He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm ~ Psalms 105:14-15.

Introduction

The new creation man is a crowned honourable! He is crowned with glory and honor (Psalms 8:5). Indeed, all true saints of God carry the spiritual substance of honour, but in varying measures (Psalms 149:9).

The world has long known that honour is a quintessential part of life. When you take honour away from any man, his life is done. Success without honor is like an unseasoned dish; it won't taste good even if it looks adorable. Honour is a very important quality of success.

Most importantly, the Bible also teaches that honour is living the virtues, and it commands us to trade with it in our everyday affairs of life (Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:32; Romans 13:1-7). It goes further to instruct us never to despise honour, equating anyone that does so to a dying beast (Psalms 49:20).  

What Is Honour?

Honour can mean completely different things to different people, depending on who you are and where you’re looking at. Honour is an elusive word, and it depends on “who” is viewing “what”.

Some people consider that being a noble philanthropist, a generous giver, or a brave soldier is very honourable. Some others opine that being a gospel missionary, because of the deep selflessness involved, is the most honourable adventure in life.

While those instances are uniquely different, all have one thing in common: the actions involved are incident on a moral conviction to do what is considered right and necessary.

Honour is an assumed appearance of nobility, dignity of mien, and a certain substance of reverence, admiration, regard, exaltation and distinction (1Kings 3:13). It is a privileged rank that promotes the reputation or good name with which a person is known.

Succinctly, to honour means to respect or treat someone with awe, esteem and submission, manifesting the highest regard or most exalted thoughts, in words and actions.

The man honoured is the one whose “face” is lifted up for notice and acceptance (2Kings 5:1; Job 22:8). Those who enjoy honour are dignified and are usually raised to distinction, which they may or may not even merit.

Generally, honour comes with authority and, as such, social capital and spiritual weights are automatically added to “honored people”, as was the case with Mordecai (Esther 6:1-10). They are usually treated with courtesy and due respect, even in the ordinary everyday intercourse of life.

The weight of honour that is upon your life will also determine the value and gifts you will attract. In fact, what you own, which is a function of what you have attracted, is determined by the weight of honour upon your life.

Above all, your spiritual authority and the level of obedience you can command in the spiritual realm are largely determined by the weight of spiritual honour that rests upon you (2Corinthians 10:4-6).

Understanding and Accessing The Garb of Honour

Honour is a piece of spiritual apparel that covers the entire personality (Psalms 104:1-2). Aaron the High Priest had one in those days. For as long as he was clad with it, no evil touched him, but immediately the garb was removed from him, he died there on Mount Hor (Numbers 20:23-29).

The words and the presence of “honourable personalities” are generally weighty (Genesis 34:19; 1Samuel 9:6). However, the divine cloak of honour varies in weights from one individual to another (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Now, the abundant substance of honour primarily comes from God’s gracious imputations (Numbers 27:18-20; 1Chronicles 16:26-27; 29:12). Honour is ever copious in His presence (Psalms 96:6).

By the hand of Moses, God honoured Joshua to an eminent degree through his separation and presentation as a leader in Israel (Number 27:18-23). This promoted the spiritual endowment requisite for the governmental office to which he was called.

God had said to Joshua: “This day will I begin to magnify thee” (Joshua 3:7). He just needed the public honour to make him respectable among the people, for the discharge of his duties.

It is particularly enthusing to note that there’s a subsisting divine promise to all God’s covenant people: “I will glorify the house of my glory” (Isaiah 60:7). More so that the Lord’s imputations are ever sure to provoke victory, riches and honour (2Chronicles 17:5; 32:27).

Secondly, honour can be accessed by labouring with diligence and prudence to do good to people everywhere, including the churches of Christ wherein we do various gospel works (1Timothy 5:17).

Honour is earned through deeds and reputation. No person was ever honoured for what he received; honour has always been the reward for what people gave or did for others. Those who serve and do good to others can never lose their honour (Esther 6:3).

