Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person and Chairman of Dangote Group, announced on Sunday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited's stake in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has dropped significantly from 20 percent to 7.2 percent. Speaking during a press briefing at the refinery in Lagos, Dangote attributed the reduction to NNPC's failure to pay the balance of their share, which was due in June.

“NNPC no longer owns a 20 percent stake in the Dangote refinery. They were meant to pay their balance in June, but have yet to fulfill the obligations. Now, they only own a 7.2 percent stake in the refinery,” Dangote stated.

In September 2021, NNPC acquired a 20 percent interest in the refinery for $2.76 billion. However, the balance of $1.76 billion, which was supposed to be paid upon completion of the refinery project or at an agreed date, remains unpaid. NNPC's investment was held by NNPC Greenfield, a subsidiary created for this purpose.

Further details revealed that the national oil company was expected to supply 300,000 barrels of crude per day to the refinery, backed by a $3.3 billion loan from Afreximbaank, to be repaid with crude oil.

In January, the global Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) raised concerns about NNPC's stake in the refinery, highlighting the need for clarity on interest rates, repayment schedules, and valuation of the crude-backed loans. Despite NNPC joining EITI in 2019 to enhance transparency, questions about its financial dealings remain.

Meanwhile, the Dangote refinery, which commenced production on January 12, is increasing its output of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. Sales to local distributors are expected to begin in August. The refinery is projected to produce 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) by August, 550,000 bpd by the end of the year, and reach its full capacity of 650,000 bpd by the first quarter of 2025.

Additionally, during the briefing, Dangote announced plans to list the refinery’s fertilizer and petrochemical business in the first quarter of 2025.

A court of appeal in the United Kingdom (UK) has dismissed the appeal of Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) on a previous judgment halting the enforcement of its $11 billion award against Nigeria.

In a unanimous decision, Lord Justice Snowden, the lead judge, permitted P&ID to appeal the judgment but dismissed the appeal.

The two other judges are Lord Justice Fraser and Julian Flaux.

BACKGROUND

P&ID had entered into a deal in 2010 to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River state, but the company said the agreement collapsed because the Nigerian government did not fulfil its end of the bargain.

The Nigerian government alleged that the gas deal was a scam conceived to defraud the country.

But P&ID denied the allegation and accused the Nigerian government of “false allegations and wild conspiracy theories”.

Consequently, P&ID took legal recourse and secured an arbitral award against the country.

On January 31, 2017, a tribunal ruled that Nigeria should pay P&ID $6.6 billion as damages, as well as pre and post-judgment interest at seven percent, which later amounted to $11 billion.

In October 2023, Robin Knowles, justice of the commercial courts of England and Wales, halted the enforcement of the award by upholding Nigeria’s prayer that it was obtained by fraud and in violation of section 68 of the English Arbitration Act 1996.

The judge found that P&ID paid bribes to Nigerian officials involved in the drafting of the gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) in 2010.

He also found that P&ID was illegally in possession of Nigeria’s privileged legal documents during the arbitration hearings.

The judge ordered that the company pay £43 million in compensation to Nigeria as legal fees and disbursements.

THE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES IN THE APPEAL

The judgment of the UK court of appeal was delivered on Friday.

In a copy of the judgment published on the UK judiciary website, one of the issues raised in the P&ID appeal bordered on whether the lower court was wrong to order the £43 million legal cost to be paid in British pound sterling and not in naira.

The company argued that Nigeria funded its legal services by exchanging naira from its consolidated revenue fund.

“The second issue (which is only reached if this Court has jurisdiction and grants permission to appeal) is whether the Judge was right to order P&ID to pay Nigeria’s costs in sterling,” part of the court judgment reads.

“Although Nigeria was billed by its English lawyers in sterling and paid them in sterling, P&ID contends that Nigeria funded such payments by exchanging naira from its consolidated revenue fund, so that the Costs Order should have been in naira.

“The issue is of some financial consequence because the naira depreciated significantly against sterling in the period between Nigeria’s payments to its lawyers and the making of the Costs Order.

