“So many people are hanging on by the thinnest of threads. Treat people with kindness, you could be that thread.” – John Pavlovitz

The above proverbial expression, which alludes to an occasion between Damocles and King Dionysius, may define the situation between Nigerians and their president. Without a doubt, President Bola Tinubu took the oath of office amidst significant concerns expressed by many Nigerians. Apart from that, the courts are still hearing challenges to his emergence as president. He is also, so far, the only president with a minority of votes in an election in Nigeria. Every president since 1999 has got total votes that surpassed those of all opposition parties put together that contested against them.

Nonetheless, whether one likes it or not, the man has been declared the winner and sworn in, and so he is officially Nigeria’s sixteenth president at the moment and the fifth in the current political dispensation. What he needs now is cooperation and prayers from every one of us. His success will make us smile just as his failure would make us frown. We are surviving witnesses to this truism.

One cardinal thing Tinubu must do is to unite the nation and make Nigerians feel a sense of belonging, as well as foster trust in the system. He must also reform our judicial system so that our courts would truly be sanctuaries of hope for both the high and the low.

Due to the contentious nature of the electoral process through which he emerged, he should borrow a leaf from President Umaru Yar’Adua who acknowledged that the election that brought him into office was fraught with irregularities and began electoral reforms which his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, continued after his demise. Tinubu must make sure elections are transparent and that the laws are further amended so that all electoral disputes are settled before swearing-in.

It makes no sense for a person whose election is before the judges to be sworn into office. Apart from the distraction such will offer, how many Nigerian judges can rule against the chief executive who can appoint or dismiss them? It is often said that the Nigerian president is the most powerful in the world, so it stands to reason that he can lean on the judges handling his case.

Asiwaju is not a man with an ordinary brain. He is both tactical and street-wise. Where do you place a man who successfully propped up two strong candidates in two different start-up parties to reduce his major opponent’s votes? And none among the three – the two political mannequins and the confident main opposition – was the wiser for it!

The two candidates, one up North and the other down South are believed to have been bankrolled by him using fronts. While the one up North knew he could not win but was content with securing his base, the one down South sincerely believed he would win.

Knowing that their joining forces could pose a problem to him, Tinubu, as their puppeteer, fanned their ego and each looked down on the other.

He also brought in a former president – a big fish the dominant opposition party was venerating and doing everything to court – to work for him, although he claimed he was working for one of Tinubu’s props.

The controversies surrounding Tinubu aside (and there are many), Nigerians are witnesses to his achievements as the governor of Lagos. And if his succession plan in Lagos is anything to go by, Nigeria is in for a long reign by Tinubu and his protégés. Tinubu’s politics could be a course for future students of politics, not only in Nigeria.

However, one can adapt a catchphrase from the last governorship poll in Edo State – ‘Edo no be Lagos’ (Edo is not Lagos – where Tinubu is the overlord and grandmaster) to this scene, ‘Nigeria no be Lagos.’ In the Edo election, he threw his weight behind a candidate who was beaten by the incumbent who himself had defected to the opposition after Tinubu’s party denied him a return ticket. One can also point to the last governorship poll in Osun State, where his nephew, who was the incumbent, was beaten by the dancing senator, Governor Ademola Adeleke.

But I am confident the man would achieve what he set out to achieve. However, first, as we said, he must unite Nigerians and every one of us must be given a sense of belonging. Nigerians must also feel that their government cares. We must feel secure and those of us in bandits’ enclaves must be rescued. Social amenities should also be provided so we can see that our taxes count.

He must look at the cost of governance. It is not wise to sustain two legislative chambers doing the same things, especially since ours are costly. Duplicating the American model is therefore not advisable.

A situation where our government spends billions buying vehicles from foreign lands – thereby encouraging capital flight and keeping foreign companies afloat and their nationals in employment, or where the government feeds the president and state governors with billions of naira, ought to be done away with. What are their salaries and allowances for?

The president is now the father of all: for those who voted for and against him, for those from his part of the country or not; for those who profess the same faith as him or not. He must be fair and just to everyone, and he must ensure that everyone gets his due. He must understand that this nation has been bruised. We have seen hundreds killed “because one of them touched the chest of a General”, according to the former president, while some others who killed and cannibalised another General are still roaming about as free as the breeze.

Othman Danfodio, in his book Bayan Wujub al-Hijrah alal ibad, said, “A kingdom (nation) can endure with unbelief, but it cannot endure with injustice.” Tinubu should mark these words.

When the leader of the Muslims, Imam Ali Ibn Talib, appointed Malik Al Ashtar governor of Egypt in 656 AD, he charged him thus: “Be it known to you, O, Malik, that I am sending you as governor to a country which in the past had experienced both just and unjust rule (as Nigeria). Men will scrutinise your actions with a searching eye, even as you used to scrutinise the actions of those before you, and speak of you even as you spoke of them.”

He also exhorted him to “do good and keep your desires under control… and develop in your heart the feeling of love for your people.” Then he told him to forgive those who commit mistakes “even as you would like God to forgive you.”

