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Why coronavirus didn’t consume Nigeria, Pastor Adeboye reveals

Abuja (Sundiata Post) –  Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, on Sunday revealed why coronavirus did not consume Nigeria.Adeboye, who is the General Overseer of RCCG, disclosed that the mercy of God saved Nigeria from being consumed by COVID-19.Papa G.O. as he is fondly called spoke during the first Sunday service in November tagged ‘Better days ahead” at Redemption Camp, along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.According to Adeboye: “If not for the mercy of God, coronavirus would have consumed Nigerians.“Compared to developed countries, God has been faithful to Nigeria.”He also urged Nigerians to continue praying for God’s mercy and protection as the world is trying to overcome the pandemic.Adeboye also cautioned Nigerians against taking God’s mercy for granted.

Oyigbo: Wike keeps mum as Nigerian soldiers, starvation wreak havoc in Rivers community

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike (Photo Credit: @Govwike)

The community with its over 300,000 people has seen dozens killed by soldiers since last week, even as residents run out of food and water.

Governor Nyesom Wike has maintained a dangerous snub as Nigerian soldiers continued a deadly campaign against a densely-populated community in Rivers.

Since last week, Nigerian soldiers have been laying a deadly siege to Oyigbo, a border community of Rivers and Abia just 30 kilometres east of Port Harcourt. The community with its over 300,000 people has seen dozens killed by soldiers over the past week, witnesses told Peoples Gazette on Sunday.

Mr. Wike, who last week directed security forces to be ruthless in their chase of perceived IPOB elements, has yet to comment on the unfolding devastation in his state. Telephone numbers for the governor’s media aides, including information commissioner Paulinus Nsirim, repeatedly rang through on Sunday. They also did not return messages seeking comments.

The unfolding crisis in Oyigbo has been aggravated by Mr. Wike’s week-long imposition of a curfew on the community, with widespread starvation looming as residents run out of food and water supply.

The military operation appeared targeted at young men of the community, and witnesses said death toll so far indicated most of those killed were between 19 and 35.

The Gazette could not immediate confirm casualty figures as soldiers have initiated a blockade that made it difficult for journalists and activists to conduct independent assessment of the situation.

“Soldiers and militia are still killing people in Oyigbo,” a resident who fled the community to on Saturday afternoon told Peoples Gazette. Earlier, another witness Kelechi Francis told Peoples Gazette how soldiers were invading homes to kill mostly young men, some of whom their remains were left to decompose indoors.

Civic groups have called on the Nigerian Army to allow people willing to leave Oyigbo out of the community. They also demanded immediately opening of the community to journalists and independent rights organisations.

The Nigerian Army said five soldiers were allegedly killed recently by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, a separatist movement active in Nigeria’s Igbo-dominated southeast and the oil-rich Delta region. It was unclear whether or not IPOB has claimed responsibility for the attack on soldiers, which the military did not publicly announce.

Mr. Wike responded to the violence by directing security forces to be ruthless against perceived IPOB elements in Rivers, but with specific attention to Oyigbo. In merry-go-round, the governor also proscribed IPOB in Rivers, three years after the group was outlawed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Communication in Oyigbo has been significantly restricted over the past week, including for supply of crucial materials for residents. Pictures of military devastation in the community have been leaking to social media, and those who have relatives in the community are also crying out for help.

Scores of lucky residents have also fled the community over the past week, the Gazette understands.

Although Mr. Wike’s directive on October 29 encouraged security forces to violently route out perceived IPOB elements, it was unclear whether or not the governor was in support of ongoing military operation that has led to civilian casualties.

The Nigerian Army 6 Division in Port Harcourt and Rivers police command have yet to provide critical updates on the crisis.

#EndSARS protest: Nigeria’s investment outlook dims

•Looting, destruction of properties send danger signals

•Investorsassets’ security not guaranteed

•Unemployment, inflation may worsen …

•Country risks loss of investor-confidence

By Odinaka Anudu, Emelike Obinna and Amaka

The events of the last two weeks could push Africa’s most populous nation further down investors’ pecking order at a time it is battling flagging economic growth, low foreign direct investments and high unemployment rate.

It first started with peaceful #EndSARS protests across the country targeted at ending reckless brutality in the hands of a rogue and brutal police unit widely known as the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The protest turned bloody mid-way on October 20 as soldiers shot peaceful protesters, fuelling crisis across the nation. Hoodlums seized the opportunity to vent their spleen on police officers and their stations, private residences of politicians, media houses and businesses owned by local and foreign investors.

The whole hullabaloo has changed Nigeria’s investment outlook, according to economists and investment experts, at a period when the country is in dire need of DFIs.