“Nigeria’s legal fees and disbursements are said to have amounted to around £43 million. P&ID asserts that payment of such fees and disbursements at the relevant times would have cost Nigeria a total of about 23 billion naira; but if P&ID is required to pay £43 million in costs now, that could be exchanged by Nigeria at the current rate to about 76 billion naira.”

Snowden, the lead judge, accepted the arguments of Nigeria that since the legal cost was paid in sterling, the cost order should be paid in the same currency.

“In my judgment, therefore, the judge was right to accept Nigeria’s straightforward submission that because Nigeria had been invoiced and had incurred its liability to its solicitors in sterling and had paid those bills in sterling, the court ought to make its Costs Order in sterling,” the judge ruled.

“I would therefore grant P&ID permission to appeal, but would dismiss the appeal.”

The Cable

The recent Supreme Court ruling mandating direct allocation of funds to local governments and barring governors from dissolving elected councils has raised afresh questions about the nature and future of federalism in Nigeria. While the decision aims to curb the notorious misappropriation of funds by state governors, it inadvertently undermines the core principles of federalism and perpetuates an inequitable system of local government distribution.

In a federal system, true autonomy is reserved for the federating units—states or regions that come together to form a central authority for mutual benefits. Local governments, created primarily for administrative convenience, do not qualify as federating units and should not draw directly from the federation account. The Supreme Court’s decision, however well-intentioned, ignores this fundamental distinction and disrupts the delicate balance of power that federalism seeks to maintain.

Historically, the creation of local government areas (LGAs) in Nigeria has been a tool for sectional and personal interests rather than equitable development. Military regimes, particularly those from the North, exploited their powers to create LGAs disproportionately in their regions, securing demographic and fiscal advantages. For instance, while Lagos State remains with its original 20 LGAs since the 1976 reform, the old Kano State has been split into Kano and Jigawa States, boasting a combined total of 77 LGAs. This discrepancy has led to an unjust allocation of national resources, leaving states like Lagos, which contribute significantly to the national purse, at a disadvantage.

The Supreme Court’s directive for direct allocation to LGAs, irrespective of these historical inequities, is akin to reinforcing an unjust system under the guise of promoting local autonomy. The resultant fragmentation could see every village and ward demanding its share of the federation account, leading to an administrative nightmare and further diluting the essence of federalism.

The real issue plaguing local governance in Nigeria is not just the misappropriation of funds by state governors but the inherent inequity in the creation and distribution of LGAs. Local governments should be under the purview of states, which can better assess and address the needs of their populations. The federal imposition of LGAs and their direct funding from the federation account contradicts the principles of federalism and exacerbates existing inequalities.

Moreover, there is little evidence to suggest that direct allocation will lead to better governance at the local level. Without robust accountability mechanisms, local government chairmen may well emulate the corrupt practices of state governors. The root cause of underdevelopment in many local areas is not solely financial mismanagement but a pervasive lack of accountability and transparency in the political system.

The Supreme Court’s decision should serve as a catalyst for a broader debate on restructuring Nigeria’s federal system. A workable solution lies not in granting undue autonomy to local governments but in returning the creation and sustenance of LGAs to the states. This approach would respect the principles of federalism, allowing states to delineate local governing areas based on demographic realities, administrative needs, and financial viability.

In conclusion, while the Supreme Court’s decision aims to promote local governance, it inadvertently undermines the federal structure and perpetuates historical injustices. True federalism requires a system where states, not the central government, create and manage local governments. Only through such restructuring can we hope to build a more equitable and functional federal system in Nigeria.

Abdul-azeez Suleiman, spokesman for the Northern Elders Forum has tasked northern youths to learn from the mistakes of past leaders and push for reforms that will reposition the society.

Suleiman, who spoke at the Leadership Summit organised by the Zaria Local Government Students Association (ZASA) said in a society where the older generations have become complacent or entrenched in outdated ways of thinking, it is the youth who have the potential to shake things up and push for the much-needed reform.

He observed that it is the youth that have the ability to challenge the status quo, question authority, and demand accountability from those in power.