In the areas of appointments, sentiment should be kept aside as Imam Ali told Al Ashtar to “choose the best among your people…” and “seek the company of the learned and the wise in search of solving the problems of your region (nation).”

Tinubu is unarguably the most consummate politician to have straddled our political landscape, who thirsted for power and emerged as president of Nigeria. He has no excuse not to perform.

** Hassan Gimba is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Neptune Prime.

A game of few chances saw South Korea emerge victorious over Nigeria courtesy of a header from Choi Seok-Hyun five minutes into the first half of extra time.

It was South Korea’s first and only shot on target in the third time Nigeria has lost out in the quarterfinal in extra time—2007, 2011, and 2023.

Coach Ladan Bosso sent out 10 of the 11 players that started against Argentina. Samson Lawal gave way to Victor Eletu.

The Flying Eagles had more than 70% of the ball possession in the first 10 minutes, and their first goal attempt came from Jude Sunday in the fifth minute, a tame overhead kick that was off target.

Nigeria won two successive corner kicks in the sixth minute, and Abel Ogwuche almost scored the opener, inexplicably, in the eighth minute after a corner kick dropped in the box and hit his body. It was goalbound but an easy catch for South Korea goalkeeper Kim Joon-Hong.

Ogwuche and Solomon Agbalaka collided mid-air in the 27th and needed treatment on the pitch. There was a lack of communication between the left-back and the centre-back.

Eletu almost produced the moment of the half in the 29th minute when he wriggled from the attentions of three South Korean players, and his shot needed saving. Salim Fago headed another corner kick wide as the South Koreans grew into the game.

A misplaced pass from Daniel Daga led to the South Korean’s first corner kick, and Kingsley Aniagboso made his first save to end the half. The Nigerians had 47% of ball possession to South Korea’s 32%, though they covered 52km to Nigeria’s 50.

The second half was a replica of the first, with the Nigerians having more of the ball. Captain Daniel Bameyi had a shot on target on 49 minutes. Lee Young-Jun hammered a South Korean chance over the bar on the hour.

Coach Bosso pulled out Salim Lawal and Ibrahim Muhammad in the 62nd minute and sent on Umeh Emmanuel, and Kehinde Ibrahim came on.

The game dragged into extra time, and Seok-Hyun stole ahead of Benjamin Fredrick to score the match’s only goal.

Coach Bosso, in his post-match interview, lamented his team’s missed chances while stating that the Koreans had only one chance from which they scored. He also revealed that the match was about the easiest of the four they played in Argentina.

PT

A third of the world's billionaires are concentrated in just 16 cities, according to a new study. 

Wealth-X's annual Billionaire Census tracks where they live, how they make their money, and more.

Here, the 16 cities across the globe with the most billionaires, from Istanbul to Moscow.

About 27 million Americans moved in 2022, according to census data. 

As for billionaires? They tend to stay put.

Almost a third of the world's billionaires are concentrated in just 16 cities, according to a new analysis of the habits and patterns of the richest individuals.

Wealth-X's Billionaire Census found that 29% of the globe's 3,194 wealthiest people, whose collective net worth totals $11.1 trillion, live in the same handful of metropolises in 2022 as they did during the last several years. 

New York City remains home to the most billionaires with 136, said the report, released Wednesday.

Other hot spots for high-net-worth folks are located across Asia, America, and the Middle East. Most of the top cities are consistent in their billionaire populations, gaining or losing one or two each between 2021 and 2022 — except for Singapore, which gained four of the world's wealthiest over the same time period.

The number of billionaires across the globe, however, dropped 3.5% in 2022 thanks to what the study authors called "a new war in Europe, a generational surge in inflation, and deepening US-China tension." People tied to industries including tech, retail, energy, healthcare, and transportation saw their average wealth decline by more than 5% in 2022.

Still, the report added, "the billionaire class wields a significant and still-growing influence over the global economy."

So let's take a tour of the 16 cities the most members of the world's wealthiest population call home.

15. Paris (tie)

Billionaire population in 2022: 32

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Paris lost one billionaire between 2021 and 2022.

15. Chicago (tie)

Billionaire population in 2022: 32

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Chicago lost one billionaire between 2021 and 2022.

13. Sao Paolo (tie)

Billionaire population in 2022: 33

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Sao Paolo lost one billionaire between 2021 and 2022.

13. Istanbul (tie)

Billionaire population in 2022: 33

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Istanbul's number of billionaires stayed the same between 2021 and 2022.

12. Hangzhou, China

Billionaire population in 2022: 34

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Hangzhou lost one billionaire between 2021 and 2022.

11. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Billionaire population in 2022: 38

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Dubai's number of billionaires stayed the same between 2021 and 2022.

10. Mumbai, India

Billionaire population in 2022: 39

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Mumbai lost one billionaire between 2021 and 2022.

9. Shenzhen, China

Billionaire population in 2022: 42

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Shenzhen lost two billionaires between 2021 and 2022.

8. Singapore

Billionaire population in 2022: 54

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Singapore gained four billionaires between 2021 and 2022.