In the second quarter (Q2) of 2020, total investments into Nigeria, including portfolio, equity and foreign direct investments, stood at $1.29 billion as against $5.85 billion recorded in the preceding quarter, representing a 77.88 percent decline over the period. The $1.29 billion also indicates a 78.1 percent crash from $6.05 billion reported in the corresponding period of 2019.

The FDI figure in Q2 of 2020 is the lowest inflows since the first quarter of 2017 when the country slipped into recession owing to a global collapse in oil prices.

With that outlook, analysts say this is not the right time to do anything that could be antithetical to investments.

With the shooting and consequent massive looting and wanton destruction of private and public properties, analysts see worsening unemployment rate that could throw millions more into the labour market. In the Q2 of 2020, unemployment rate stood at 27.1 percent and reached 56 percent when underemployment is factored in. About 14 million youths are jobless in Nigeria as of the Q2 of 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Muda Yusuf, director general, ‎Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said the regrettable actions of the hoodlums would have very negative impact on investor confidence, saying that the economy is worse-off when investor confidence begins to wane.

“No investor, who witnessed the massive lootings and destruction, will want to invest now, particularly on projects that are customer-focused, like the retail outlets because you can see how vulnerable such investments are to any social unrest,” Yusuf said.

Speaking further, the LCCI director-general noted that those who are thinking of investing in Nigeria would begin to think twice now because of the high level of insecurity, lawlessness and crime during the protests.

“It does not give a sense of security even to the investors because if the looting can happen so freely, then the society is not secured, as well as, your investments,” he further said.

Ademola Okikiola, a stockbroker, noted that the impact of the looting and wanton destruction of lives and properties is already felt in the economy as investor confidence has dampened further from its low point occasioned by the lockdown.

“On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, the stock market lost N113 billion because investors’ appetite dampened due to the tensed security situation in the country,” Okikiola said.

The stockbroker was sad that the market, which had remained stable for some time now with marginal gains, is losing again because investors have reduced their demand for equities as they reacted to the prevailing security situation occasioned by #EndSARS protests.

In his review of ACCA Global Economic Conditions Survey (GECS) for Q4’19, Thomas Isibor, head, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Nigeria, noted that with double digit inflation, which results in low economic growth and decline of Gross Domestic product (GDP) per capita, investor confidence is bound to drop in any economy and Nigeria is not different.

Considering the huge loss of revenue and closure of businesses torched during the protests, economic analysts think that the situation would impact negatively on Nigeria’s economic growth and gross domestic product (GDP).

“Investors are the employers and when they are not convinced that their investments are secure, they will shut down, leaving many unemployed and denying the economy the much needed revenue to boost the GDP,” Emele Onugha, an economist, said.

Nigerian economic growth crashed by 6 percent in the Q2 of 2020 due to COVID-19 lockdowns which disrupted the value chains across the world. But the shooting and looting have both raised a new risk for a weak economy.

For the LCCI director general, the lootings and destruction of properties would worsen unemployment in the country because a lot of companies torched by the hoodlums during the protests have shutdown, while their employees have lost their jobs. “It is when you have business that you employ people,” he said.

Speaking further on the impact, Yusuf noted that some of those who suffered losses during the protests may not be able to recover because they borrowed money, stressing that some might have paid two years’ rent in advance, which are looking wasted.

“It will affect unemployment, investment, government revenue, and also the general psyche of the average Nigerian,” he noted.

Analysts say the unresolved shooting of protesters in Lekki by soldiers could present Nigerian government as authoritarian and unable to make lives better for the people in the comity of nations.

Jonathan Nicol, president of Shippers Association of Lagos State, said the after-effect of the massive looting and destruction in Nigeria last week has forced some businesses to close down, revealing that shippers are cancelling orders due to the uncertainty in the polity. He observed that Nigerian environment is no longer safe to conduct business.

According to him, the burning and looting of private businesses is a reflection of bottled-up anger, which sends dire signal to both foreign and domestic investors. He said the fact that many embassies including the American Embassy in Nigeria had to shut down their visa application centres is an indication of what could come.

“We believe the peaceful protest was in line with the reality of the present time. It was all over the country. It was writing the history of our present situation of retrogression in all fronts apart from the institution of corruption. It was a signal that the older generation has failed. The governments should have been more diplomatic with the peaceful protesters. It was an expression of dis-satisfaction in a failed system which could have been managed with wisdom. It was a time bomb that was detonated by irrational decision of force,” Nicol explained in a phone interview with BusinessDay Sunday.

Citing example, Nicol further said that his principals recently refused to invest in fishery business in Nigeria due to constant harassment of fishing vessels within the Gulf of Guinea region by pirates which portrays the height of insecurity on the nation’s waterway.