He, however, reminded the youth that change starts from within, saying that “Instead of blaming past leaders for the current state of affairs, it is crucial to learn from their mistakes and strive to do better”.

The NEF spokesman pointed out that as northerners, it is important to be proud of the northern identity without arrogance or conceit, while taking cognisance of the history and destiny of the region.

Suleiman stressed that the North is a region of immense potential, with a rich history of resilience and strength, and admonished honesty on the region’s limitations and challenges, while working collectively to address challenges.

“Past leaders have made sacrifices and stood up for the rights of northerners, and it is essential to learn from their bravery and courage. Unity is the key to our progress, and we must be willing to respect the identities of all Nigerians, while also defending our own rights with dignity and resolve.”

Daily Trust

For weeks Kenya has been mired in unrest. Confronted with demonstrators denouncing the tax policies of William Ruto, Kenya’s president, the security forces responded ruthlessly. They have killed at least 39 people, most of them in Nairobi on June 25th, when protesters briefly overran Parliament and set a portion of it ablaze. Looting has also erupted in several towns and cities, though it is unclear whether this was by state-backed provocateurs, as the protesters allege, or by opportunist criminals, as Ruto claims.

Yet far from provoking fear among Kenya’s better-off, the unrest has inspired wild optimism. Unlike most protests in recent decades, these are led by young, eloquent, educated Kenyans who are unsullied by political or tribal allegiance. Their cause—an end to corruption, injustice and inequality—seems noble rather than tawdry. Instead of championing a self-serving political leader or faction, they have denounced the entire political class. These protests have consequently united rather than polarised people. Perhaps the only parallel that can be drawn is with the protests led by the present lot’s parents, who also braved police bullets in 1990 to demand, successfully, an end to dictatorship and the restoration of multiparty elections.

The reverberations of the “Gen-Z protests”, as they are known in Kenya, could be as profound. Ruto has been weakened and humiliated. Could the chastening of the political class lead to a cleansing of corruption and fairer politics? Stung by the extent of the unrest, Ruto has capitulated on tax. Much will depend on whether Kenya’s people and its rulers can overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities created by past weeks’ events.

Ruto’s first task will be to find a way of getting Kenya to live within its means. He came to power in 2022 with an ambitious poverty-alleviating agenda yet inherited a wodge of debt from his free-spending predecessor. Faced with rising borrowing costs, a public debt equivalent to 68% of GDP, conditional IMF support and the expectations of his voters, Ruto had little choice but to put up taxes. The latest rise triggered the unrest, with protesters nicknaming the president “Zakayo”, the Kiswahili name for Zacchaeus, a biblical tax-collector.

Kenya is not the only country to suffer debt distress. But it seems to have a lower pain threshold than others on IMF lifelines, such as Pakistan, Egypt and Nigeria, notes Charlie Robertson of FIM Partners, who draws parallels with the Greek financial crisis of 2009. Like Greece, Kenya built up debt when borrowing was cheap and paid little heed to current-account and budget deficits. Now it is struggling to pay up.

Facing a $2.7bn hole in his budget this year after abandoning the tax increases, Ruto has to cut spending and raise borrowing. Kenya is likely to miss its target of cutting its fiscal deficit to 4.7% of gdp this year. Ruto also faces a potential mutiny from MPs who are enduring the fury of their constituents. “His legislative agenda is dead,” one says. “He is a lame duck.”

Ruto could possibly have avoided this pickle. While anger over his fiscal policy exists, the president’s tax rises became a tangible hook on which to hang more nebulous grievances, primarily over corruption and unemployment. Kenya’s young are more educated than ever before, but 67% of those under the age of 34 are not regularly employed.

Many are angry that while they struggle to survive, Ruto’s allies have flaunted their wealth. “The finance bill wasn’t the root cause of the protests,” says John Githongo, a former anti-corruption tsar. “The biggest grievance is the conspicuous consumption of the Ruto regime.”