7. Los Angeles

Billionaire population in 2022: 58

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Los Angeles lost one billionaire between 2021 and 2022.

6. Beijing

Billionaire population in 2022: 61

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Beijing lost two billionaires between 2021 and 2022.

5. London

Billionaire population in 2022: 75

Number of billionaires lost or gained: London lost two billionaires between 2021 and 2022.

4. Moscow

Billionaire population in 2022: 76

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Moscow gained one billionaire between 2021 and 2022.

3. San Francisco

Billionaire population in 2022: 84

Number of billionaires lost or gained: San Francisco lost one billionaire between 2021 and 2022.

2. Hong Kong

Billionaire population in 2022: 112

Number of billionaires lost or gained: Hong Kong lost two billionaires between 2021 and 2022.

1. New York City

Billionaire population in 2022: 136

Number of billionaires lost or gained: New York lost two billionaires between 2021 and 2022.

Business Insider

NewsScroll: President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria announced removal of petrol subsidy, resulting in almost three fold price increase. Against the backdrop of widespread poverty in Nigeria, please write an essay on the implications of this action by the president.

ChatGPT: Title: The Implications of President Bola Tinubu's Removal of Petrol Subsidy in Nigeria

Introduction:

President Bola Tinubu's decision to remove petrol subsidy in Nigeria has generated significant debate and concern. The subsequent threefold price increase of petrol has far-reaching implications, particularly against the backdrop of widespread poverty in the country. This essay aims to explore the potential consequences of this action on the Nigerian population and shed light on the challenges it poses for the government and its citizens.

1. Economic Impact: The removal of petrol subsidy is likely to have a profound effect on Nigeria's economy. The sudden price hike will increase the cost of transportation, which will subsequently impact the prices of goods and services across various sectors. This inflationary pressure could exacerbate poverty levels and lead to a decline in the standard of living for many Nigerians. The burden will be felt most acutely by low-income individuals and families, who spend a significant portion of their income on transportation and basic necessities.
2. Increased Cost of Living: The rise in petrol prices will have a cascading effect on the cost of living. Transportation costs will soar, making it more challenging for individuals to commute to work or school, access healthcare facilities, and engage in economic activities. Moreover, the increased cost of transportation will lead to higher prices for food, housing, and other essential commodities. This will disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable segments of society, further widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
3. Social Unrest and Protests: The removal of petrol subsidy could spark widespread social unrest and protests across the country. Nigerians have a long history of expressing their dissatisfaction with government policies that adversely affect their economic well-being. The sudden increase in petrol prices will likely ignite public outrage, leading to protests, strikes, and potential clashes with law enforcement agencies. Such social upheaval can disrupt the functioning of the nation, strain government resources, and impede social and economic progress.
4. Impact on Small Businesses: Small businesses, which are the backbone of Nigeria's economy, will bear the brunt of this policy decision. The higher transportation costs will result in increased operational expenses for these enterprises, making it difficult for them to compete and sustain their operations. Many micro and small business owners may be forced to downsize or shut down their businesses altogether, resulting in job losses and a further weakening of the economy.
5. Political Implications: President Tinubu's decision to remove petrol subsidy carries political ramifications as well. The policy could erode public trust in the government and its ability to address the needs of its citizens effectively. The perception that the government is insensitive to the plight of the poor and prioritizes the interests of the affluent can lead to a loss of credibility and popularity. This could impact the government's ability to implement future policies and initiatives successfully, as public support and cooperation may diminish.

Conclusion:

The removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu in Nigeria carries significant implications for the country's economy, social fabric, and political landscape. The subsequent threefold increase in petrol prices is likely to burden the poor, exacerbate poverty levels, and disrupt the livelihoods of many Nigerians. It is crucial for the government to consider the socio-economic impact of such decisions and proactively address the concerns of the population. A comprehensive approach that balances economic considerations with social welfare is essential to mitigate the adverse effects and promote inclusive growth in Nigeria.

Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) says it will embark on a nationwide protest next week Wednesday over the removal of petrol subsidy.

On Friday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) issued a five-day ultimatum to the federal government to revert to the old price of petrol or face a nationwide protest.

Joe Ajaero, NLC president, said the federal government had until Wednesday to revert to the old price of N185.

Reacting in a statement on Saturday, Shuaibu Leman, NUJ national secretary, said an emergency central working committee (CMC) meeting of the union was convened virtually.

Leman said discussions at the meeting centred on issues surrounding the decision by the federal government to remove fuel subsidy and the position taken by the NLC.

He said members unanimously adopted the position of the NLC.

“CWC reiterates the argument that although the removal of fuel subsidy will free allocations which can be channelled to the provisions of infrastructure and creation of additional jobs, the sudden removal could, however, lead to social unrest and protests as people may perceive Government as being insensitive to their plight,” the statement reads.

“CWC also notes that already there is an astronomical increase in the prices of petroleum products and high inflation which have drastically reduced the purchasing power of citizens.