It was a peculiar honour for Aaron, and his sons, to be separated unto the office of the high priest (Hebrews 5:4). Great respect was shown them: but their principal honour lay in the work they were called to perform in their services to God’s kingdom.

Very importantly, a passionate spiritual walk with God always provokes supernatural honour (Psalm 26:8). This may call for a lifestyle of aloneness with God in prayers, righteousness, humility and holy awe (Psalms 91:15; Proverbs 15:33; 21:21; 29:23). But, we cannot do less!

Walking in wisdom generally provokes immeasurable honour (Proverbs 4:7-8; 8:18; Proverbs 25:2). Developing your gifts and charismatic pull to attract friends, and to make christian disciples to the glory of God, will bring much honour any day (Proverbs 14:28; Daniel 2:6).

Now, we are charged to honour everyone (1Peter 2:17; Romans 12:10). And, above all, we are commanded to honour God (Proverbs 3:9). He is the Most Highly Valued Personality in our lives — our Creator, Owner, Ruler, Savior and Sustainer.

Honouring God means giving Him genuine worship, reverence, submission and adoration (John 5:23). It also means to love Him with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength (Mark 12:29-30). And, to love Him is to obey and serve Him (John 12:26; 14:21). That way, we will be able to attract more of His honour (1Samuel 2:30).

On a final note, honour is a very subjective right. It is single and indivisible from responsibility, and it can be lost. Hence, we must always ensure, through our lifestyle of pure faith and patience, that we’re never bereft of honour (2Timothy 2:21). Anyone that loses honour can only live at the mercy of virulent evils.

Beloved brethren, keep in mind that divine honour without measure was what our Lord Jesus Christ enjoyed in His earthly walk, and it is what His Name is still attracting till today. No one could kill Jesus; He rather laid down His life for us, freely.

This honour is made available to all believers in Christ Jesus. It is certainly heavy, eternal and supernaturally potent against sin, Satan, diseases, poverty, demonic assaults and premature death (Psalms 149:5-9). Yes, we’re too honoured to be overlooked, and too weighty for any devil to handle (Job 28:7-23).

By reason of this honour, throughout the remaining part of this year, and henceforth, your enemies shall run when no one is pursuing them. The gatekeepers shall favour you with abundance, and the holy watchers shall keep you safe by the power of the Most High God. You won’t miss it, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!

____________________

Bishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola

SMS/WhatsApp: +234 802 318 4987

A man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by armed robbers, stripped of his belongings, and left lying half-dead on the road. Divine providence ensured that first a priest, and then a Levite, passed by. But instead of helping the dying man; both quickly moved to the other side of the road and went away.

Finally, a Samaritan came along. Unlike the priest and the Levite, he had compassion on the hapless man, bound up his wounds, took him to the hospital, and paid for his medical expenses.

Good Samaritan

Jesus’ story of this Good Samaritan is deliberate. It is incredible how, as Christians, we fail to recognise its full implications. The first mistake we make is in the identity of the Good Samaritan. When we situate the story in the contemporary setting, (as we should with all scripture), we assume that the Good Samaritan must be a Christian.

However, Jesus deliberately excludes that possibility by providing two characters representative of believers in any age. Today, the priest is easily identifiable as a pastor, while the Levite is a Christian worker.

Who then is the Good Samaritan? Let me repeat this for emphasis: The Good Samaritan cannot be a Christian. The Christian is already adequately represented by the priest and the Levite. The Good Samaritan can only be Jesus Himself.

Jesus’ story eloquently sets forth the goodness and kindness of Christ our Saviour towards sinful, miserable, and defenceless humanity. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ comes to give life and to give it abundantly. (John 10:10). 

But if Jesus is the Good Samaritan, then Jesus is not a Jew; for Samaritans were not accepted as Jews. As Paul points out:

“He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” (Romans 2:28-29).

