speak up first, share their two cents, and take up most of the meeting time. Before you know it, the meeting is over and you never said a thing.

As a global communications expert, I work with a lot of smart and talented people. Even among these skilled and capable professionals, the biggest frustration I hear goes something like this: “I work hard and deliver, but I still don’t feel like I get noticed for my efforts, let alone rewarded with promotions or other opportunities. Why?!”

In my new book, “Smart, Not Loud: How to Get Noticed at Work for All the Right Reasons,” I teach professionals how to unlock bigger opportunities by leveling-up this one skill: communication. It’s not about being assertive, dominant, or aggressive if that’s not your style. It’s about being intentional and smart so that when you do chime in, people listen.

Here are five phrases the most successful people use every day to help them get noticed and get ahead. 

1. ‘I hear what you’re saying’

Brilliant communicators know that in order for people to listen to them and their ideas, they have to make other people feel heard first. 

If you’re in a meeting and you want to jump in, instead of just quickly saying what’s on your mind, potentially cutting people off, listen carefully and wait for them to finish speaking.

Then preface your comments with, “I hear what you’re saying.” 

These words will show the person that you’re acknowledging them and their thoughts, even if you have an opposing point of view. You don’t want the other person getting defensive, which can prevent them from considering what you have to say. 

2. ‘I’m excited about this’

Humans make decisions using both logic and emotions. However, people are far more likely to remember and be persuaded by stories than by facts alone. As the saying goes, they’re more likely to remember how you made them feel than what you said. 

To be a smart communicator, leverage emotion and incorporate stories in your speaking. This means using words like “excited” and “thrilled” to drum up support. Smile when you’re speaking or raise your eyebrows to magnify the impact. When signalizing urgency, use words like “worried” and “concerned” in a downward pitch to project gravitas.

Help people feel what you feel, leveraging your words, body language, and tone of voice. If you have a relevant story — an anecdote about how your product is being used out in the real world, for example, or from your past experience on a similar project  — share it. 

3. ‘Here’s what’s new’

One of the most important things you can do at work is to ask for what you want. Another is to nudge strategically to ensure you get a response. 

Instead of just saying, “Hi, following up here,” which can feel pushy and ineffective, preface your follow-up with a new piece of information. For example, you might say, “Since our last conversation where I pitched X project, I found some interesting data that supports my hypothesis about Y. Here’s what’s new ….”

This strategy can take away some of the awkwardness you may feel, make your ask seem timely and fresh, and move the conversation forward. Getting the answers you’re looking for can help you accomplish more — and do it more easily.  

4. ‘Back then … ’

I’ve discovered — firsthand, and sometimes the hard way — that just because you’re talented, it doesn’t mean people will notice. Working hard and doing great work doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get, or even be considered for, a plum project or raise. 

Talking about your accomplishments can unlock more opportunities. But how do you do that without feeling like you’re bragging? 

Use the power of contrast to highlight the progress you’ve made and the impact you’ve had. For example, you might say, “The design changes we made to streamline the site made it so much easier to navigate. Now we’re seeing the average consumer complete the purchase process in under a minute, but back then it took twice as long.”

5. ‘Thank you for … ’

When someone helps you at work — endorses you for a project, lends a helping hand, makes an introduction — you might express your gratitude by saying, “Thank you.” But smart communicators know it’s not just about saying those two words; it’s about saying what you’re thankful for and why. 

Being specific can magnify your appreciation, make our gratitude feel more authentic, and lift the other person up. It leaves a positive impression and can make them feel more inclined to repeat that helpful action. 

It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it 

As you think about using these five phrases at work, you might, for example: 

• Change up the rate of your words,sometimes speeding up when speaking, but then slowing down when you’re trying to drive a point home. 
• Use your hands. For example, lift them up and show your palms to signal trust or use your fingers to signal the numbers you’re talking about to give your words structure and emphasis. 

It may feel unnatural at first to incorporate these phrases and techniques, but they can help you highlight your brilliance. Because you can stand out in the workplace and get ahead in your career — even if being loud, brazen, and assertive isn’t your style.

 

CNBC

A French court has authorised the seizure of three presidential jets linked to the Federal Government of Nigeria, sources familiar with the matter have told PREMIUM TIMES.

Two of the jets, part of the Nigerian presidential air fleet, were recently put up for sale, while the third, an Airbus 330, was purchased by Nigeria but not yet delivered.

The seizure of the presidential jets is a result of an application by Zhongshan, a Chinese company whose export processing zone management contract was revoked by the Ogun State government in 2016.

An independent arbitral tribunal chaired by the former President of the UK Supreme Court awarded Zhongshan $74.5 million in compensation, but the Ogun State government, which has a dispute with Zhongshan, has yet to honour the award.

The Federal Government is facing this backlash over an action taken by one of its subnationals with which Zhongshan has a business dispute.

The seized presidential jets include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. All are currently undergoing maintenance. The Nigerian government reportedly paid over $100 million for the Airbus.

The court order prohibits the movement, sale, or purchase of the jets until Zhongshan receives the awarded $74.5 million. Bailiffs have served papers for each aircraft.