“The pockets of protest are still continuing in several parts of the country and there seems to be no end in sight. People are hungry because the outbreak of Covid-19 shut down a lot of industries and while such people are trying to bounce back gradually, the nationwide protest started. How can an investor invest in a situation of lack of security to investment? Investors are already leaving the country in their numbers,” he further said.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) disclosed that Nigeria lost about N700 billion in just two weeks of protest. Nicol said that the loss has reached over N1.6 trillion across the country going by the massive burning of property across the country.

“Nigerians are tired of paying unnecessary bills for services that do not commensurate to the sums being levied. The government is doing nothing for her citizens. No good roads, no good hospitals, businesses are dwindling and closing shops while the global oil price remains epileptic,” he said.

These, he noted, has contributed to the frustration faced by Nigerians across the country as many households and families have continued to face difficulties in the provision of basic needs as well as payment of children school fees.

On the way forward, Nicol suggested that government should in addition to putting an end to using force to quell legitimate demands, also accept the 5-point demand of the youth and engage them in meaningful dialogue.

“After spending seven to eight years in school, there is no work for the graduating students. Therefore, government should be able to console the youths and offer them meaningful jobs in all the states. Jobs are not meant for one tribe. So, there should be true federal character in recruitment of people into government institutions,” he added.

On his part, Tony Anakebe, managing director of Gold-Link Investment Ltd, a Lagos-based clearing and forwarding company, confirmed that the massive looting and destruction of private businesses would definitely scare away investors from investing their money in Nigeria even as he disclosed that some of his principals (importers) were already cancelling their order due to the uncertainty in the country.

According to him, a lot of businesses such as Shoprite and Samsung that lost heavy investments during the protest are suspending plans to expand their investment in Nigeria.

He however, called on government to consider financial empowerment, which could come in form of tax rebate or holiday for private companies that lost their investment during the nationwide protest in order to cushion the effect of the loss on their bottom-line.

In January 2020, a survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) revealed that investor confidence in the Nigerian economy dropped below its nine years average in the last quarter of 2019.

From -7.6 index points in 2019, investors’ confidence dropped to a staggering -17 points in September 2020, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

While the huge loss of confidence was attributed mainly to the uncertainties of the 2019 elections, investor confidence dampened further due to the travail of the Nigerian economy in recent times; from border closure, insecurity, lockdown and most recently, the mass lootings and destruction of public and private properties during the #ENDSARS protests across the country.

For many investors, the massive lootings and destruction of properties was unprecedented and a pointer to the high level of insecurity of both lives and properties in the country.

They feared that investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy, which has dropped very low since the lockdown might be witnessing the worse decline in history due to the impact of the unprecedented lootings and destruction of businesses by hoodlums during the protests.

“But there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Ike Ibeabuchi, an analyst and manufacturer.

“I believe the country is still the best place to do business. This is a short-term risk, but it presents an opportunity for the government at different levels to make the environment better for investors. Government does not create jobs, but the private sector. Remove multiple taxation, solve the infrastructure problem, Apapa and port challenges, and the economy will begin to create jobs for the youth again,” he noted. (BusinessDay)

#EndSARS: NBC faces two lawsuits over N9m fine against TV stations

Oladimeji Ramon

Two separate lawsuits have been filed against the National Broadcasting Commission over the N3m fine imposed by the commission on three television stations in relation to their coverage of the #EndSARS protests.

One of the two suits was filed by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project; while the second one was filed by a group of lawyers, under the aegis of Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative.

Two separate lawsuits have been filed against the National Broadcasting Commission over the N3m fine imposed by the commission on three television stations in relation to their coverage of the #EndSARS protests.

One of the two suits was filed by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project; while the second one was filed by a group of lawyers, under the aegis of Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative.

Both suits are before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

SERAP, which filed its suit in collaboration with 261 concerned Nigerians, civil society and media groups, also joined the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; and the acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, as defendants.

The group is urging the court to declare that the N3m fine imposed by NBC on each of Channels TV, Africa Independent Television and Arise TV over their coverage of the #EndSARS protests was “arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional.”

It wants the court to stop NBC from enforcing the fine.

SERAP contended that the information minister had been making consistent efforts to gag the press from performing their watchdog role by using broadcasting codes.

The group said the imposition of N3 million fine on each of Channels TV, Africa Independent Television, and Arise TV without giving them fair hearing was in breach of the constitutional rights of the media houses.