If Jesus is the Good Samaritan, then Jesus is a Samaritan. If Jesus is not a Jew but a Samaritan, then Jesus cannot be a Christian, for it is the Jew that represents the Christian of today in the Scriptures.

Jesus’ killers

By the time some Jews observed Jesus, they concluded that He was not a Jew. In the first place, He refused to be regarded as a disciple of Moses but claimed instead to have come to fulfil the law. (Matthew 5:17). He did not obey the letter of Jewish laws but claimed to comply with its spirit.

He insisted pharisaic religious tradition was old wine that could not be put into the new bottles He provided for the new wine of the New Testament. (Matthew 9:17). He prefaced a lot of His sermons with the statement: “You have heard that it was said to those of old… but I say.” (Matthew 5:27-28).

Therefore, some Jews insisted Jesus was not Jewish. Their position was that He was a closet Samaritan:

“Then the Jews answered and said to him, “Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honour My Father, and you dishonour Me.” (John 8:48-49).

Note that Jesus did not contest the charge that He was a Samaritan. But He took great exception to the allegation that He had a demon.

But if Jesus identified with the Samaritans and not with the Jews, then it becomes clear he would not identify with most of the Christians of today. Let me be so bold as to say that if Jesus were in the flesh today, He would not be a Christian.

If Jesus had come today instead of 2,000 years ago, pastors and bishops would also have killed Him. Like He did to their forefathers, Jesus would also have exposed the ungodliness of today’s Christian establishments to public ridicule.

Religious Irrelevancies

So, if Jesus would not have been a Christian, what would He have been? He would have simply been Jesus without any specific religious affiliation. Today, Jesus has been replaced by theology, but the real Jesus was not religious. Jesus established no religious institution when He was on earth.

Indeed, if Jesus were to show up physically on earth today, most Christians would not recognise Him the same way the Jews did not. If He came as a woman, we would not recognise Him. If He smoked cigarettes, we would not recognise Him. If He drank whisky, we would not recognise Him. If He wore earrings and a nose ring, we would not recognise Him. If He spoke Pidgin English, we would not recognise Him. Since He did not wear trousers, we would be contemptuous of Him. We would disqualify Him by religious irrelevancies instead of identifying Him by His fruits. (Matthew 7:20).

When Jesus asked the lawyer to identify the neighbour of the man who fell among thieves, the man wisely did not say it was the Samaritan. If he had said that, he would have been wrong. Instead, he correctly defined him by his fruit. He said: “He who showed mercy on him.”

He who showed mercy on him could be anybody, Christian or non-Christian, so long as he believed in Jesus and produced the fruits of Jesus’ righteousness.

Merciless Christians

What then does the story of the Good Samaritan mean if, indeed, the priest and the Levite represent today’s Christians? It means that, prophetically, it is the Christians of today who have no mercy. We despise unbelievers, certain they are going to hell. We speak disparagingly of them. We condemn sinners on the grounds they are ungodly.

We stone them because they are caught in adultery. We fail to appreciate that they are hapless travellers on the road of life who have been attacked by spiritual armed robbers and left for dead. We conveniently forget that we used to be in the same predicament until we were rescued by the grace of God.

Therefore, “God is not a Christian,” declared Reverend Desmond Tutu. “We are supposed to proclaim the God of love, but we have been guilty as Christians of sowing hatred and suspicion; we commend the one whom we call the Prince of Peace, and yet as Christians, we have fought more wars than we care to remember. We have claimed to be a fellowship of compassion and caring and sharing, but as Christians, we often sanctify socio-political systems that belie this, where the rich grow ever richer and the poor grow ever poorer.”

One thing is certain. Both the offending priest and the Levite must have had “compelling” reasons for not attending to the man dying on the roadside. They probably could not stop because they were in a hurry to attend a Bible study. The priest decided that the best thing to do was to pray for the man when he got to church. The Levite was hurrying to get to a meeting of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and could not afford to be late.