The federal government is yet to comment on this development.

The confiscation of the planes follows the recent seizure of Nigerian-owned buildings in Liverpool, England, by a UK court in relation to the same dispute with Zhongshan. The properties against which Zhongshan secured charging orders are located at 15 Aigburth Hall Road, Liverpool and Beech Lodge, 49 Calderstones Road, Liverpool, estimated by the company to be worth between £1.3 and £1.7 million.

The Ogun State government and Zhongshan have been locked in a long-drawn battle over the management of an export processing zone in the South-west state.

On 29 June 2010, Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co Ltd, the parent company of Zhongshan, and the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ) entered into a framework agreement on the establishment of Fucheng Industrial Park within the zone. The agreement gave Zhuhan the right to develop and run Fucheng Park within the zone.

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority registered Zhongfu International Investment (NIG) FZE, a subsidiary of Zhongshan, as a free trade zone enterprise within the OGFZ in 2011. The Ogun State government later appointed Zhongfu as the interim manager/administrator of the zone.

But in July 2016, Zhongfu alleged that the Ogun State Government moved to terminate its appointment, and appoint another manager for the free trade zone.

Zhongfu then launched an investment treaty arbitration against Nigeria, citing the bilateral investment treaty between the People’s Republic of China and Nigeria.

On 26 March 2021, an arbitral tribunal issued a final award of $55,675,000 in addition to an interest of $9.4 million and costs of £2,864,445 payable by Nigeria to Zhongshan.

Afterwards, the federal government repeatedly pleaded with the Ogun State Government to amicably resolve its dispute with Zhongshan but still no settlement was reached.

 

PT

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has announced the withdrawal of a controversial bill he sponsored that would have allowed for the jailing of people who embarrass or disrespect government officials.

The announcement was made in a post on the official X handle of the House of Representatives.

“In response to the voices and concerns of the people, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has decided to withdraw the Counter Subversion Bill and other related draft legislation,” part of the post reads.

“This decision follows his extensive consultations with a broad range of stakeholders and a careful consideration of the nation’s current circumstances,” the statement reads.

Tajudeen has faced criticism for the bill which contains other obnoxious provisions such as criminalising the refusal to recite the national anthem.

The legislation, introduced on 24 July, sought, among other things, to criminalise certain actions deemed to be against national security and sovereignty.

Additionally, the bill proposed the death penalty for separatist activities that lead to the death of anyone. The provision criminalising refusal to sing the national anthem generated the most public outrage.

“A person who destroys national symbols, refuses to recite the national anthem and pledge, defaces or abuses a place of worship with the intention of causing violence and subverting the Government of Nigeria, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N5,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 10 years or both,” clause 8 reads.

Earlier on Wednesday, Tajudeen had insisted that the law was not unique to Nigeria, stating that other countries, such as the UK and Spain, have similar laws.

He said the fate of the bill was in the hands of the lawmakers, who would decide whether to reject or pass it into law.

Focus on corruption, AI tells lawmakers

Earlier on Wednesday, Amnesty International Nigeria (AI), in a statement, called for the withdrawal of the bill, describing its introduction as misplaced and illt-timed.

The statement, titled, ‘Nigeria: Withdraw the ill-timed,’ was signed by its Director, Isa Sanusi.

“The misplaced and ill-timed Counter Subversion Bill 2024 sponsored by the Speaker House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas must be withdrawn. The bill violates international human rights standards because it will be open to vague and broad interpretations and can be used to impose incredibly harsh punishments simply for criticizing the Nigerian authorities,” the statement said.

AI said in the countries where such legislation is implemented, the law is being used to target political opponents and punish those who peacefully express views which differ from those of government.

It stated that the law had always — and everywhere, turned out to be a tool of repression.

“The unclear wording of the bill, the breadth of its application and the absence of any explicit safeguards relating to human rights make the bill – if passed into law – open to interpretation and therefore to mistakes and to abuse by officials. The content of the bill promoted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas, is at odds with prevailing norms of a free society,” it said.

The group said the lawmakers should instead worry about corruption, which is increasingly rampant and keeps Nigerians poorer.

“Corruption, which is increasingly rampant and keeps Nigerians poorer is the ‘subversion’ that the House of Reps. should worry about and pay closer and concrete attention to. Giving the government more broad powers to punish the people who hold dissenting opinions will only further undermine human rights.

“Nigerian authorities are failing to protect the people, as gunmen kill dozens of people frequently in Benue, Zamfara, Katsina and part of Sokoto state. Abduction for ransom is still widespread across Nigeria. Gunmen have prevented farming in some parts of Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara by imposing levies on farmers, while punishing those who could not pay with amputation or death.

“Amnesty International urges the House of Representatives to focus the legislature in the direction of addressing deep poverty which pushes millions to the brink of starvation. At a time when millions of Nigerians live at the mercy of unprecedented inflation and struggling to feed – and could not afford the cost of education and healthcare, such a legislation relegates the well-being of the people. Legislations must be compliant with domestic and international human rights standards.”

 

PT