“The NBC, being a regulatory body, is not empowered by law to act as the prosecutor and the judge; all at the same time. We humbly urge the court to set aside the unlawful and unconstitutional fines imposed on independent media houses, and to uphold the sanctity of the Nigerian Constitution, Nigerians’ human rights, media freedom, and the rule of law,” SERAP said.

It urged the court to strike down Section 2[n] of the NBC Act and Broadcasting Code relied upon by the NBC and information minister to impose fines on the three stations.

SERAP argued that that section was inconsistent sections 22 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution which guarantee freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.

Similarly, DRLI, in the suit filed by its lawyers, Messrs Solomon Okedara and Olumide Babalola, contended that “the sanction and fine imposed on the television stations creates a chilling effect on freedom of expression and constitutes an unjustifiable interference of its members’ right to freedom of expression particularly, their right to receive ideas and information from the sanctioned television stations.”

DRLI is praying the court to set aside the N3m fine and to award N1m damages against the NBC.

Breaking: SERAP, 261 others sue Lai Mohammed, NBC for sanctioning Channels, AIT, Arise TV

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), 261 concerned Nigerians, civil society and media groups have filed a lawsuit against the National Broadcasting Commission [NBC] and Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, asking the court to “declare arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional the N9m fines imposed on Channels, AIT and Arise TV [N3m each] over their coverage of the #EndSARS protests, and to stop the NBC from collecting the money.”

The co-plaintiffs in the suit are 255 concerned Nigerians; Premium Times Services Limited; Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development; HEDA Resource Centre; International Centre for Investigative Reporting; African Centre for Media and Information Literacy; and Media Rights Agenda.

The acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, who is joined in the suit as Defendant, had last week announced fines of N9 million on Channels, AIT, and Arise TV for purported “unprofessional coverage” of the #EndSARS protests across the country.

But in the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1436/2020 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Plaintiffs are seeking: “an order setting aside the arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional fines of N9 million and any other penal sanction unilaterally imposed by the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed on Channels, AIT and Arise TV, and on any other radio/television stations simply for carrying out their professional and constitutional duties.”

The Plaintiffs are arguing that: “Section (2)(n) of the NBC Act and the Broadcasting Code are oppressive, and clearly inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international obligations. If the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed are allowed to continue to use these oppressive provisions against independent media in the guise of performing their statutory duties, the end result will be authoritarianism and denial of freedom and liberty.”

According to the Plaintiffs: “The NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed have consistently used broadcasting codes to suppress the watchdog roles of independent media, and to violate Nigerians’ human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, to disseminate and receive information, and hold their government and public officials to account.”

The Plaintiffs said: “The action by the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed is arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional, as it is contrary to section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Nigeria has ratified. Their action is apparently aimed to clampdown on media freedom and Nigerians’ human rights.”

The Plaintiffs are also seeking “an order setting aside the fine of N5 million and any other penal sanction unilaterally imposed by the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed on Nigeria Info 99.3 FM Lagos, simply for carrying out its professional and constitutional duties.”

The suit filed on behalf of the Plaintiffs by their lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Adelanke Aremo and Opeyemi Owolabi, read in part: “A fine is a criminal sanction and only the court is empowered by the Constitution to impose it. Fine imposed by regulatory agencies like the NBC without recourse to the courts is illegal, unconstitutional and offends the sacred principles of natural justice and fairness.”

“It is the duty of the government to allow the legal and judicial powers of the state to function properly. Imposing any fine whatsoever without due process of law is arbitrary, as it contravenes the principles of nemo judex in causa sua which literally means one cannot be a judge in his own cause and audi alteram partem which literally means no one should be condemned unheard.”

“The NBC, being a regulatory body, is not empowered by law to act as the prosecutor and the judge; all at the same time. We humbly urge the court to set aside the unlawful and unconstitutional fines imposed on independent media houses, and to uphold the sanctity of the Nigerian Constitution, Nigerians’ human rights, media freedom, and the rule of law.”

“The Constitution is the grundnorm and the fundamental law of the land. All other laws including the NBC Act and any associated codes take their hierarchy from the provisions of the Constitution.”