Jesus’ parable “kills” the self-righteous believer who thinks he is justified by calling himself a Christian and by going regularly to church. He alerts us to the danger of assuming we are heaven-bound because of our observance of certain religious rites. True Christianity is not legalistic. The love of our neighbour is the emblem of our being Christ’s disciples.

“Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God.” (1 John 4:7).

** Culled from my new book, Kingdom Dynamics: The God Christians Reject.

Nearly two decades ago, then-30-year-old Ann Johnson had a brain stem stroke, and though she survived, she was left paralyzed and unable to speak with a condition known as locked-in syndrome.

Johnson slowly regained the ability to breathe independently, move her neck, and wink, but after 18 years, her brain hasn't recovered its ability to move the muscles required for her to speak more than a few words.

With the help of a new AI-driven brain implant, she has become the first patient to successfully use a groundbreaking neurotechnology that synthesizes speech and facial expressions from brain signals, the researchers behind the project claim.

In a study published in Nature late last month, researchers at the University of California San Francisco and the University of California Berkeley detailed their findings after implanting a thin layer of 253 electrodes on Johnson's brain and customizing the technology to read her brain signals.

The neurotechnology uses artificial intelligence to decode the woman's brain signals while she tries to speak. Though her muscles don't move, her brain sends a signal perceptible to the electrodes, which decode what she is trying to say, and then synthesizes speech and facial expressions using a computer-generated avatar.

Johnson, who doesn't have cognitive or sensory impairment after the stroke, could previously communicate at roughly 14 words per minute using her old typing method involving a device that responds to small head movements, per a University of California San Francisco news article about the breakthrough. With her new implant, her digital avatar speaks almost 80.

"Our goal is to restore a full, embodied way of communicating, which is the most natural way for us to talk with others," Edward Chang, chair of neurological surgery at the University of California San Francisco, said in the UCSF publication about the research. "These advancements bring us much closer to making this a real solution for patients."

Chang did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

While the UCSF and UCB researchers claim Johnson's case is a scientific first for allowing people with locked-in syndrome to communicate using neurotechnology, two researchers from Austria's Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering claimed last year they had achieved a similar feat.

Though their results working with a 34-year-old man to regain his ability to speak after being paralyzed were promising, the Austrian researchers previously had a paper on the subject retracted, and "several cases of scientific misconduct" were identified in a 2019 investigation conducted by the German Research Foundation (DFG), which funded some of the work.

Despite neurotechnology facing controversy and ethics concerns, developments in the public and private sectors have been identified by groups like the United Nations as among the fastest-growing fields with the possibility to improve human lives.

As for Johnson, the benefits of being involved in the UCSF project are far more expansive than just offering her the opportunity to speak again after all these years.

"When I was at the rehab hospital, the speech therapist didn't know what to do with me," Johnson said, per the UCSF publication. "Being a part of this study has given me a sense of purpose, I feel like I am contributing to society. It feels like I have a job again. It's amazing I have lived this long; this study has allowed me to really live while I'm still alive!"

Business Insider

Nigeria’s inflation rate jumped to a more than 18-year high on rising energy and food prices, increasing the odds of a rate hike this month.

Consumer prices climbed an annual 25.8% in August, compared with 24.1% the previous month, according to data published on the National Bureau of Statistics’ website on Friday. That’s the highest level since August 2005 and above the 25% median estimate of eight economists in a Bloomberg survey. Monthly inflation soared to a 15-year high of 3.2%.

The uptick was broad-based. Annual food inflation quickened to 29% in August from 27% a month earlier and core price growth, which excludes farm produce and energy costs, accelerated to 21% from 20.5%.

Nigeria's Inflation Is at Highest Level in More Than 18 Years

The acceleration continues to be fanned by the removal of costly fuel subsides in May, security issues in Nigeria’s food-producing regions, a 40% depreciation in the naira against the dollar since the authorities allowed the local unit to float more freely in June and the continued weakness of the currency on the parallel market.