“Accordingly CWC directs all State Councils of the Union to mobilise members to withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide from Wednesday next week, 7th June 2023, if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNCPL) refuses to reverse the new price regime in the oil sector.”

The Cable

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Muhammed, has been elected as the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum (PDP-GF).

Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, emerged as the vice chairman of the forum.

They were elected on Saturday at a retreat for elected PDP officials held in Bauchi State.

Mohammed replaced Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, also at the retreat.

At the retreat, the Acting National Chairman of PDP, Umar Damagum, urged the party’s governors to work together and support the party’s senators-elect.

“I want to reiterate, on the issue of the National Assembly, we have to know we are an opposition. To remain relevant, we must work together as one family. That is the only way you will be able to ensure that your relevance is being determined.”

Atiku criticises Tinubu over Fuel subsidy

In his remarks, the presidential candidate of the PDP in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, criticised the removal of subsidy by the administration of Bola Tinubu.

“Between 1999 and 2007, the PDP government initiated the petroleum subsidy removal, and I chaired the committee. We achieved subsidy removal in two phases but only after providing palliatives to those most affected by the subsidy removal.

“We have the experience as a party in government. That is what we would have done and not just announced subsidy removal without discussion with the affected sectors of the economy. I think Nigerians should appreciate what they have temporarily lost.”

Wike absent

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, was conspicuously absent at the retreat.

Governors present at the retreat were Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa) and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta).

Others were the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang; Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas; Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.

Kogi State governorship candidate, Dino Melaye, serving senators and House of Representatives members of the PDP were in attendance.

Senators-elect and members-elect elect of the party were also at the retreat.

PT

Federal Government has announced the recommencement of two additional train trips on the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) which was earlier suspended.

The Board and Management of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) made the announcement in a statement by the Manager of AKTS, Pascal Nnorli, on Saturday.

“The additional train service will resume on Sunday, June 4 with the following train trips: AK1 departs IDU (Abuja) at 0945hrs, KA2 departs RIGASA (Kaduna) at 1330hrs, AK3 departs IDU (Abuja) at 1500hrs.

“Subsequently from Monday, June 5, KA2 will depart RIGASA (Kaduna) at 0800hrs, AK1 will depart IDU (Abuja) at 0945hrs, KA4 will depart RIGASA, (Kaduna) at 1330hrs and AK3 will depart IDU(Abuja) at 1500hrs.

“However, on Wednesdays, only KA2 will depart RIGASA (Kaduna) at 0700hrs and AK3 will depart IDU (Abuja) at 1500hrs,” Nnorli said.

According to the manager, the Corporation regrets any inconvenience its esteemed passengers may have experienced as a result of the temporary reduction in train service.

NAN

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Western weapons used in Ukrainian raid inside Russia – WaPo

Military equipment and small arms provided by several NATO nations, including the US, ended up in the hands of militants who launched a cross-border raid into Russia's Belgorod region in May, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing sources linked to US intelligence. 

At least four tactical vehicles initially supplied to the Ukrainian military by the US and Poland were employed in the May raid, raising concerns about Kiev's commitment to fulfilling the demands of its Western supporters, the sources told WaPo.

The US and its Western allies have consistently expressed opposition to the use of Western arms by Ukraine in attacks on Russian territory. They also urged Kiev to "carefully track the billions of dollars’ worth of weapons that have flowed into the country," WaPo reported. 

The attack in question occurred in late May, and in response, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that "over 70 Ukrainian terrorists, four armored combat vehicles, and five pickup trucks" had been destroyed in the clash in Belgorod. The remaining militants were subsequently forced back into Ukraine and targeted by Russian artillery. The incursion resulted in one civilian death and 12 injuries, according to Russian authorities.

The Russian military shared a series of photographs showing what appeared to be destroyed Western equipment abandoned by the militants. Some of the images depicted two M1151A1 Humvee armored cars stuck in bomb craters, while others displayed two M1224 MaxxPro armored vehicles. An AMZ Dzik-2 armored car, manufactured in Poland, was also visible in the images.

Kiev attempted to distance itself from the raid by claiming it was carried out by the "Freedom of Russia Legion" and the "Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK)," the neo-Nazi units responsible for a similar attack in the Bryansk Region in March. The Pentagon and the US State Department expressed doubts regarding the authenticity of the images.

The State Department also said that the US "does not encourage or enable attacks inside of Russia." Washington also does not "support the use of US-made equipment … for attacks inside of Russia," it added. 

According to the Washington Post, videos published by the "Freedom of Russia Legion" and the RDK militants themselves showed fighters using the Czech-made CZ Bren and Belgium's FN SCAR assault rifles. Both types of weapons were provided to Ukraine by the respective nations, the paper said, adding that "Bren and SCAR rifles are commonly distributed to Ukraine’s soldiers" and foreign fighters who travel to Ukraine to combat Russian forces. 

A spokesperson from the Belgian Defense Ministry informed the Washington Post that they only provided weapons to "official authorities and the regular army" in Ukraine, placing responsibility on Kiev for their usage. Poland and the Czech Republic declined to comment on the findings presented by the Washington Post.