The Plaintiffs are also seeking the following reliefs:

A DECLARATION that section 2[n] of the NBC Act and Broadcasting Code used by the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed to impose fines, sanctions and any other penalties on television, radio and on-line broadcast stations and media houses are draconian, inconsistent, and incompatible with the right to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom guaranteed under sections 22 and 39 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 [as amended], Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

A DECLARATION that the action of the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed in relying on section 2[n] of the NBC Act and Broadcasting Code to unilaterally impose punishments such as fines and other sanctions on television, radio and on-line broadcast stations and media houses without recourse to the court violates sections 6[1] & [6][b] and 36[1] of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999;

A DECLARATION that section 2[n] of the NBC Act and the Broadcasting Code, being inconsistent and incompatible with sections 22, 36[1], and 39 of the Constitution of Nigeria, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, are null and void to the extent of their inconsistency and incompatibility;

A DECLARATION that the fine of N3m each imposed on Channels, AIT, and Arise TV by the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed for their coverage of the #ENDSARS protests violates the right to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom guaranteed under sections 22 and 39 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and therefore null and void;

A DECLARATION that the fine of N3m each imposed by NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed on Channels, AIT and Arise TV for their coverage of the #ENDSARS protests without giving the affected media houses the opportunity to respond to the allegations leveled against them and recourse to the court violates sections 6[1] & [6][b] and 36[1] of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 and therefore null and void;

A DECLARATION that the action by the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed to unilaterally impose the fine of N5m on Nigeria Info 99.3 FM without giving the radio station the opportunity to respond to the allegations leveled against it violates the right to fair hearing, enshrined in section 36 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999, and therefore null and void;

AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the NBC and Mr Lai Mohammed from imposing fines or doing anything whatsoever to harass Channels, AIT, and Arise TV and any other radio and television broadcast stations, in violation of the section 6[1] & [6][b], 22, 36[1], and 39 of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999, Article 9 of the African Charter of the on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Vanguard

El-Rufai Confirms Fayemi’s Pact with the ‘North’

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Saturday confirmed that Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi and people of Norther Nigeria are working towards a common goal.

Inviting Governor Fayemi as a Guest Speaker at an event held in Kaduna on Saturday morning, El-Rufai threw caution into the winds as he declared to invited guests that Fayemi was not at the event as the Guest Speaker by accident but for a purpose.

In trending video, the governor said the ‘North’ doesn’t do anything without a reason and that the reason for the chummy relationship between Fayemi and the ‘North’ would be unveiled soon.

“Inviting Dr. Fayemi (as the Guest Speaker) is not a coincidence. We never do anything in the north by accident. There is a reason (for inviting Dr. Fayemi) an the reason will be unfolded as times go on,” El-Rufai said.

It will be recalled that some political observers in Yoruba land have, in the last one year, be suspecting that Dr. Fayemi was entering accord with the north to lobby either for the position of president or vice president.

#End SARS: Shehu reacts as Muslims rain curses on Aisha Yusufu in mosques

Former Nigerian lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has told Islamic clerics and fellow Muslims raining curses on rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, in mosques, to apply caution.

Aisha had last week lamented the ill-treatment she gets from fellow Muslims.

Yesufu, co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, and one of the strong voices against the current administration, cried out that fellow Muslims rain curses on her in the mosque.

She said the resentments she suffers is due to her involvement in the widespread #EndSARS protests which called for the end of police brutality.

”Heard I am being cursed in mosques! People finish praying and take time out to curse me in their prayers,” she tweeted.

“I have asked they should please let me know how many of these curses they rained on me when I was making the same demands during GEJ! We are all already cursed in Nigeria.”

And reacting to the revelation, Sani, who represented Kaduna central district in the 8th National Assembly, tweeted, “To my revered Clerics, be soft and kind to Aisha Yesufu and appreciate her courage, resilience and struggles.

“It may be unpleasant for you now, but you would need her someday to raise the fists and march towards the flames, when the table of Injustice or power turns the opposite direction.”

US Elections: Joe, Not Donald Is Africa’s Friend

American Democratic Party candidate / Photo credit: cnbc.com

If Biden wins, not only would the “trade not aid” policy come back to life, all the immigration policies of the Trump presidency that are antagonistic towards Africans and the Third World will likely be reversed through the same executive order instruments, and possibly new laws in a Democratic congress.

In the run up to the US presidential election, Americans are sick and dying in larger numbers, more than in any other country, from coronavirus.

As the stock market took another massive plunge in reaction to the COVID-19 economy days to the election, it is a surprise that the incumbent president is still competitive in the polls.

As President Donald Trump squares off with political die-hard, former Vice President Joe Biden, both still have a pathway to power and not anyone dare predict the election will go in a particular way.

Four years ago, as an underdog,

President Trump stunned pundits when he waltzed to victory over former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

A few gave him any chance. Aftershocks from that earthquake of an election are still felt today.

As a lesson learned, the polls have become academic.

Pundits are particularly unwilling to make a bet against Donald Trump.

At this same point in 2016, Hillary Clinton led in the polls, giving a false comfort to Democrats when 20 per cent of the voters had not decided.

This prudence by watchers notwithstanding, Joe Biden has consistently led in the polls and there is a cautious optimism that Trump would not only be defeated, but he could drag Republican candidates on the down ballot into a sinkhole that would cost his party the Senate majority.