The drop in the naira and second-round effects on inflation from the removal of the fuel subsidy may persuade the central bank’s monetary policy committee to raise interest rates at its Sept. 25-26 meeting for an unprecedented ninth consecutive time.

“There is only one tried and tested way to end the depreciation on the parallel market: tighten monetary policy and allow price discovery on the official FX market,” said Razia Khan, chief economist for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered Bank. “Nigeria’s inflation rate speaks to the urgency of doing so.”

The MPC has lifted rates by 725 basis points since May 2022 to 18.75% to combat inflation that’s exceeded the top end of its 6% to 9% target range for more than eight years.

Bloomberg

President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination Olayemi Cardoso to serve as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for a term of five (5) years at the first instance, pending his confirmation by the Senate.

The approval, according to Tinubu, is in conformity with Section 8 (1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which vests in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the authority to appoint the Governor and Four Deputy Governors for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), subject to confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The President has also approved the nomination of four new Deputy Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for a term of five years at the first instance, pending their confirmation by the Nigerian Senate, as listed below: Mrs. Emem Nnana Usoro, Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor, and Bala M. Bello.

A statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, explained that Tinubu has further directed the nominees to implement critical reforms at the CBN which will enhance the confidence of Nigerians and international partners in the restructuring of the Nigerian economy toward sustainable growth and prosperity for all.

In 1999 upon return to civilian democratic rule, Cardoso was appointed by Tinubu as his first commissioner for economic planning and budget for Lagos State.

It would be recalled that Tinubu had similarly appointed two of his commissioners, Olawale Edun and Dele Alake, when he served as governor of Lagos State Minister of Finance and coordinating Minister of the economy, and Minister of Solid Minerals respectively.

The Guardian/NewsScroll

A United Arab Emirates (UAE) official has contradicted the claim by President Bola Tinubu that it has lifted the visa ban imposed on Nigerian travellers.

According to CNN, the official from the Gulf state disclosed this in a chat.

“There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far,” the source asked not to be named was quoted to have said.

Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, had claimed that the visa ban was lifted after Tinubu met with Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, his UAE counterpart, on Monday.

Tinubu proceeded to Abu Dahbi, UAE capital, from India, where he attended the G-20 Summit.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Ajuri had said, “Tinubu and President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Monday in Abu Dhabi, have finalised a historic agreement, which has resulted in the immediate cessation of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travellers.

“Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay.”

But the UAE authorities were silent on these issues in a statement they issued after the meeting, fueling suspicion among Nigerians.

In its statement, the Middle East country said Nigeria and the UAE would work together to reinforce their ties and explore opportunities for further bilateral collaborations.

Apparently reacting to the controversy created by his initial comment, Ngelale had said officials from both countries needed more time to finalise agreement details, a pure contradiction of his previous statement that the issue had been resolved.

“Given the agreement struck between the two Heads of State, there is need to allow cabinet officials from both sides to work out the finer details and finalize the cross-sectoral agreements,” he said, adding that “Everyone can now allow the process to work itself out organically, devoid of speculation.”

Asked to react to the visa ban and flight resumption issue during the Aviation Africa Summit in Abuja on Thursday, Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, said there was no timeframe.

He had said: “So, we are beginning to work out all the tiny details. I have met with Emirate before I left UAE, and we are working out the details. We cannot say the time frame. Kicking off an airline operation again on a route, does not mean you will go and grab one empty plane sitting in a place.”

Daily Trust

Visit visa to the United Kingdom for less than six months will now cost £115 (about N111,878.28 ) as opposed to £15 (14,592.70) effective October 4, the UK Home Office has announced.

This translates to about 667 per cent increment.

Student visa fee has also been increased from £127 (N123,537.58) to £490 (N476,677.59); representing a 286 per cent increment.

The increase, the government said, would enable it to pay for ‘vital services and allow more funding to be prioritised for public sector pay rises’, adding that the review would take effect on October 4.

The UK government made this known in a statement, ‘New visa fees set to come into effect next month’ published on its website, gov.uk, on Friday, following legislation being laid in parliament on Friday.

