Ever since I started consciously monitoring the business of the government, I have always wondered why Nigeria’s yearly budgets unfailingly allocate astronomical amounts of money to buy the same items—cars, cutlery, furniture, etc.— that should last for years before needing replacement.

What happens to the items that are replaced every year? Who keeps them? And what necessitates the ritual of replacing items in perfect condition every year, especially for a country that says allocating money for subsidies to make life a little easier for people is too much of a burden?

I never wrote about this because I had assumed that there must be some arcane justification that I failed to grasp for this profligate annual budgetary ritual.

Not wanting to be an ultracrepidarian (as people who comment authoritatively on subjects they have little or no knowledge of are called), I had chosen to simply wonder in silence— or perhaps ask people in government why they expend scarce resources to change items in excellent conditions, something everyday folks never do.

However, House of Representatives member Bello El-Rufai, who represents Kaduna North Federal Constituency and whose privileged position as the son of a former minister and governor should give him an insider perspective on why this practice happens, piqued my curiosity when he questioned it during a parliamentary debate in December last year.

He quipped that since his boyhood every year's budget has featured new computers, cars, utensils, and furniture even when these items don't expire in a year.

“We need to cut down on costs.,” he said. “The recurrent expenditure issue exists in every budget. Even as a young person like myself, I see that we budget for vehicles every year, utensils every year. To open more revenue streams or block loopholes, we need to scrutinise these ministries’ budgets. If they bought vehicles last year, they should hold off because vehicles do not expire.”

The speech went viral because it resonated with vast swaths of Nigerians who had been caught up in what we call a “spiral of silence” in communication theory, which occurs when people suppress their opinions about an issue because they (often incorrectly) assume that their opinions are in the minority and therefore unwelcome.

That someone who is deeply inserted into the inner sanctum of power by reason of both birth and positional privilege has articulated a thought that had been hibernating in the minds of millions of Nigerians was liberating. It reassured many people that their gnawing doubts about the moral propriety of Nigeria’s ritualized budgetary prodigality are not ill-informed or out of line.

I thought the speech would ignite a soul-searching national conversation about Nigeria’s wasteful budgeting practices. However, it seems it didn’t. If it did, I must have missed it.

But let’s face it. There are not many regular people on the face of this earth who change their cars, computers, utensils, etc. every year. Even wealthy people use these items for a few years before changing them.

Why does a country whose governments routinely proclaim that they are too poor to be able to afford subsidizing the energy consumption of its struggling population spend stratospheric amounts of money to replenish one-year-old items for people in government every single year?

Each time I write about the immorality of visiting avoidable anguish on the Nigerian population through the withdrawal subsidies, the standard retort I get from neoliberal apologists who care more about the happiness of the “markets” than they do about the health and vitality of the people is, “where do you want the government to get the money to pay for subsidies?”

Well, how about from the same place where it gets the funds to change year-old items every year for government officials at the cost of billions of naira?

Just because Bello El-Rufai raised this issue and his fellow politicians didn’t shoot him down, at least to my knowledge, I got curious and researched what happens in other countries.

It turns out most wealthy nations of the world (who, by the way, extend various kinds of subsidies to their vulnerable populations) don’t replace cars, computers, and utensils every year as a matter of course.

In the United States, the official vehicles of the president and the vice president are not replaced every year. In fact, “The Beast,” as the presidential limousines of U.S. presidents have been called since 2001, “have largely been on eight-year cycles for the past 30 years,” according to Autoweek.com.

The most recent model of the presidential limousine was introduced in 2018. It replaced the previous version, which debuted in 2009 during President Barack Obama's administration. So, President Donald Trump doesn’t have a brand new car.

Although the official vehicles for the president and the vice president have an eight-year replacement cycle, they undergo periodic upgrades to incorporate the latest security features, including communications, armor, and defensive capabilities. That’s more economical than buying brand new cars every year just for the sake of it.

Members of the U.S. Congress (that is, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate) don’t have funds specifically allocated to them for the purchase of official or personal cars. They only receive allowances and benefits that may cover travel-related expenses.

Most members of Congress don’t buy cars. They instead opt to lease cars using their congressional office budget called “Representational Allowance” for House members and “Senate office funds” for Senators), and lease terms typically range from 2 to 4 years. That means they may switch vehicles periodically based on lease expiration.

Only high-ranking Congressional officials (such as the Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader) or those facing security threats use government-provided vehicles for official duties.

I also found that the replacement cycle for vehicles used by U.S. government agencies ranges from 3 to 5 years.

The guidelines established by the General Services Administration (GSA), which manages the federal fleet, say sedans and light-duty vehicles should be changed every 3 to 5 years or after or after they rack up 60,000 to 75,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Vans and trucks are changed every 5 to 7 years or 100,000 to 150,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Law enforcement and emergency vehicles are replaced every 3 to 6 years or after recording between 50,000 to 80,000 miles, with replacements based on performance, reliability, and safety concerns.