Should Trump win, the impact of such a victory will be determined by the party that controls the Senate

Democrats are envisioning a nirvana on Election Day, but they dare not celebrate yet.

Adding wind to their sails are the addition of millions of new eligible voters that tend to be more progressive, a smaller percentage of undecideds, high voter enthusiasm and unprecedent early and mail-in voting.

Biden is also on a roll, beating Trump in fundraising, apart from his strong showing during the debates.

The result is a trend from red to blue in traditional Republican states such as Texas, Georgia and South Carolina. Trump is left defending, instead of expanding, his turf.

The biggest issue for the incumbent remains COVID-19.

He keeps repeating the virus can be ignored when nine million infections, leading to 230,000 deaths, have been recorded.

It is hard for Americans to trust Trump with such a high death rate at a time when the economy remains shattered and shuttered.

It appears the writing is now on the wall for Donald Trump.

His behaviour is that of a loser, as continues to find legal obstruction to voting laws, even after declaring he would not accept the result, except he wins.

Some have said that Trump’s fear is that he could be tried for various crimes committed before he became president after his term, including tax evasion and the use of false records.

He has confirmed owing banks as much as $500m and speculations are that creditors would swing in for collection without the protection of political power.

Many believe Trump is ready to throw America into a political crisis because of his personal problems and the only way to stop it is a landslide by the Democrats.

Should Trump win, the impact of such a victory will be determined by the party that controls the Senate. If the Senate remains under Republican rule, then expect more of the same from past four years or worse – since he would be freed from the restraint of a first term.

If Biden loses and the Democrats control the Senate and the House of Representatives, Trump will be tamed but not completely demobilised.

In the area of foreign policy, Trump will still call the shots, because American law gives a president a lot of power in guiding its foreign relations.

Trump’s power on domestic policy may dwindle, but he will have enough power to pursue the same agenda that have clearly ignored African development and imposed severe immigration restrictions on Africans.

The Trump administration is already working towards restricting Africans from entering the United States, including those who now qualify for four-year degree courses.

Economic cooperation and aid to Africa may continue to decline in quantity and quality.

Hostility to Africans in leading international organisations, as demonstrated by US opposition to Nigerian candidates at the African Development Bank and the World Trade Organisation, will likely continue.

If Joe Biden wins, Africa may not be his first priority, but the continent will find a good friend and listener.

If Biden loses and the Democrats control the Senate and the House of Representatives, Trump will be tamed but not completely demobilised

Unlike Trump, Biden is well versed in international relations. Apart from taking on big diplomatic tasks as Vice President, Biden is a former chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Biden will have a challenge to woo America’s old friends and tackle some big missteps of the Trump administration.

The big issues include rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organisation, mending European alliances, strengthening NATO, containing the coronavirus pandemic, nuclear proliferation, terrorism and the disruptive impacts of new technologies. Such items will come first on his menu.

At the proper time, however, a Biden presidency will likely revive Obama’s policy towards Africa.

Obama initiated a new US-Africa policy that aimed to shift focus from aid to business.

While President Trump has no African development agenda and has never shown an interest to step on the African soil, President Obama visited several African nations in office, increased aid and established military outposts in Africa.

His direct engagement to rid the continent of Ebola virus by sending US troops to Africa remains a signature of his policy towards Africa.

If Biden wins, not only would the “trade not aid” policy come back to life, all the immigration policies of the Trump presidency that are antagonistic towards Africans and the Third World will likely be reversed through the same executive order instruments, and possibly new laws in a Democratic congress.

Africa will certainly get some attention, and the possibility that the Chinese will face some competition as the US will likely adopt a strategy that is emptied of bluster and infused with policies to engage a rising power that has occupied Africa.

Written by Tunde Chris Odediran

Tunde Chris Odediran studied and practiced journalism in Nigeria. He is now a Technical Communications and Information Technology professional in the United States.

US Jury asks Apple to pay $503m in patent case

A jury in Texas on Friday decided that Apple should pay $503 million for infringing virtual private network technology patented by software security firm VirnetX.

The legal battle between Apple and Nevada-based VirnetX involved data transmission security in devices such as iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, according to court documents.

“We thank the jury for their time and appreciate their consideration but are disappointed with the verdict and plan to appeal,” Apple said in reply to an AFP inquiry.

“This case has been going on for over a decade, with patents that are unrelated to the core operations of our products and have been found to be invalid by the patent office.”

VirnetX contended in the suit that Apple VPN On Demand functions used its patented technology.

VirnetX is based in Nevada, but patent suits are typically filed in states where jurors have been found more inclined to rule against Silicon Valley giants.