Addressing corruption is where the real opportunity for change comes. MPs who supported the tax rises have had their offices, businesses and homes attacked. Congregations have walked out when some have tried to address church services. “We have become pariahs,” grumbles one lawmaker. MPs who used to swank about their wealth are now cultivating new images as humble servants of the people.

This is a start, but the protesters frequently demand two things. The first is to end a culture of nepotism in which cushy sinecures are bestowed on politicians’ relatives. Ruto has responded by scrapping state funding for his wife and slashing the number of special advisers whom cabinet ministers can appoint.

The second is to end community fundraising drives, known as harambees(Kiswahili for “let’s pull together”) because they incentivise political corruption. One of the reasons politicians flaunt their wealth, for example by arriving at rallies by helicopter, is to prove that they are rich enough to hand over bags of banknotes at these weekly events, as is commonly expected of them. (In March Ruto donated $389,000 to the Salvation Army.) Activists see these donations as little more than a tax on corruption, with politicians encouraged to steal in order to return a portion of their ill-gotten gains to the public.

On July 5th Ruto banned public officials from taking part in harambees. Whether that will last is another question. One county governor predicts that the ban will begin to unravel by the end of the school holidays in August, when harambees are called to provide bursaries for pupils whose parents cannot afford fees.

The biblical Zacchaeus was redeemed by climbing down from the tree from which he could view Jesus and giving half his money to the poor. Kenyans would rather Ruto and his colleagues stopped giving cash away and instead prevented officials from stealing it in the first place. If he heeds their call, he may yet survive.

Hamas says it has not left ceasefire talks after Israeli attacks

A senior Hamas official said on Sunday that the Islamist group has not withdrawn from ceasefire talks with Israel after this weekend's deadly attacks in Gaza that Israel said had targeted the group's military leader Mohammed Deif.

But Izzat El-Reshiq, a member of the political office of Hamas, accused Israel of trying to derail efforts by Arab mediators and the United States to reach a ceasefire deal by stepping up its attacks in the enclave.

Saturday's strike in the Khan Younis area of Gaza, in which at least 90 Palestinians were killed, according to local health authorities, has put the ceasefire talks in doubt.

There had been increasingly hopeful signs in recent days that a deal could be reached to halt fighting and return hostages held in Gaza.

Two Egyptian security sources at ceasefire talks in Doha and Cairo said on Saturday that negotiations had been halted after three days of intense talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene his close circle of ministers later on Sunday to discuss the talks.

The strike on Saturday which targeted Deif killed Rafa Salama, commander of Hamas' Khan Younis brigade, the Israeli military said on Sunday, but there was no confirmation about the fate of Deif.

"The strike in Khan Younis was a result of surgical intelligence," the head of the Shin Bet domestic security service said in a video released by the service from Rafah. He said 25 Hamas operatives who took part in the deadly Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that triggered the war had been killed in the past week.

On Saturday, a senior Hamas official denied that Deif had been killed and the group said Israeli claims were aimed at justifying the attack.

Israel's military chief said on Sunday in a televised statement that Hamas was concealing the truth about Deif's fate, but stopped short of confirming whether he was alive or dead.

Israeli forces pressed ahead on Sunday with aerial and ground shelling of several areas across the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, most of whom have been displaced by the war.

A strike on a UN-run school in Nuseirat camp, one of Gaza's eight longstanding refugee camps, killed 15 Palestinians and wounded dozens more, Hamas media and health officials said.

The Israeli military said the site was used as a base for Hamas fighters to attack Israeli forces and said numerous steps were taken to limit the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions and intelligence.

Residents said two missiles targeted the upper floor of the school, not far from the camp's local market, usually busy with shoppers, where displaced families have also taken shelter nearby.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli airstrikes on four houses in Gaza City killed at least 16 Palestinians and wounded dozens of others, medics said.

The Gaza health ministry said at least 38,584 Palestinians have been killed and 88,881 others injured in Israel's military offensive since Oct. 7.

It added that 141 Palestinians were killed by Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip in the past day, the biggest one-day death toll in many weeks.

Gaza's health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants but officials say most of the dead throughout the war have been civilians.

Israel says it has lost 326 soldiers in Gaza and says at least a third of the Palestinian fatalities are fighters.