What happens to government vehicles that get replaced? According to the General Services Administration (GSA), most government vehicles, once they reach the end of their service life, are sold to the public through GSA Auctions, which is the federal government's online auction platform.

Auctions are open to individuals, businesses, and local governments. But the vehicles can also be transferred to other government agencies or donated through programs like the Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Program, which provides assets to eligible non-profits, educational institutions, and local governments.

Similarly, the replacement frequency of official vehicles for the UK Prime Minister and cabinet members is not yearly, as it is in Nigeria.

Although change of cars for UK government officials is not governed by a fixed schedule as it is in the U.S., the Government Car Service (GCS), an executive agency of the Department for Transport, manages the fleet of vehicles assigned to cabinet ministers and other officials and determines when they need to be changed.

In sum, most wealthy nations of the world don’t allocate funds every year for the replacement of non-perishable items used by government officials. It’s a wasteful practice that should have no place in a struggling country like Nigeria.

The funds allocated for the yearly needless replacement of cars, computers, utensils, etc. should instead be invested in programs and policies that bring relief to the people.

I hope Bello El-Rufai will move beyond rhetoric and galvanize support for legislation that will enshrine a 5-year replacement cycle for items that are currently replaced every year in Nigerian budgets. He would write his name in gold if he did that.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt ~ Amos 9:13.

Introduction:

God didn’t plan for us to live just a normal, ordinary, natural life, but a supernatural life of harvests, full of relevance, significance, signs and wonders (John 10:10). Supernatural living is meant to be the norm for the children of God.

At a time the people of Israel were in bondage in Egypt, and for about 400 years, it was like a normal, natural life for them. They became used to slavery, so to say, with no significant miracles whatsoever.

However, a day came when God brought them out with His Mighty Hand. Thenceforth, a supernatural life of miracles, signs and wonders began for them by the Finger of God (Exodus 8:19).

Recall the series of supernatural interventions at the onset of the Exodus, and then the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud, the supernatural angelic meal, manna, the supernatural victory at Jericho, and so on.

The above is the archetype of our new life in Christ Jesus. When we were born-again, a new order of life began for us, and we were plunged into a new depth of supernatural harvest (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Believe it, this is our time for mega-harvest! Our fields of soul-winning, heavy blessings and superlative wonders are already white for harvest (John 4:35b). Really, God’s original blessing to man in Genesis 1:28 is very instructive in this context.

Understanding the Broad Dimensions of Supernatural Harvest

Supernatural harvest brings blessings in three broad dimensions, and the first of these is supernatural wealth. God greatly delights in the prosperity of His people and, through the grace of God, believers are bound to prosper in all ramifications of wealth (Ecclesiastes 10:19; Zechariah 1:17; Psalm 35:27).

The second dimension is the harvest of miracles and supernatural interventions. This includes healing, deliverance and victory in spiritual conflicts, giving us liberty to run with our assignments and bringing fulfillment to our godly dreams and aspirations (Romans 5:17).

The third dimension, and by all means the most important harvest, is the harvest of souls! It is voluntarily compulsory for every Christian devotee to be involved and meaningfully engaged in winning lost souls to the Kingdom of God (Psalm 107:2).

I pray that these three dimensions of supernatural harvest will burst forth in all our camps this season, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Please note that supernatural wealth and other dimensions of divine intervention among God’s people are intended to showcase God’s power unto salvation, to spur the believers onward in their fields of soul-winning and to draw the attention of the unsaved to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Thus, the first two dimensions of harvests mentioned above are meaningful only when they contribute to the mission works of soul-winning.

The subject of soul-winning, with particular emphasis on fruitful evangelism, cannot be overemphasized. It is of paramount importance to all believers in Christ Jesus, who are genuine in their love for God.

No ranks, status, attainment or any grandiose title can confer on us the ignoble privilege of shunning the call to soul-winning. It is non-negotiable and cannot be ignored without some dire eternal consequences.

The truth is, no matter the opulence or grandeur attained, anyone who has not come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is a lost soul. Perhaps, this is why every sincere and gainful engagement in soul-winning ventures is exceedingly gratifying to the Lord (Mark 10:28-31).

There is a beautiful future for the soul-winner. Contrarily, it is tantamount to spiritual recklessness for a believer not to strive to win souls for Christ. In fact, the Bible posits that such a man is neither wise nor winsome enough (Daniel 12:3).

We must engage in soul-winning because our Lord Jesus Christ commanded it to be so in His valedictory speeches (Mark 16:15-18; Matthew 28:19-20). Besides, He commended serious involvement in supernatural harvest of souls as a quickest pathway to supernatural rewards (John 4:34-36).