Apple had challenged the validity of the VirnetX patent.

VirnetX, which hasn’t been able to gain traction with its own software, relies on patent royalties for its revenue, according to a Dallas Morning News report on the jury verdict.

“Cases like this only serve to stifle innovation and harm consumers,” Apple said.

VirnetX did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

AFP

Buhari: Have You Changed Nigeria For The Better?

 I know that immediately some persons saw the title of this article all that came into their minds was nothing but economic indices. Yes, the economy is important, but it is the result of several other things. Any nation that lacks a well-schooled workforce cannot have a healthy and growing economy. That country can hardly produce anything, repair its infrastructure – just like Nigeria. Yet, the economy alone is not the thrust of this article, even though Buhari has failed, just as Goodluck Jonathan failed and as Olusegun Obasanjo failed to grow jobs or the economy. The manufacturing sector has been contracting since 1999, worsening unemployment. Inflation has been rising unchecked, the Naira depreciating daily. 

By 2003 Naira to the dollar rate was N127. 1 USD fetched 199.2570 NGN in 29 May 2015 when President Buhari was inaugurated President. But what do we have today? On Wednesday, 28 October 2020, I got this from the internet: a “₦460/US$1 in the parallel market”. And yet, nobody is apologetic. Instead, there is a fierce pride among the members of government, even as Nigeria manufactures almost nothing, and so imports almost everything, so the cost of almost everything, imported and not imported – whether rice, yam, beans, orange, loaf of bread, banana, petrol, clothing, etc, has increased over a hundred fold. No, the exchange rate against the American dollar is not the true measure of the health of a nation’s economy; that relates to the purchasing power of say, the minimum wage. So, how much can the minimum wage buy today from the Nigerian market? What about the pump price of petrol? How can it be said that Nigeria, after over five years of a government headed by a former Minister of Petroleum, under whose watch in that past government some three refineries were built in four years, cannot get a single refinery to be functional? And to add to the disappointment, this President, who had been a former Petroleum Minister, had also served as a Military Head of State, yet, the government lurches from one disaster to the other as though Mr. President is sourly inexperienced. So, ordinarily, few Presidents have had as grand a preparation as President Buhari. So, why is that under him, so far, Nigeria has been unable to fully repair a single petroleum refinery or build a new one if the old once have proved to be obsolete? Under him, all we do is routinely increase petrol pump prices – just as Obasanjo and Jonathan did? No Petroleum Minister of State publicly stated his desire to see the refineries become functional again as Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. Surprisingly, a re-elected Buhari did not reappoint him into the Cabinet. Buhari came in with the full promise of ending the Boko Haram insurgency, but today that woe is still befalling us. Added to that is the scourge from some outlaws we now call bandits. What really is banditry? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a bandit as “as an outlaw who lives by plunder, especially: a member of a band of marauders”. The Cambridge dictionary sees it this way: “a thief with a weapon, especially one belonging to a group that attacks people travelling through the countryside”. To put it in proper perspective, The New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (NED) defined “bandit” in 1885 as “one who is proscribed or outlawed; hence, a lawless desperate marauder, a brigand: usually applied to members of the organized gangs which infest the mountainous districts of Italy, Sicily, Spain, Greece, Iran, and Turkey”. 

Well, now banditry is alive and deadly in Nigeria. Yet, that is not all the bad news about insecurity; here and there, the killer herdsmen have let loose, a river of blood. China was once plagued by an army of bandits. Reading up on this infestation, I came across this: “Marauding was one of the most common peasant reactions to oppression and hardship. In early Republican China, the growth of warlord armies during the Warlord era was also accompanied by a dramatic increase in bandit activity exploiting the lawlessness. By 1930, the total bandit population was estimated to be 20 million”. But that was before Mao Zedong, also known as Chairman Mao, the Chinese communist revolutionary and the undisputed founding father of the People’s Republic of China, came into power in 1949. Will Nigeria’s history and trajectory change simply Buhari became President? Some will tell you that the issue of the killer herdsmen did not become problematic until Buhari became President, but that is not what I have in mind; here, I am asking about Buhari’s ability to usher in a new Nigeria – devoid of killer herdsmen, who appear to cling to yesterday, spitting on tomorrow, by insisting on taking their herds of cattle to forage for foliage and grass across the land while elsewhere ranching has been proved to be the best practice in animal husbandry. 