The use of Western military supplies in an attack on Russian territory raises the issue of Kiev’s accountability, Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think-tank, told WaPo. The Ukrainians "are clearly complicit here," Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps officer, added.

** Kiev rebuffs Indonesian peace efforts

Ukraine has rejected Indonesia’s proposal for a peace settlement with Moscow, arguing that Jakarta’s plan would only serve Russia’s interests. 

President Vladimir Zelensky’s top adviser Mikhail Podoliak wrote on Twitter on Saturday that the roadmap “frankly looks like a twin of the Russian proposal … about the surrender [of Ukraine].” 

The adviser reiterated Kiev’s position that the “only one realistic proposal” would be for Russia to “withdraw from the sovereign territory of Ukraine.”  

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko also insisted that Russia should surrender its newly incorporated regions, which Kiev says were illegally occupied. “There can be no alternative scenarios,” he said in a post on Facebook. 

“Ceasefire without the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine will allow Russia to win time, regroup, fortify the occupied territories and accumulate forces for a new wave of aggression,” Nikolenko wrote.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on Saturday, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto suggested that both Russian and Ukrainian troops withdraw 15km (nearly 10 miles) from their current positions, creating a demilitarized zone that would be monitored by UN peacekeepers. He also proposed holding UN-sponsored referendums to determine the future “disputed” territories.

Moscow has so far not commented on the proposal. Russian officials stressed in the past that, in order to achieve a lasting peace, Ukraine must drop its bid to join NATO in favor of neutrality and recognize Russia’s recent territorial acquisitions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that there was “no basis” meaningful negotiations at the moment because Kiev and the West “don’t have any political will to take into account our country’s goals and concerns.”

** Russia's newest satellites to change course of Ukrainian conflict — former UN inspector

Russia's new radar surveillance satellites will allow Moscow to change the course of the conflict in Ukraine, former US intelligence officer and UN weapons inspector to Iraq Scott Ritter said.

Ritter pointed out that the Russian Federation recently launched "the first of several radar surveillance satellites that have a resolution of up to one meter, which means it can see everything." "It can see through clouds, it can see through rain. It can see through everything. High resolution radar, and they are seeing everything right now," he said.

"You can't hide anything from the Russians anymore," Ritter stressed. "And it's going to have a fundamental shift in how this [Ukrainian] conflict goes because all that stuff that's been brought - can't hide it," he continued, referring to Western weapons coming into Ukraine.

"They [the weapons] are all detected now and they're all getting programmed into the Russian target database. And the Russians are gonna start hitting this stuff, more and more and more and we see evidence of this already," Ritter pointed out, adding that in his opinion this conflict would become "unsustainable for the Ukrainian sometime by the end of summer, early fall.".

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia has enough Iranian suicide drones to launch attacks every day to deplete Ukraine's air defenses - Ukraine AirForce spokesman

Russia has enough Iranian-made suicide drones to keep up attacks on Ukraine every day, a Ukrainian Air Force official warned.

Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Russian forces have more than enough supply of Shahed-136 drones to keep up the attack, Ukrainian news outlet NV reported.

"Shaheds are now launched so often that it is not clear whether they are (supposed to be) detecting or depleting our air defense," Ihnat said, according to NV. "It's all in one: both detecting and, surely, depleting."

Russia has been using the unmanned loitering munitions to relentlessly bombard Ukrainian cities and targets in recent weeks.

The explosive drones have a range of 1,250 miles and are packed with explosives, Insider previously reported. The relatively small drones can then stay flying above their targets, lingering for the correct moment to strike, before crashing down and exploding on impact like a traditional missile.

Ukrainian defense minister Volodymyr Havrylov told Reuters that despite the barrage of drone and missile attacks, Kyiv's forces were still ready to start their counterattack against Russian troops occupying the eastern part of the country.

Havrylov said Russia was trying to distract Ukraine from its planned counteroffensive, but said the missile attacks were a "last strategic resort," Reuters reported.

Havrylov also told reporters that Ukraine's air defense systems were "more than 90 percent effective" at stopping the attacks, according to Reuters.

** Russia's air attack repelled on approach to Kyiv, Ukraine says

Russia launched a wave of air attacks on Ukraine early on Sunday, with air defence systems repelling all missiles and drones on their approach to Kyiv, the capital's military officials said.

"According to preliminary information, not a single air target reached the capital," Serhiy Popko, the head of the military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app early on Sunday.

"Air defence destroyed everything that was heading towards the city already at their distant approaches."

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

Russia has repeatedly attacked Kyiv since May, chiefly at night, ahead of a long-expected Ukrainian counteroffensive to reclaim territory, in what Ukrainian officials say is an attempt to inflict psychological distress on civilians.

Reuters witnesses reported hearing several blasts in the Kyiv region, but not in the city, from what sounded like air defence systems hitting targets.

All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts for nearly three hours.

There were unverified Ukrainian social media reports of blasts heard in Kryvyi Rih in southern Ukraine, near the central city of Kropyvnitskyi and in the northeastern region of Sumy. There was no immediate official information about the reports.