The Laws of Supernatural Harvest

When God created the universe, He put many laws into motion, one of which is the law of seedtime and harvest or the law of sowing and reaping: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest ..... and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).

A law always works unless a higher law is introduced into the system, to override or temporarily stop the lesser law from working.

For example, in His extravagant love for man, God introduced a higher law, broadly categorized as the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, into our situation (Romans 8:2). This law came with a higher authority and power to override the laws connecting us to the kingdom of darkness.

Today, through that law, anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour can enjoy forgiveness, healing, deliverance, victory, prosperity and a mega-harvest of God’s provisions in every area of life.

Similarly, the law of sowing and reaping overrides the tyrannies of sin, death, poverty and barrenness, which hitherto enable the devil to rule over lost humanity. Yes, abundant life is all ours, and we should begin to walk in it, right away!

Succinctly, the articles of the law of seedtime and harvest are as follows: (i) God is our Total Source (Philippians 4:19); (ii) God gives seed to those who sow (2 Corinthians 9:10a); (iii) God multiplies and brings the harvest of the seeds we sow (2 Corinthians 9:10b); (iv) The harvest always comes in due season (Galatians 6:9); (v) The harvest comes in proportion to the seed sown (Luke 6:38); (vi) What you sow is what you reap (Genesis 1:12; Galatians 6:7); and (vii) Plant in good soil for good results (Matthew 13:3-8).

Your Seed is Your Key to Supernatural Harvest

Supernatural harvest is a multiplied form of the seed sown. And, where due observance is given to the seed, both in quantity and quality, nothing should have a legal hold against our harvest. You cannot be committed to sowing and not reap the harvest.

Sowing is not just a religious act, to fulfill all righteousness; it is major law of life. If you expect a harvest, you must sow a seed. You must sow, even in seasons of famine, for God can turn your barren situation into your greatest blessing. Your seed may not be big enough for your sustenance, but it is good enough for sowing in expectation of supernatural harvest (1 Kings 17:10-15).

For the avoidance of doubt or misleading opinions, the seed forms we are referring to here include: the Word of God in prayers and preaching, sincere services to God and His Kingdom, money, and showing love, help and kindness to others.

Friends, I see the Almighty God exterminating all evil worms and every satanic arsenal aimed at displacing your seed or corrupting your harvest. I see God’s evergreen blessings of supernatural fruitfulness and mega-harvest loading up speedily in your life, this season, in Jesus Name. Amen.

In conclusion, please prepare to be envied! And, if you ever felt that your time has expired for harvests of souls and pure blessings, just remember that Abraham was very old when God gave him Isaac. Brethren, believe God for it, your season of laughter has just begun in Jesus Name. Happy Sunday!

____________________

Archbishop 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

I had always wanted to build my own house. I would buy “House and Garden” magazines and look at so many different house designs.

As a child, I wanted to be an architect. As an adult, it was clear the nearest I would get to fulfilling that dream would be by designing and building my own house. I disliked even the best houses I saw. There was always something missing; always something out of place. But I knew that one day; I would build a house that would put all other houses to shame.

Mission unaccomplished

Finally, one day, my dream came true. I built the house of my dreams. It was by far the greatest day of my life. My house was an architectural masterpiece. It was fabulous. It was glorious. It had everything I wanted exactly where I wanted it. Of course, it cost a fortune to build: 10 billion naira to be precise. 

People came from near and far to admire my house. The verdict was unanimous; there was none like it. Everybody who was anybody adored my house. A whole edition of “Ovation” was devoted to celebrating it.

Tourists came just to take photographs of my house. Nollywood film directors begged me to feature it in their movies. Everybody, from presidents to senators to business tycoons, readily came for my seasonal parties. My house was without doubt the talk of the town. 

But one day, I noticed something odd. The roof in the den upstairs started leaking when it rained. Worse still, mysterious cracks started appearing in the walls. I tried everything but just did not seem to be able to identify the cause. 

Finally, in desperation, I went to see my Father in Ibadan and told Him about my predicament. His reaction irritated me a great deal. First; He laughed at me. Then He rubbed salt into the wound by saying: “Femi, what do you really know about building a house?  You have little or no experience in these matters.”  

“How can you say that?” I retorted, “I have built a house that is by all accounts the best there is in Lagos.” 

“So how come the roof is leaking and the walls are cracking?” He asked mischievously.

Papa had a simple solution. “I will send you My Structural Engineer. He will stay with you for a couple of weeks. He will identify the faults in the building and suggest ways to rectify them.”

Disagreeable redeemer

A few days later, a mild-mannered man knocked on my door. He introduced himself as the Structural Engineer my Father had spoken about. He moved into one of the many bedrooms and set out to inspect the entire building.

I showed Him the problems I was having in the den. He smiled knowingly and immediately identified where the leak was coming from. I was very impressed and could not help but seek the approval of such a connoisseur about my mansion. 