Sincerely, the killer herdsmen problem predated the Buhari presidency. According to the Wikipedia “Since the Fourth Nigerian Republic’s founding in 1999, farmer-herder violence has killed more than 19,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. It followed a trend in the increase of farmer-herder conflicts throughout much of the western Sahel, due to an expansion of agriculturist population and cultivated land at the expense of pasturelands; deteriorating environmental conditions, desertification and soil degradation;[5] population growth; breakdown in traditional conflict resolution mechanisms of land and water disputes; and proliferation of small arms and crime in rural areas. Insecurity and violence have led many populations to create self-defence forces and ethnic and tribal militias, which have engaged in further violence. The majority of farmer-herder clashes have occurred between Muslim Fulani herdsmen and Christian farmers, exacerbating ethno-religious hostilities”. 

Yet, now that Buhari is President, is there hope that this problem will be solved? I am really afraid that with five years gone and three years left, the outlook is not promising. He has talked about Cattle Routes, Cattle Colony, RUGA, yet, I have heard nothing about getting those individuals who own the herds of cattle to imitate the best practice world-wide and care for their herds in ranches – owned by themselves. As the problem is not being faced squarely, it festers more with every passing day. And so far, there is no special police focus on this killer herdsmen problem. 

Hey, I owe the reader special and heartfelt apologies please, because the history of youth uprising in Nigeria, which I promised to dwell on this week if events permit, will wait till next week. I set out while choosing this theme fully convinced that Nigerian columnists have often failed to see the big picture because we have been unduly fascinated by the story of individual government functionaries. Those who see the big picture, the likes of the late Dr. Stanley Macebuh and late Prof Claude Ake (may their names and ideas live forever) are no longer writing today. So, today, I am more concerned with the state of the MIND of Nigerians than individuals who run or ruin the country … or the economy. That is why Nigeria has little to offer any one that is interested in the lessons of history or Social Science interpretations of our character and actions. That is also why Nigeria disdains the truth about events, no matter how heavenly or hellish, no matter how heroic or courageous or demeaning and divisive. 

State of the mind? How wholesome is the state of the mind of a people that justifies murder of non-members of their religious or ethnic groups? How excellent is the state of the mind of a people to whom excellence in the workplace or in education means nothing, but to whom prebendalism and favouritism is everything? How can the state of the mind of a people be raised when not even the government tells the truth? 

What state of the mind does the government expect its citizens to have when even the government itself has refused to acknowledge the Asaba Massacre and the random killings that went on throughout the Anioma area of Delta State during the Nigerian Civil War?

To really understand my stance, please consider the My Lai massacre of some 500 South Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops on March 16, 1968. Now we know that U.S. soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment and Company B, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade, 23rd (American) Infantry Division (hey, what can be more detailed than this?) carried that massacre. Yet, the Asaba massacre took place a year before that (1967) and till today, the Nigerian government or military authorities never asked questions on it. The US tried twenty-six soldiers charged with criminal offenses over it but Nigeria charged no one. 

Now we are asking questions about what took place at the Lekki Toll Gate on Tuesday October 20 this year, when protesters were allegedly mowed down. Has the Army commenced any investigations? All we hear is that the Army was not involved in the shooting. Such sweeping away of crimes against the nation deaden peoples’ consciences and reduces the state of peoples’ minds. 

Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson, Jr., a helicopter pilot saw dead and wounded civilians as he was flying over the village of Sơn Mỹ, providing close-air support for ground forces. He played a major role in ending the My Lai Massacre and later testified against the war criminals responsible, even though US troops did not shoot at Americans. That is how the state of the mind of a country marches from one step of civilization and development to the next. Thompson and his crew members Glenn Andreotta and Lawrence Colburn were awarded high military decorations. Glenn Andreotta was awarded his medal posthumously, as he was killed in Vietnam on 8 April 1968. 

I have been terribly worried about the kind of Nigeria that will arise from the ashes of the #endSARS protest. Will we not become more dehumanised? That is the only way to go if those who killed unarmed protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, are allowed to go unpunished. Hey, who ordered that military action against defenceless Nigerians? Yes, Nigerians, who were waving the Nigerian flag and singing our national anthem. One social media video has shown a hooded soldier who allegedly warned his mates not to shoot and later allegedly videoed the carnage, and it was later claimed in that same video that the whistle-blowing soldier would be court marshalled. If such a soldier exists, and released such a video, he should be applauded. He is a true and courageous Nigerian. He deserves high honours and a Presidential handshake. In such a way, Buhari will taking Nigeria to the next level and humanising and Nigerianising our minds. Such a soldier should be to us what Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson, Jr. was to USA; the conscience of a nation and a civilising agent. Without people like him, Nigeria will become a hell because the mind is a terrible thing to deaden…as Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, killer herdsmen, thieving bankers, criminal public servants, in-human SARS officials, corrupt leaders and killer security agents have proved. 

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