“The changes mean that the cost for a visit visa for less than six months is rising by £15 (N14,592.70) to £115 (N111,878.28 ), while the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the UK will rise by £127 (N123,537.58)  to £490 (N476,677.59), to equal the amount charged for in-country applications,” the statement partly read.

In July, the government announced a 15 per cent increase in the cost of most work and visit visas, and an increase of at least 20 per cent in the cost of priority visas, study visas and certificates of sponsorship.

The statement added, “Income from fees charged plays a vital role in the Home Office’s ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system. Careful consideration is given when setting fees to help reduce the funding contribution from British taxpayers, whilst continuing to provide a service that remains attractive to those wishing to work in the UK and support broader prosperity for all.”

The changes include fees for up to six months, two-, five- and 10-year visit visas.

The majority of fees for entry clearance and certain applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study were also increased.

Also increased were the fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain; convention travel document and stateless person’s travel document; health and care visa; fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies; the in and out of country fee for the super-priority service and the out of country fee for the priority service.

It noted that the settlement priority service would reduce so it would be aligned with the cost of using the priority service. Applications to register and naturalise as a British citizen and the fee for the User Pays Visa Application service were also increased.

However, the statement noted that subject to parliamentary approval, the immigration and nationality fees would increase from October 4.

“Today’s changes do not include the planned increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is scheduled to be introduced later in the Autumn,” it added.

Punch

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says a democratic system that promotes insecurity and poverty must be abandoned.

Obasanjo spoke in Oyo town on Friday during the inauguration of the rehabilitated 34.8-kilometre Oyo-Iseyin road.

The former president said a democracy that nurtures poverty, unemployment and insecurity should be discarded as it only denotes backwardness.

In a recent interview with TheCable, the former president said Nigeria needed to rethink its democracy.

Obasanjo had said the liberal type of democracy practised in the West would not work for the country.

“Democracy that nurtures a lack of peace and security must be thrown overboard. Democracy dividends must involve peace, security, stability, prosperity, wealth creation, employment and the wholesomeness of the society,” Obasanjo said.

“Democracy that nurtures poverty is abortion. Democracy that nurtures unemployment is a failure.”

He charged political leaders to embrace democracy that promotes prosperity, poverty eradication, employment and adequate security for the good of Nigeria.

“That’s when democracy would continue to survive and people will feel that yes, democracy is a worthwhile system of government that must be embraced,” he said.

Obasanjo also commended the governor of Oyo for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of roads linking the five zones in the state.

He said such projects would fast-track socio-economic development across the zones.

He urged the people of Oyo to support Makinde’s government in its efforts to develop the state’s economy.

Speaking at the event, Makinde said the reconstruction of the Oyo-Iseyin road and other ongoing projects were in line with his administration’s vision to connect all the five zones in the state and mitigate rural-urban migration.

The governor promised to fast-track the completion of all the ongoing projects and rehabilitate all internal roads across the state.

The rehabilitated Oyo-Iseyin road was awarded in 2021 at the cost of N8.4 billion to Kopek Construction Limited.

The Cable

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 election, says Nigeria is swinging away from the boundaries of democracy.

In a post on his official X page on Friday to commemorate international democracy day, Obi called on Nigerians to remain committed to building and reinforcing the democracy of the nation.

“As witnessed in the country today, the mindless erosion of the very ideals and tenets on which Nigeria’s democracy was built, if not checked, will only push the nation deeper into lawlessness,” Obi said.

“The current trend of endemic corruption, abuse of the constitution, disrespect for the rule of law, and transactional politics which cuts across the executive, legislative, and judicial arms of government, have continued to conflict with our nation’s enforcement of democracy.

“Consequently, our dear nation has continued to swing dangerously away from the boundaries of true democracy.

“Gradually, we are losing one of the biggest intangible assets that makes a nation strong, which is respect for the rule of law. I call on all Nigerians to remain committed to building and reinforcing our nation’s democracy.”