“Apart from these minor details,” I said dismissively, “I am sure you will admit that this is such a magnificent house?  It cost no less than 10 billion naira to build it.” 

The Engineer seemed a little amused by my statement. “I take it,” He replied, “that you haven’t yet noticed the faults in the kitchen?”

The kitchen? What kitchen?  What fault could there be in the kitchen? The kitchen was nothing short of extraordinary. Everything there was well appointed and custom-made. I do not mind saying so myself. The kitchen was quite simply a work of art. 

Not one to argue, the Engineer took me to the kitchen. One-by-one, He showed me all kinds of structural defects I had not even noticed before. I was crestfallen but decided to put a bold face on it.

“Thank God You are here,” I said. We can fix it, right?” I was looking for some kind of reassurance, some words of comfort from this gentleman. But I was more than taken aback by His response. “And then what do you propose to do about the study?” He asked.

Killing me slowly

“The study,” I shouted, livid. “What study?” 

Suddenly, I took another look at this mild-mannered man. He did not seem so mild-mannered anymore. It was becoming clear to me that this man was up to no good. Why did I ever allow this so-called Structural Engineer to come into my house? It was time to show Him the door.

Yes, I knew there were some things wrong with the den. I noticed them myself and had brought them to his attention. I am even prepared to admit there were some things wrong with the kitchen. I never argued with Him when He showed them to me.

But there was no way He, or anyone else for that matter, was going to convince me that anything was wrong with the study. I spent more time designing that room than I did with any other room. I supervised its construction to the very last detail when it was being built. It was the room in the house where I spent most of my time. If anything were to be wrong with the study, I would have been the first to know. 

But in His characteristically no-nonsense manner, the Engineer walked me into the study. Again, He systematically showed me all the things wrong with the room. I could not believe it. There were more things wrong in my favourite study than there had been in both the den and the kitchen combined.

I was crestfallen. It seemed like my whole world suddenly came crashing down. In desperation, I turned to this mild-mannered Engineer. “What can we do?” I pleaded. “We can fix it, can’t we?  Please tell me the truth.” 

The denouement

The Engineer looked at me with great intensity.

“Do you really want to know?” He asked.

“Yes,” I said, resigned to my fate but now afraid to look Him in the eye.

“What we need to do,” said the Engineer, “is knock the entire house down and start all over again with a completely new building.” 

I could not believe my ears. “Knock the house down?” I protested. “This house cost 10 billion naira to build.” 

My nemesis was completely unimpressed. He smiled at me in that enigmatic manner of His that drives me up the wall. “Do you not see all these things?” He asked. Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2). 

This is how I embarked on my tumultuous relationship with that wonderful Structural Engineer whose surname is the Holy Spirit. I thought He came by agreement with my Father to stay with me for just a few weeks, make some vital repairs, and then leave. But since He arrived, He has never left and obviously has no plans of leaving. 

I have watched in consternation as He has set about demolishing every single stone of my once magnificent house. The agony of it all has been excruciating. Every protest from me hit against the same brick wall:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it.” (Psalm 127:1).   

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.femiaribisala.com

An Alabama woman passed a major milestone Saturday to become the longest living recipient of a pig organ transplant – healthy and full of energy with her new kidney for 61 days and counting.

“I’m superwoman,” Towana Looney told The Associated Press, laughing about outpacing family members on long walks around New York City as she continues her recovery. “It’s a new take on life.”

Looney’s vibrant recovery is a morale boost in the quest to make animal-to-human transplants a reality. Only four other Americans have received hugely experimental transplants of gene-edited pig organs – two heartsand two kidneys – and none lived more than two months.

“If you saw her on the street, you would have no idea that she’s the only person in the world walking around with a pig organ inside them that’s functioning,” said Robert Montgomery of NYU Langone Health, who led Looney’s transplant.

Montgomery called Looney’s kidney function “absolutely normal.” Doctors hope she can leave New York – where she’s temporarily living for post-transplant checkups – for her Gadsden, Alabama, home in about another month.

“We’re quite optimistic that this is going to continue to work and work well for, you know, a significant period of time,” he said.

Scientists are genetically altering pigs so their organs are more humanlike to address a severe shortage of transplantable human organs. More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list, most who need a kidney, and thousands die waiting.

Pig organ transplants so far have been “compassionate use” cases, experiments the Food and Drug Administration allows only in special circumstances for people out of other options.

And the handful of hospitals trying them are sharing information of what worked and what didn’t, in preparation for the world’s first formal studies of xenotransplantation, expected to begin sometime this year. United Therapeutics, which supplied Looney’s kidney, recently asked the Food and Drug Administration for permission to begin a trial.