RT/Tass/Business Insider/Reuters

Sudan fighters take over Khartoum museum, director says

Sudanese paramilitary fighters have taken over the national museum in Khartoum, its deputy director said on Saturday, urging them to protect precious artefacts from the nation's heritage that include ancient mummies.

Members of the Rapid Support Forces group that has been fighting the army since mid-April for control of Sudan entered the museum on Friday, said deputy director Ikhlas Abdellatif.

Museum staff do not know the situation inside the museum because they halted work there after the conflict suddenly erupted on April 15, forcing police guarding the facility to quit, Abdellatif said.

The RSF released a video filmed inside the museum grounds showing a soldier denying that they had done any harm to the museum or would do so, and inviting any individuals or organisations to visit the museum to check.

The video also showed RSF fighters covering up exposed mummies with sheets and closing the plain white boxes in which they were contained. It was not clear when or why the mummies had been uncovered.

The museum is in a large building on the banks of the River Nile in central Khartoum, near the central bank in an area where some of the fiercest fighting has taken place.

Among its thousands of priceless relics are embalmed mummies dating to 2,500 BC, making them among the oldest and archaeologically most important in the world.

The museum also contains statues, pottery and ancient murals, with artefacts from the stone age through to the Christian and Islamic eras, said former director Hatim Alnour.

Roxanne Trioux, part of a French archaeological team that was working in Sudan, said they had been monitoring satellite pictures of the museum and had already seen potential signs of damage there before Friday, with signs of burning.

"We don't know the extent of damage inside," she said.

Fighting has persisted despite repeated truces including one negotiated by Saudi Arabia and the United States to which both sides signed up. The latest was due to expire on Saturday evening.

On Saturday afternoon, residents reported clashes including air and artillery strikes in southern Khartoum and northern districts of its sister cities Omdurman and Bahri which lie across the Nile, as well as the Sharg el-Nil district, to the east.

After continued clashes, bombardment and occupation of civilian buildings, Washington and Riyadh suspended the talks and the U.S. said this week it was imposing sanctions on the two sides' business interests.

Since the overthrow of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019 Sudan's government was headed by a sovereign council under army chief General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan with the RSF head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, as his deputy.

The two are now heading rival forces in a bloody power struggle, and Burhan removed Hemedti from his post last month.

On Friday, the U.N. Security Council called on the warring factions to cease hostilities to allow access to humanitarian organisations.

"The army is shelling us and the RSF are spread out in the streets, and the citizen is paying the price for war," said Sami el-Tayeb, a 47-year-old resident of Omdurman.

The war has already displaced 1.2 million people inside the country and forced another 400,000 to flee into neighbouring states, pushing Sudan to the brink of disaster and raising fears of a wider conflict.

Reuters

America was a pitiable sight last Thursday. That great country was crouched on the bare floor. It fell like a huge hippopotamus. President Joe Biden’s legs were wrapped over each other like a malevolent viper that had just had its backbone yanked apart by an irreverent bullet. America looked helpless. The edges of Biden’s blue suit raised their hands up in surrender, leaving the world gaping through his now visible white singlet. The only thing on him that seemed unfazed by the fall was his blue fez cap. For the first time ever, cameras pierced through the underneath of Biden’s black shoes. Those shoes lay on their sides, even as a Biden security aide was pictured attempting to lift America up. Looking at the faces of the guests on the podium, you could see palpable shock and fright. America fell!

Biden had tripped and fallen immediately after handing out the last diploma at a U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado. After he fell, the president caught himself with his hands and immediately got up on a knee. He looked backwards towards a sandbag which supported the teleprompter he used. This confirms the universality of that Yoruba proverb which says, when a child falls, he looks forward to a remedy but when elders do, they look backwards to the roots of the fall. Three of Biden’s aides then sprightly sprang up to his rescue, helped him up as he walked back to his seat. He then sat down as if nothing had happened. Back at the White House, the president joked, “I got sandbagged."

Olusegun Obasanjo didn’t have such joke as riposte. He had a sound rebuke. In 1995 circa, he had attended a political event at the Gateway Hotel, Sango-Ota, Ogun State. He was ostensibly under the weather but reluctantly elected to come and honour organizers of the event, in spite of his failing health. As he sat on the high table, with the event afoot, human nature took its toll. Vomit daringly coursed through his esophagus, irreverently unmindful that this was once a Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. This was an office that imbues its occupant with power of life and death. Like the Yoruba Anikulapo, he had death imprisoned inside his pouch. Obasanjo momentarily grabbed one of the cups in his front on the high table, inside of which was hemmed a serviette paper. By then, the goddamn vomit had burst the door of his mouth open and was ready to spill the content of its cistern. Obasanjo merely offered the glass cup as sacrifice to this rude guest. Then, the vomit forcefully gushed out of his guts.