The war began after a Hamas-led attack inside Israel on Oct. 7, that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw around 250 taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia claims control of Urozhaine village in Ukraine's Donetsk region

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that its forces had taken control of the village of Urozhaine in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which if confirmed would be the latest in a series of gains since capturing the strategic town of Avdiivka in February.

Ukrainian bloggers said that Kyiv's forces had relinquished control of the village, southwest of the Russian-held city of Donetsk. Ukraine's military said fighting was still going on in the area.

"As a result of successful actions, the 'east' group of forces has taken control of the locality of Urozhaine in Donetsk region...and are carrying out mopping-up and demining operations," the Russian Defence Ministry said on Telegram.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm the Ukrainian or Russian reports.

The village came under Russian control early in the February 2022 invasion, but Ukraine retook the settlement near the Mokri Yaly river in July 2023.

The operation was part of Ukraine's counter-offensive in southern and eastern areas along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front line that made only limited headway.

The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces, in a Sunday morning report, said only that Russia had launched 18 attacks on Urozhaine and other nearby localities. It made no mention of the village in a late afternoon report.

DeepState, a popular Ukrainian military blog, reported Urozhaine's capture on Sunday, saying Russian forces had launched "mass assaults on the south of the village".

It described the loss as a "defence collapse" whose cause would have to be investigated.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian forces strike Ukrainian explosives plant

The Russian Defense Ministry has said its forces have destroyed an explosives factory in Ukraine. It also reported that Russian troops took out multiple pieces of hardware and artillery guns, including those provided by Western nations, and killed hundreds of Ukrainian service members in a single day.

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said the explosives facility, as well as a radar, were among the targets hit by Russian Air Force jets, UAVs, missiles and artillery.

In addition, the Russian military is said to have advanced to more favorable positions in several villages in Donetsk Region within the past 24 hours. In those locations, the Ukrainian army lost at least three US-made М113 armored personnel carriers, several US-made М198 howitzers, and one Polish-made self-propelled artillery gun, among the other hardware, the ministry claimed.

Elsewhere along the frontline, Kiev’s forces supposedly lost two US-made M777 howitzers in Zaporozhye and Kharkov regions, along with several radio-electronic warfare systems.
The Russian strikes are said to have killed more than 1,700 Ukrainian troops across the country.

On Monday, the Russian military said it had launched a massive missile and kamikaze drone attack on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex, allegedly striking the Artyom military plant in Kiev, the Yuzhmash plant in Dnepr, and an unnamed factory in Krivoy Rog.

Earlier this month, the Defense Ministry reported that between June 29 and July 5, Moscow’s “high-precision” strikes had hit several Ukrainian air bases, including the Mirgorod military airfield in Poltava Region. According to the Russian military, the attack destroyed five of Kiev’s Su-27 fighter jets, with two more sustaining damage. Ukraine confirmed the strike, insisting, however, that the number of destroyed aircraft was lower.

Russian missiles and kamikaze UAVs are also said to have destroyed a number of energy infrastructure facilities, fuel and missile depots, and drone assembly workshops across Ukraine in late June and early July.

Reuters/RT

“The judiciary has immense power. In the nature of things, judges cannot be democratically accountable for their decisions. It therefore matters very much that their role should be regarded as legitimate by the public at large.” – Jonathan Sumption, Law in a Time of Crisis, 121 (2021)

For a cumulative period of 17 years between 1885 and 1905, Hardinge Giffard – who was better known as Lord Halsbury – served three tenures as Lord Chancellor. In this capacity he earned a reputation for having “appointed many undistinguished men to the Bench because of their political services to the Conservative Party.” In 1897, Lord Salisbury, one of the prime ministers under whom Lord Halsbury served, advised him that “the judicial salad requires both legal oil and political vinegar; but disastrous effects will follow if due proportion is not observed.” For having so manifestly got the proportions out of kilter, Nigeria could be on course for a date with Lord Salisbury’s predicted effects.

Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital, is a place where mutual intercourse between lawyers, politicians and judges is both natural and habitual. It is home to judges too numerous to count and host to the headquarters of many court systems, including the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT High Court), as well as of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. The headquarters of the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court of Justice) is also in Abuja.

The pace of production and reproduction in the courts in Abuja has been rather dizzying recently. On the penultimate day of the past working week, Nigeria’s Supreme Court, in a case instituted by the Federal Government against the states, issued a decision designed to make it mandatory for local government to be run only by elected officials. This judgment has unlocked a predictable scrum of both political ululation and lamentation but the risk remains that its full benefits are likely to be undermined by the well-established jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, in favour of bandit ballots which support the production of leaders at all levels who lack electoral legitimacy.

The day before the Supreme Court judgment, on the approach to the fourth anniversary of Nigeria’s #EndSARs uprising of 2020, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled that the conduct of the Nigerian government and its security agencies in their response to the #EndSARS uprising, violated the guarantees of “security of person, prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, duty to investigate human rights violations, and right to effective remedy.” In effect, the Court said that the Nigerian government engaged in a cover-up of the violations that occurred during the #EndSARS protests, especially at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.

Weighty as they were, both of these otherwise seminal outcomes were relative non-events in the political and judicial registers of Abuja this past week. On the same day that the ECOWAS Court delivered its judgment in the #EndSARS case to a near empty gallery and the day before the Supreme Court held forth on the destination of local government funds, all roads led to the Supreme Court, where the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, presided over the inauguration of 22 new Justices of the Court of Appeal and 12 new judges of the FCT High Court.

Many people may have missed the number of Justices of Appeal inaugurated, however. Anyone who followed the reportage would have been forgiven for supposing that there were just two Justices of Appeal sworn in: “Wike’s wife and 21 others,” a reference to the wife of political bruiser and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Also among the new Justices of Appeal is Abdullahi Liman, Kano’s self-appointed federal king-maker. The excess political vinegar in some of these most recent elevations to the Court of Appeal sadly detracts from the tasteful salad among some others. For the sake of their own professional and career advancement in a cynical system, it is best at this time to preserve the anonymity of those deserving ones.

Among the 12 new judges of the FCT High Court, at least seven were family members of serving or living judicial figures and three were family members of persons directly involved in the appointment process. Among these, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who presided over the appointment, had his daughter-in-law made a judge; the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court made his daughter a judge; and the President of the Court of Appeal got her daughter appointed a high court judge for the second time in three years. In 2021, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State had made the same daughter a judge of the Plateau State High Court.

Responding to these appointments, Access to Justice, a group that monitors judicial independence and accountability in Nigeria pointedly saidthat “three candidates were ineligible to be considered for such appointments in the first place at the time the vacancies were announced.” This was in reference to the daughter of the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court; the daughter of the President of the Court of Appeal; and the daughter-in-law of the outgoing Chief Justice of Nigeria. According to the group, these three appointments were a composite transaction between the CJN, President of the Court of Appeal and the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, best described “in local parlance as: ‘you scratch my back, I scratch your back.’”

To say that these three appointments clearly violate the judicial code of conduct, as well as the regulations governing judicial appointments is to be kind to the lack of scruples at the helm of the current judicial appointments process in the country. It makes a joke of the judicial appointment process that someone in Nigeria can be appointed a High Court judge, while holding a subsisting appointment as a High Court Judge.

In the days when the Nigerian judiciary was under credible leadership, these judicial inaugurations would have passed almost as a non-event, attended only by select staff of the affected courts and by some members of the families of the new appointees. Reflecting the mood and mores of the times and consistent with the current tyranny of perverse incentives in judicial appointments, however, this swearing in was a carnival taken over by cavalcades of dubious politicians and insider dealers in perverse political influence. Following the formal swearing in of the new judges, Abuja was littered with “receptions” convoked by politicians and senior lawyers for many of the new judges.