How Looney fares is “very precious experience,” said Tatsuo Kawai of Massachusetts General Hospital, who led the world’s first pig kidney transplant last year and works with another pig developer, eGenesis.

Looney was far healthier than the prior patients, Kawai noted, so her progress will help inform next attempts. “We have to learn from each other,” he said.

Looney donated a kidney to her mother in 1999. Later pregnancy complications caused high blood pressure that damaged her remaining kidney, which eventually failed, something incredibly rare among living donors. She spent eight years on dialysis before doctors concluded she’d likely never get a donated organ – she’d developed super-high levels of antibodies abnormally primed to attack another human kidney.

So Looney, 53, sought out the pig experiment. No one knew how it would work in someone “highly sensitized” with those overactive antibodies.

Discharged just 11 days after the Nov. 25 surgery, Montgomery’s team has closely tracked her recovery through blood tests and other measurements. About three weeks after the transplant, they caught subtle signs that rejection was beginning – signs they’d learned to look for thanks to a 2023 experiment when a pig kidney worked for 61 days inside a deceased man whose body was donated for research.

Montgomery said they successfully treated Looney and there’s been no sign of rejection since – and a few weeks ago she met the family behind that deceased-body research.

“It feels really good to know that the decision I made for NYU to use my brother was the right decision and it’s helping people,” said Mary Miller-Duffy, of Newburgh, New York.

Looney in turn is trying to help others, serving as what Montgomery calls an ambassador for people who’ve been reaching out to her through social media, sharing their distress at the long wait for transplants and wondering about pig kidneys.

One, she said, was being considered for a xenotransplant at another hospital but was scared, wondering whether to proceed.

“I didn’t want to persuade him whether to do or not to do it,” Looney said. Instead she asked if he was religious and urged him to prayer, to “go off your faith, what your heart tells you.”

“I love talking to people, I love helping people,” she added. “I want to be, like, some educational piece” for scientists to help others.

There’s no way to predict how long Looney’s new kidney will work but if it were to fail she could receive dialysis again.

“The truth is we don’t really know what the next hurdles are because this is the first time we’ve gotten this far,” Montgomery said. “We’ll have to continue to really keep a close eye on her.”

AP

Sunrise Power’s hopes of securing a $2.35 billion award against Nigeria in the arbitration proceedings at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) over the disputed Mambilla hydropower project were badly hit during ongoing hearings in Paris, France, TheCable understands.

While Nigeria was defended by former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari as well as former ministers Babatunde Fashola and Suleiman Adamu who testified as factual witnesses, those who had been listed as witnesses by Sunrise did not show up.

The panel sittings started on Saturday, January 18, but the hearings from factual witnesses started on Monday, January 20, and ended on Thursday, January 23.

Obasanjo testified on Wednesday while Buhari took his turn on Thursday.

The sittings continue till next week but only expert opinions are still being taken.

The parties to the arbitration will then submit written submissions to the tribunal, after which they will get a date to adopt the addresses.

The tribunal will thereafter pick a date to announce its determination.

Arbitration hearings are bound by a confidentiality rule and are not meant to be reported in detail in the media.

HEAVYWEIGHT WITNESSES

Getting two former presidents to testify for Nigeria was a masterstroke — in the opinion of those familiar with the proceedings.

TheCable understands that Obasanjo and Buhari testified “strongly”, “frankly” and “unequivocally” that the award of the contract to Sunrise in 2003 was without valid approval and the 2020 settlement agreement also lacked legitimacy.

Fashola, who was minister of power from 2015 to 2019, testified along with Adamu, minister of water resources from 2019 to 2023.

Both former ministers reportedly articulated their testimonies on the loopholes that question the processes that produced the original contract as well as the settlement agreement now in dispute.

Witnesses were also called to give expert opinions on the differences between corruption in the West and Africa.

Sunrise is trying to argue that the payments traced to government officials were not bribes but African cultural obligations.

Nigeria presented an expert from the US while Sunrise fielded one from South Africa.

SUNSET FOR SUNRISE

For Sunrise, promoted by Leno Adesanya, its key witnesses failed to show up to adopt their statements, meaning their submissions are deemed abandoned and of no moment.

Olu Agunloye, the minster of power who awarded the contract to Sunrise in 2003 a day after it was turned down by the federal executive council (FEC), was listed as a witness but he did not show up.

He is currently being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for his role in the saga.

Michael Aondoakaa, former attorney-general of the federation (AGF) who was also listed as a witness by Sunrise, showed up briefly in Paris and returned to Nigeria without testifying.

He has since denied claims that he was  under duress from the Nigerian government to withdraw from the arbitration. This could have been argued as witness intimidation before the tribunal by Sunrise.

A third key witness — a Senegalese lady allegedly offered to Abubakar Malami, Buhari’s AGF, to induce him to sign the 2020 settlement agreement — also failed to show up to defend Sunrise.