Ace photographer of the then Third Eye and later, Tribune newspapers, Tomi Adegbite, just like those photographers in Colorado who clicked on as America fell, sprang up his feet and unto the scene. He immediately drew out his camera. Click-click-click, this audacious professional thumbed the button of his camera, photographing Nigeria’s ex-Head of State at his most vulnerable moment. Obasanjo couldn’t care. He soberly attended to the unseen hand that ruled him at that moment. After his Lord and Master, the vomit, had finished its assignment and the cup was filled up, the ex- Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces looked up to behold the photographer. “Ta lo ran e ni’se? Foto lo de nya loju ara e yen o?” – Who sent you? You must think you are taking a shot? he demanded. It was indecipherable. Was it a question, threat or a remark? The photographer didn’t wait to give a reply. As the Yoruba would say, he “na papa bo ra” – literally, disappeared into void. Like Biden’s photo, this too was later published in the Third Eye.

The Biden fall became a piece of narrative to justify Nigeria’s tottering last week. It was spearheaded by those who believe in the Messiahnism of the current landlord of Aso Rock. A few days before Biden’s, Nigeria almost fell too. It was on May 29, 2023 at the Eagle Square. A clandestine video recording said to be of President Bola Tinubu at his swearing-in, went viral. As celebration enveloped Nigeria and the atmosphere of conviviality wrapped the Eagle Square, the president allegedly made for the podium to address the world. From the video, we saw a president who shook tremulously like a storm-propelled chandelier. His ADC briskly fled after him as he tottered like one in the dark, seeming to want to fall. Or, could the president have been drunk that early morning? This reminded the audience of the biblical apostles accused by their Jew brethren of being drunk early in the morning. The charge was later disputed by Peter the apostle who reminded them that Jews seldom drank alcohol before nine in the morning. So, was Nigeria’s president drunk on the day of his joy?

Or, was he drunk on something? Or, ill? After his fall last June in America, Biden’s doctors came out to tell the world that he does not drink alcohol nor use tobacco and exercises "at least" five times a week. The fall came as Biden dismounted his bicycle and snared a foot in a toe clip of the cycle. He had taken a weekend trip to the Gordons Pond area of the Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Just as he did in Colorado, Biden stood up immediately, waved and said, "I'm good. I got my foot caught up."

Immediately, his doctors declared him healthy and fit for duty after they conducted physical examination on him. The White House thereafter issued a release saying the president did not require any medical attention. Nigerians were not that lucky. After Nigeria tottered at the Eagle Square last Monday, mum was the word. There was even no official reaction to the viral video. We expected to be told, as usual, that the video was photo-shopped; and that some shaky and tremulous character, not our president, was imported into that viral video. Neither did we get a medical reaction similar to the one from Biden’s physicians telling us that “President Tinubu does not drink alcohol nor use tobacco or any other harmful substance and exercises on the treadmill ‘at least’ five times a week.”

Tinubu wasn’t the first leader of a people to totter that pitiably. Indeed, he has no reason to worry about falling. Falls have almost become an imprimatur of the world presidency. One world leader, who once fell or nearly fell, was Boris Johnson. Curated by the British press as having a nonchalant approach to governance with his hair uncombed and shirts flown out, untucked, in 2015, Boris hit tabloid headlines as he slipped at a charity tug-of-war game organized for a World War I commemoration event holding at the Thames River. Clenching his teeth and grimacing, Johnson pulled hard in the game as he fell, losing his footing on the muddy grass. He exclaimed, “oh bugger!”

Then another photograph emerged. It was of President Tinubu at a meeting with CBN and NNPCL heads. He was cosseted by his wife, Remi. Though they claimed it was not an official meeting, what was Mrs. Tinubu doing at an official meeting presided over by her husband? Was Nigeria about to witness an imperial presidency where the queen and king reigned? This question accompanied the viral photograph of the event. It reminded me of one verse of the Ifa corpus that inveighed leaders who import their women into the theatre of power.

The narrative went thus: The Olufimo, who was a king, got pestered by his newly wedded wife to take her to the Oro cult, a ritual that forbade the presence of women in traditional Yoruba society. When the pestering became almost like a pestilence, Olufimo, in the bid to wave off a far more pestilential matrimonial crisis, had no choice than smuggle the woman into the Oro groove. He did this by hiding her inside the apere – the traditional seat of the king. As the initiates gathered for the ceremony, the babalawo 

struck the chord of the Ifa deity thrice on the pouch but the deity refused to communicate with the initiates as it used to do. Then, the Ifa priest sought the face of the god in a different way and commanded that the Olufimo’s apere be ransacked for the cause of the blockage of communication by the Oro cult from the living. The Ifa narrative expressed this thus in Yoruba – Ohun lo di’fa fun Olufimo Akoko ni’jo ti o f’aya e j’oye; ape’fa, ifa o je o, a p’oro, oro o mi titi o, e je a ye’nu apere oba wo. The Olufimo and his wife were then beheaded for the sacrilege they brought upon the land.