Obi, who came third in the presidential election, said he remains committed to a new and truly democratic Nigeria.

“Once again, I restate my commitment to a new and truly democratic Nigeria. I am in this struggle solely for the betterment of our society,” he said.

“My vision of a new and truly democratic Nigeria is borne out of the deep conviction that Nigeria if given good leadership as I offer to give, will be beneficial to every Nigerian.

“We must not give up on our nation because a New and truly democratic Nigeria is possible.”

Obi and his party had gone to the tribunal to challenge the electoral victory of President Bola Tinubu who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.

But the five-man panel struck out his petitions as lacking merit.

The Cable

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Zelenskiy to visit US Congress next week, reports say

Volodymyr Zelenskiy will visit the U.S. Congress next week, according to media reports, after a U.S. official earlier said the Ukrainian president was expected to meet with U.S. President Biden on Thursday.

Punchbowl News on Friday said Zelenskiy's visit with Congress was tentatively scheduled for Thursday. The Washington Post also reported Zelenskiy was set to travel to the U.S. Congress on Thursday, while the Wall Street Journal said he would meet with U.S. lawmakers.

Representatives for Zelenskiy and congressional leaders could not be immediately reached for comment on the reports.

Zelenskiy is expected to head to Washington next week following his trip to New York for the U.N. General Assembly meeting, the U.S. official told Reuters on Thursday.

His visit comes as Biden, a Democrat, presses U.S. lawmakers to provide an additional $24 billion for Ukraine and other international needs amid Russia's ongoing invasion.

Any funds must be approved by Congress. Biden's fellow Democrats control the U.S. Senate, but Republicans narrowly control the U.S. House of Representatives and have signaled resistance to the additional funding request for Ukraine.

** Poland, Hungary, Slovakia to introduce own bans on Ukraine grains

Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend its ban on imports into Ukraine's five EU neighbours.

Ukraine was one of the world's top grain exporters before Russia's 2022 invasion reduced its ability to ship agricultural produce to global markets. Ukrainian farmers have relied on grain exports through neighbouring countries since the conflict began as it has been unable to use the favoured routes through Black Sea ports.

But the flood of grains and oilseeds into neighbouring countries reduced prices there, impacting the income of local farmers and resulting in governments banning agricultural imports from Ukraine. The European Union in May stepped in to prevent individual countries imposing unilateral bans and imposed its own ban on imports into neighbouring countries. Under the EU ban, Ukraine was allowed to export through those countries on condition the produce was sold elsewhere.

The EU allowed that ban to expire on Friday after Ukraine pledged to take measures to tighten control of exports to neighbouring countries. The issue is a particularly sensitive one now as farmers harvest their crops and prepare to sell.

EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Friday countries should refrain from unilateral measures against imports of Ukrainian grain, but Poland, Slovakia and Hungary immediately responded by reimposing their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports. They will continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian produce.

"As long as Ukraine is able to certify that the grain is going to get to the country of destination, through the trucks and trains, the domestic use ban is not really going to put a dent in Ukraine's ability to get exports out," said Terry Reilly, senior agricultural strategist for Marex. He noted that disruptions to Black Sea exports are a bigger concern.

It is unclear how much Ukraine has pledged to restrict exports or how the new bans would impact the flow of produce from Ukraine. The issue has underscored division the EU over the impact of the war in Ukraine on the economies of member countries which themselves have powerful agriculture and farming lobbies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the EU's decision not to further extend the ban on Kyiv's grain exports, but said his government would react "in civilised fashion" if EU member states broke EU rules.

But the three countries argue their actions are in the interests of their economies.

"The ban covers four cereals, but also at my request, at the request of farmers, the ban has been extended to include meals from these cereals: corn, wheat, rapeseed, so that these products also do not affect the Polish market," Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said in a statement posted on Facebook.