TheCable understands that Malami, who had earlier submitted a witness statement which Sunrise was hoping to use against him at the tribunal, did not take the stand.

Malami instead lined up behind Buhari to prepare him for the testimony.

This ensured Buhari’s testimony was “successful” and also pulled the rug from under Adesanya’s feet, those familiar with the proceedings told TheCable.

THE MAMBILLA SAGA

Sunrise had, on October 10, 2017, started arbitration against Nigeria at the ICC International Court of Arbitration seeking a $2.354 billion award for “breach of contract” in relation to a 2003 agreement to construct the 3,050MW plant in Mambilla, Taraba state, on a “build, operate and transfer” basis valued at $6 billion.

In the second arbitration, the company is asking for a $400 million settlement being the terms of the Nigerian government failing to honour the settlement agreement both parties entered into in 2020 to end the arbitration.

In an interview with TheCable in 2023, Obasanjo challenged his former minister of power, Olu Agunloye, to tell Nigerians where he derived the authority to award the contract to Sunrise in 2003.

“When I was president, no minister had the power to approve more than N25 million without express presidential consent. It was impossible for Agunloye to commit my government to a $6 billion project without my permission and I did not give him any permission,” Obasanjo told TheCable.

“If a commission of inquiry is set up today to investigate the matter, I am ready to testify. I do not even need to testify because all the records are there. I never approved it.

“When he presented his memo to the federal executive council (on May 21, 2003), I was surprised because he had previously discussed it with me and I had told him to jettison the idea, that I had other ideas on how the power sector would be restructured and funded.

“I told him as much at the council meeting and directed him to step down the memo. I find it surprising that Agunloye is now claiming he acted on behalf of Nigeria. If I knew he issued such a letter to Sunrise, I would have sacked him as minister during my second term. He would not have spent a day longer in office.”

Buhari, on his part, denied authorising the settlement agreement of 2020.

“While I understood that my ministers of justice, power and water resources were approached by Sunrise and were engaging with various stakeholders that were involved in the project to resolve the issues blocking the project’s implementation, at no time did I specifically instruct them to enter into and conclude any settlement agreement with Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited,” he wrote to Fagbemi.

“Indeed, when the proposed settlement agreement and addendum were presented to me for my consideration and approval on 20th April 2020, I refused to approve the settlement deal because I was convinced that there was no basis for Sunrise’s claim.

“I hope the above clarifications will assist you in your defence of our country from these ‘invisible contractors who all too often quietly take Nigeria for many millions in out-of-court settlements’, as I stated in my recent statement regarding Nigeria’s victory in the P&ID saga.”

The Cable

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed that 31 passengers and seven crew members sustained injuries following an emergency landing of a United Airlines flight at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

The incident occurred on Thursday when United Airlines flight UA613, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, en route to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) from Lagos, made an emergency return and landed safely at 3:22am on Friday.

According to a statement by Obiageli Orah, FAAN’s director of public affairs and consumer protection, the flight carried 245 passengers, along with eight cabin crew members and three pilots.

“All passengers and crew disembarked safely,” Orah said. “However, four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries, while 27 passengers and five crew members suffered minor injuries.”

She further explained that the flight had departed MMIA at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday but returned shortly after, with the aircraft parking at gate D31. The Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Aviation Medical, and Aviation Security teams were already on standby and swiftly facilitated the deboarding process at 3:37 a.m.

Injured passengers were promptly attended to, with some receiving treatment at the MMA Clinic and the Headquarters Clinic. Those with serious injuries were stabilized and transferred to the Duchess Hospital in Ikeja. Passengers with minor injuries were treated on-site and discharged.

Accommodations were provided for some passengers in nearby hotels. Orah noted that the aircraft did not sustain any significant damage during the incident.

The authority commended the quick response of the rescue teams, ensuring the safety and well-being of all onboard.

Hamas has added up to 15,000 fighters since start of war, US figures show

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has recruited between 10,000 and 15,000 members since the start of its war with Israel, according to two congressional sources briefed on U.S. intelligence, suggesting the Iran-backed fighters could remain a persistent threat to Israel.

The intelligence indicates a similar number of Hamas fighters have been killed during that period, the sources said. The latest official U.S. estimates have not been previously reported.

Hamas and Israel began a ceasefire on Sunday after 15 months of a conflict that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East.

The sources briefed on the intelligence, which was included in a series of updates from U.S. intelligence agencies in the final weeks of the Biden administration, said that while Hamas has successfully recruited new members, many are young and untrained and are being used for simple security purposes.

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

On Jan. 14, then-President Joe Biden's Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States believed Hamas had recruited almost as many fighters as it had lost in the Palestinian enclave, cautioning that this was a "recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war."

He did not provide further details about the assessment, but Israeli figures have put the total militant death toll in Gaza at around 20,000.