On the social media, Nigerians did their own “beheading” via commentaries dragging the First Family. Questions were asked on the nature of this unfolding government. Would the First Lady be attending Executive Council meetings too? Was this part of the un-communicated handover note that Mrs. Aisha Buhari left for the pastor? “Learn lessons from my isolation in the Villa. Take charge, from the word go!” Was that what she said? Or was that Nigerian Christians’ own way of achieving a Muslim/Christian presidential parity?

Some very naughty persons however reasoned that the First Lady was cosseting her husband all over the place not necessarily to flaunt her feminine power but to physically monitor his fragile health. Didn’t Yoruba say that the plate is not displaying arrogance when it diffidently insists that it must have its own soup poured right on its face? – oju awo l’awo fi ngb’obe. No one, not even a doctor, can decipher when the indicators are going wrong like the woman who had witnessed the indicators slide dangerously in the past.

Did President Gerald Ford’s wife, like Remi, dot on him too after he fell? Ford fell exactly the same day, 48 years earlier from the day Biden fell in Colorado. On June 1, 1975, Ford had been captured in a photograph flung on the floor yakata like a castrated puppy. The very embarrassing event had occurred overseas as the president disembarked the Air Force One in Salzburg, the rainy Austrian city. His wife beside him, Ford, who was by then 61 years old, had lost his balance as he walked down the wet steps of the aircraft. He then skidded off down the remaining stairs. The almighty president of America ended up folded in a heap by the tarmac. Flummoxed, officials stampeded round themselves to get America back on its feet. Later while delivering his speech, Ford had said: “Thank you for your gracious welcome to Salzburg, and I am sorry I tumbled in.”

Falls are viewed both literally and metaphorically by people all over the world. They are even symbolic. For political foes of presidents, they narrate a bumbling and clumsy presidency. To paparazzi and the yellow journalism world, when such falls are caught on camera, they become skits for entertainment and late-night comedy shows. Stumbles are also framed as narratives of lack of fitness for the office occupied. For older presidents and leaders, they are pointers that the ones who fell had aged beyond the call of office. The cantankerous Donald Trump had seized on the Biden fall in Colorado. When asked about it at an Iowa rally, he sarcastically remarked, "He actually fell down? Well, I hope he wasn’t hurt," and added, "You gotta be careful about that," even if you have to “tiptoe down a ramp."

These falls and tottering may mean nothing to other world leaders, but they should to Tinubu. As an African, Tinubu should look back, like Biden did, to his teleprompter. Falls and tottering humanize us as the living. They show that we are mere pencil traces on a paper which can be erased in a twinkle of an eye. They guide us to remember our humble past. In traditional African reading of infirmities and death, Africans came to a conclusion that those are beyond the purview of the living. Anyone who mocks a recipient of any of such unfavourable knuckle of fate is the greatest fool. The aged and worn trees of the forest have been known to confound human understanding to stand erect while the green, luxuriating ones fell.

On Friday in Osogbo, Osun State, on a Rave FM radio sermon, an Islamic cleric, Musbaideen Afolabi Orimadegun, had narrated the story of an ex-slave by the name Ayaz. Ayaz was promoted and became the king’s favourite chief. He had been thoroughly impoverished and wore torn clothes as apparel. He now began to wear expensive clothes and shoes. Then his co-chiefs reported to the king that he usually went inside the king’s treasury, where he kept all his clothes and material property. One day, the king volunteered to go with the chiefs at the dead of the night to witness what they said was Ayaz’ nocturnal pre-occupation. There, they saw him peel himself of all those adornments of wealth, even as he wore those torn clothes and shoes he wore as a poverty-stricken man. Then murmuring, he told himself “Ayaz, don’t forget what you were before now. This is you; this is your foundation! Realize this and be humble.”

As Orimadegun, a highly revered Ustaz due to his depth of understanding of Yoruba and the Quran, said during that sermon, the native concoction that rescues one from perennial bouts with an Abiku child must never be denied its veneration. It must be constantly replenished with water – agbo to ba si’ni lowo abiku, omi ori re o gbodo gbe. In the same way, said Orimadegun, atori ta ba fi le ise wo gbe, a’i ju si’gbo – the cudgel with which poverty is chased into the forest must never be despised or thrown away. The people make and unmake leaders. As I once said, there is no difference between the ordinary cleaner on the street and the president, except that one is privileged over the other. The cleaner’s defecation smells, just as the president’s; they both take ill, trip and fall. The people are the ones who make the leader and deserve to be constantly venerated. Their welfare must be topmost in consideration. Did Tinubu factor the people into the current removal of subsidy? As desirable as the removal is, was it logical to yank it off, as peremptory and off-the-cuff as it was done, with the attendant suffering Nigerians are going through now?

Nigerians expect a presidency of sobriety, and which will preference them. They want an economy that stands on its feet and may care less about a president who totters; they want a presidency that is reconciliatory and not one that wars with any part of the country. Again, Orimadegun’s counsel in that sermon, dredging deep into Yoruba chieftaincy tradition, was that, a chieftaincy attained in the thick of hues and cries deserves sobriety – Oye ti a ba fi ote je, kike laa ke. Is the Nigerian presidency listening?