"We will extend this ban despite their disagreement, despite the European Commission's disagreement," added Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki. "We will do it because it is in the interest of the Polish farmer."

Hungary imposed a national import ban on 24 Ukrainian agricultural products, including grains, vegetables, several meat products and honey, according to a government decree published on Friday.

Slovakia's agriculture minister followed suit announcing its own grain ban. All three bans only apply to domestic imports and do not affect transit to onward markets.

SOLIDARITY LANES

The EU created alternative land routes, so-called Solidarity Lanes, for Ukraine to use to export its grains and oilseeds after Russia backed out of a U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain deal in July that allowed safe passage for the cargo ships.

The EU Commission said existing measures would expire as originally planned on Friday after Ukraine agreed to introduce measures such as an export licensing system within 30 days

The EU said there was no reason to prolong the ban because the distortions in supply that led to the ban in May had disappeared from the market.

The EU said it would not impose restrictions as long as Ukraine exercises effective export controls.

Farmers in the five countries neighbouring Ukraine have repeatedly complained about a product glut hitting their domestic prices and pushing them towards bankruptcy.

The countries, except Bulgaria, had been pushing for an extension of the EU ban. Bulgaria on Thursday voted to scrap the curbs.

Romania's government, which unlike its peers did not issue a unilateral ban before May, said on Friday it "regretted that a European solution to extend the ban could not be found."

Romania said it would wait for Ukraine to present its plan to prevent a surge of exports before deciding how to protect Romanian farmers.

Romania sees over 60% of the alternate flows pass through its territory mainly via the Danube river and its farmers have threatened protests if the ban is not extended.

For the last year, Ukraine had moved 60% of its exports through the Solidarity Lanes and 40% via the Black Sea through a U.N. brokered deal that fell apart in July.

In August, about 4 million tonnes of Ukraine grains passed through the Solidarity Lanes of which close to 2.7 million tonnes were through the Danube. The Commission wants to increase exports through Romania further but the plan has been complicated by Russian drone attacks on Ukraine's grain infrastructure along the Danube and near the Romanian border.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Western nations ‘dream’ of sending troops to Ukraine – Lukashenko

NATO might be just one step away from seeing its troops deployed to Ukraine, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said during a meeting on Friday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Sochi. Poland in particular has formed forces ready to cross into the Ukrainian territory at any moment, the visiting president added.

Speaking about Western claims of Russia supposedly soliciting the aid of foreign mercenaries for its military campaign in Ukraine, Lukashenko said that the US and its allies should look at their own actions first and count all the mercenaries that they, according to him, sent to assist Kiev’s troops. “Black, Asian and white Americans are fighting for Ukrainians already,” the Belarusian leader claimed.

Washington and other Western nations might not just stop at that, he added, claiming that Western nations are just “dreaming of [sending] their regular military units to Ukraine.” 

“Poland has already formed … military units at the border that are ready to enter Ukraine,” Lukashenko said, calling on the West to “look for a beam in their own eye” before giving rebukes to others.

Putin, in turn, said that Russia has no need for foreign forces in Ukraine. As many as 300,000 Russian citizens signed contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry and joined the nation’s Armed Forces amid Moscow’s conflict with Kiev, the president said. Russian military units are also “equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and hardware,” he added.

The Russian president also dismissed rumors about Moscow supposedly asking Pyongyang for “volunteers” that could join its cause in Ukraine. “That is absolute nonsense,” he said. The rumors surfaced amid Putin’s meeting with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, during his visit to Russia this week.

At a meeting with Lukashenko in late July, Putin had said that foreign mercenaries fighting for Ukraine had suffered “significant losses” during a major counteroffensive Kiev launched in early June. At that time, Russia’s Defense Ministry said that some 4,990 foreign fighters had been killed since the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, with roughly the same number of them fleeing the country.

In mid-August, several mercenaries from Western nations, including two Americans, told ABC news that casualty rates in their units had reached 85% during the summer offensive operation.

Reuters/RT