“Each time Israel completes its military operations and pulls back, Hamas militants regroup and re-emerge because there’s nothing else to fill the void,” Blinken said. Both Israel and the United States brand Hamas a terrorist group.

Asked for comment, a Hamas official said he was checking with the relevant parties in the group. Hamas armed wing spokesman Abu Ubaida said in July that the group had been able to recruit thousands of new fighters.

In the days since the ceasefire, Hamas has shown itself to be deeply entrenched in Gaza despite Israel's vow to destroy the militant group. The territory's Hamas-run administration has moved quickly to reimpose security measures and to begin restoring basic services to parts of the enclave, much of which has been reduced to wasteland by the Israeli offensive.

Since the start of the war, American officials have not said publicly how many fighters Washington believes Hamas has lost, only noting that the group has been significantly degraded and has likely lost thousands.

WARNINGS OF A CONTINUED THREAT

U.S. officials have issued similar warnings since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. More than 46,000 people have been killed in the Israeli assault that followed, according to Palestinian health authorities whose figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

At a congressional hearing in March 2024, then-Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said that the war in Gaza would have "generational impact on terrorism" and that the crisis had already "galvanized violence by a range of actors around the world."

Gathering exact data on Hamas is notoriously difficult because of a lack of verifiable intelligence from inside Gaza and because the group's recruitment and training efforts are fluid. But official U.S. figures show that prior to Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas had anywhere between 20,000 and 25,000 fighters.

Asked on Wednesday about Blinken's comments, Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon acknowledged Hamas' recruitment efforts but played down the threat.

"We know that Hamas recruits youngsters," Danon said. "But even if they recruit youngsters, they don't have the weapons or the training facilities. So basically, yes, you can incite those youngsters against Israel, but they cannot become a terrorist, because you cannot equip them with weapons or rockets."

Following the ceasefire, Israeli troops have begun to move back from some of their positions inside Gaza. The second phase of the ceasefire deal could bring about a permanent end to the fighting.

The terms of that phase still need to be negotiated.

In his resignation speech on Tuesday, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, Israel's military chief, said Hamas had been severely damaged and that most of the group's military commanders had been killed. But he said the group had not been eliminated and the Israel Defense Forces would continue to fight to further dismantle Hamas.

One of the most difficult issues involved in negotiating the next phases is postwar Gaza's governance. Some Israeli officials say they won't accept Hamas staying in power. Hamas so far has not given ground.

Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday that Hamas will never govern Gaza and if it reneges on the deal, Washington will support Israel "in doing what it has to do."

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

US suspends aid to Ukraine – Politico

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has frozen nearly all aid grants to Ukraine for 90 days, Politico reported on Friday. The move comes after President Donald Trump ordered a full review of all foreign assistance.

Rubio instructed diplomatic and consular posts to issue “stop-work orders” on nearly all “existing foreign assistance awards,” Politico said, citing an internal document.

According to Politico, the order has “shocked”State Department officials and appears to apply to funding for military assistance to Ukraine.

The magazine cited three current and two former officials familiar with the matter as saying that Rubio’s guidance means that “no further actions will be taken to disperse aid funding to programs already approved by the US government.”

The BBC, which also reviewed the State Department memo, reported that it appears to “affect everything from development assistance to military aid.”

Although the Pentagon previously told Voice of America that the aid freeze would not affect “security assistance to Ukraine,” Rubio’s memo reportedly only granted exceptions for military aid to Israel and Egypt, without mentioning any other country.

Journalist Ken Klippenstein posted what he said was a copy of Rubio’s guidance, which “pauses all new obligations of funding, pending a review, for foreign assistance programs” funded through the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

A USAID official told Reuters that among the programs that were frozen are assistance to schools and healthcare, including emergency maternal care and the vaccination of children.

Since February 2022, USAID has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in “direct budget support,” according to its website.

The US has provided nearly $66 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, according to the Pentagon.

Trump has repeatedly criticized his predecessor Joe Biden for approving unconditional aid to Ukraine and has vowed to implement cost-cutting measures. He also promised to quickly negotiate a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine says it hit Russian oil refinery in big drone attack

Ukraine said on Friday it had struck a Russian oil refinery and a microchip factory in a huge drone attack that caused fires at the refinery's production facilities and an oil pumping station.

Russia said hours earlier that its forces had repelled an overnight drone attack, but four industry sources confirmed to Reuters that one of Russia's oldest refineries had been struck in the city of Ryazan southeast of Moscow overnight.

The attack set ablaze oil storage at the refinery and damaged equipment including a railway loading rack and a hydrotreater unit used to remove impurities from refined products, the sources said.

Video footage posted on social media showed smoke and flames engulfing an oil refinery in Ryazan, and people apparently running for safety in panic. Reuters was able to verify the location of the video footage but not when it was shot.

If confirmed, the overnight strikes underline Ukraine's ability to hit targets deep inside Russia as the two sides try to strengthen their positions before any peace talks get under way following Donald Trump's return to the White House.

The U.S. president has said he intends to bring a swift end to nearly three years of war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he was open to discussions with Trump on the Ukraine war, but that the question of negotiating with Ukraine was complicated by the fact that its president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, had signed a decree preventing him from conducting talks with Putin.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he saw no objective signs that Ukraine or the West were ready for peace talks.

"On the contrary, Western military supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces are continuing, ultimatums to Russia are being worked out, there is a (Ukrainian) legal ban on negotiations, and the issue of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian authorities is not being resolved," Lavrov said in remarks published on Friday.

THIRTEEN RUSSIAN REGIONS TARGETED

The overnight drone attack appeared to be one of Kyiv's biggest of the war.

Russia's Defence Ministry said 20 Ukrainian drones had targeted the Ryazan region in an assault that involved a total of 121 drones and targeted 13 regions, including Moscow.

The Ukrainian military said on Facebook that fires had broken out at the damaged refinery's production facilities and at an oil pumping station but did not make clear how serious the damage was.

Ukraine's military said it had also struck the Kremniy El microelectronics plant in Russia's Bryansk region, which Kyiv said produced components for Russian air defence missile systems, nuclear-capable missiles, and on-board electronics for combat aircraft.

Russia's state TASS news agency cited a statement from the Kremniy plant as saying work at the factory had been suspended after a drone attack and that nobody had been hurt.

The plant suffered damage to some of its production facilities and to a warehouse, and its power supply had been disrupted, TASS cited the statement as saying.

Pavel Malkov, the Ryazan regional governor, said on Telegram that emergency services were tackling the aftermath.

Russia's Defence Ministry made no mention of casualties or damage but said six drones had been destroyed over the Moscow region and one over the capital itself.

It said drones had also been destroyed over the border regions of Bryansk and Belgorod and the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula. The Saratov, Rostov, Voronezh, Tula, Oryol, Lipetsk and the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops hold a chunk of land despite Russian efforts to eject them, were also targeted.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said early on Friday that air defences had intercepted attacks by Ukrainian drones at four locations around the Russian capital. There was no word of any major damage or casualties.

RT/Reuters

A 10-year-old boy reprimanded by his father for not completing his homework took revenge on his parent by calling the police and telling them that his father was hiding forbidden drugs.

The bizarre incident took place earlier this month in China’s Yongning County. After being severely scolded by his father for not completing his homework on time, a 10-year-old boy stormed out of the house and went straight to a nearby store and asked if he could use the phone. The fifth grader dialed 110, China’s emergency number, and asked to speak to the police, claiming that he had proof his father was concealing poppy shells, considered an illegal drug, at home. Then he waited calmly for the police to arrive and let them home so they could conduct a search and confirm his story.

During their search, the police found eight dried poppy shells on the balcony of the boy’s home, and the boy’s father admitted to buying them but added that he only planned to use them for medicinal purposes. He expressed regret about breaking the law, which classifies poppy shells as a dangerous drug, but insisted that he did so unknowingly. The police took the evidence and the suspect to a nearby station and have since passed on the case to the Anti-Narcotics Brigade.

Chinese police is using this unusual case to once again remind the public that it is illegal to grow or possess poppy husks without permission, and violators will face criminal penalties. Although dried husks do have medicinal value, as they can ease pain, assist sleep and reduce stress, the fact remains that their cultivation and possession are illegal as they are associated with the production of opium, a drug that once brought China to its knees.

You’re probably wondering what happened to the 10-year-old boy after this stunt. We are, too, but Chinese media doesn’t seem to have an answer. He probably never imagined he risked sending his father to prison out of anger, but here we are…

Oddity Central

Union Bank has started implementing new point-of-sale (PoS) withdrawal restrictions following a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directive issued in December 2024. The new regulations set a daily withdrawal limit of N100,000 per customer and a weekly limit of N500,000.

The CBN explained that these measures are designed to address industry challenges, prevent fraud, and standardize operational practices across Nigerian banks. In a customer communication, Union Bank confirmed the new limits, encouraging customers to explore alternative transaction channels such as mobile banking, online platforms, and ATM withdrawals.

This implementation comes in the wake of regulatory actions against nine banks, including Union Bank, which were sanctioned for failing to ensure adequate cash availability during the recent festive season. The banks faced fine of N150 million each for non-compliance with the central bank's cash distribution guidelines.

The bank's email to customers explicitly stated: "Effective immediately, the daily withdrawal limit on POS is now N100,000, while the weekly limits are now fixed at N500,000."

Customers are advised to familiarize themselves with these new withdrawal restrictions and utilize the bank's alternative digital banking services for their financial transactions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​