There was good reason for the politicians to make an obligation of their noisy presence at the swearing in of the new judges. Section 14(2) of Nigeria’s Constitution loudly proclaims that “sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria” but under the colour of “rule of law” and judicial independence, the judges have toppled the people and installed themselves as the ones who alone can elect politicians to positions of power and influence in Nigeria. Access to political office now, therefore, is a transaction that begins and rests with political access to judges. Having thus murdered the rule of law, what we now have is rule by judges under which both political power and judicial office have become bereft of legitimacy. The victim is the public good.

The week ended with a report which said that “(J)udges top (the) list of bribe recipients in Nigeria.” 15 years ago, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ rights warned that “the courts need the trust of the people in order to maintain their authority and legitimacy. The credibility of the courts must not be weakened by the perception that courts can be influenced by any external pressure.” In Nigeria, this is now a vain hope.

** Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a professor of law, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sarah and Jamie McCauley are landlords, YouTubers, Walmart pallet flippers, eBay resellers and Amazon product reviewers — and those are just their active streams of income.

The McCauleys make their money by researching what makes side hustles profitable, testing them and teaching others how to do the same on YouTube. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based couple earned nearly $140,000 from eight streams of income last year, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

They're particularly good at two types of gigs, they say: anything involving real estate and their YouTube channel itself, where they share their side hustle exploits with at least 146,000 subscribers.

"If you're looking to just make some extra money on the side, maybe pay off a credit card debt or pay for a vacation, I think that is doable for nearly everybody," says Jamie.

The McCauleys are part of a side hustle revolution, a growing number of Americans who supplement income with multiple jobs. More U.S adults — about 39%, according to Bankrate — have side hustles today than ever before, whether out of necessity, precaution or a desire to increase their earning power.

Ease of starting is at an all-time high: Platforms like Amazon, Airbnb and Fiverr offer instant access to paying customers. But with competition also rising, it's hard to build a side hustle that regularly brings in revenue.

Make It spoke with a selection of Americans with successful side hustles to learn how they built their businesses, and used them to fund a wide variety of financial goals. Every respondent highlighted four common traits that helped drive their success:

They tailor their product to their audience

No matter what you sell, you need people willing to buy it. Jenny Woo says her side hustle is successful for a simple reason: She researches her audiences intensely, and tailors her products specifically to them.

Woo is an adjunct lecturer at the University of California, Irvine, a freelance business consultant and the teacher of an online course about emotional intelligence. Her one-woman side hustle, called Mind Brain Emotion, sells 12 different emotional intelligence-themed card games.

It brought in $1.71 million on Amazon last year, according to documents reviewed by Make It.

Jenny Woo, founder and CEO of Mind Brain Emotion.

Photo: Jenny Woo

Woo's first deck of cards, "52 Essential Conversations," was tailored toward parents who — like her — wanted to connect with their kids and build their emotional intelligence skills. She joined parenting Facebook groups and observed users' posting, commenting and liking habits, she says.

After selling $10,000 worth of the game in a 2018 Kickstarter campaign, Woo kept researching. She conducted a survey of her consumers, and learned that "overwhelmed" teachers looking to support children's social and emotional development made up a significant portion of her audience, she says.

Her second deck, "52 Essential Relationship Skills," was built for those teachers. It didn't sell as well as her first deck, but it taught Woo that she could broaden, and combine, her audiences.

Woo applied that lesson to her third game, "52 Coping Skills." She started with her own experiences working with college students during the Covid-19 pandemic and combined it with her continued research on teachers and parents, she says.

It's now Mind Brain Emotion's top-selling game, says Woo.

They find a platform suited for their product

Woo sells on Amazon, which has a broad reach, to collectively rope in Mind Brain Emotion's hyper-specific audiences. Tim Riegel's products have a more singular customer base, so he sells on Etsy, a marketplace known largely for homemade and handmade goods.

Riegel, a full-time general manager at a sheltered workshop, makes firepits from recycled tank ends in Lamar, Missouri, and sells them under the name Mozark Fire Pits. His average product weighs 225 pounds, and sells for $950.

Mozark Fire Pits brought in approximately $202,000 on Etsy last year, according to documents reviewed by Make It. Riegel maintains a 40% profit margin, he says.

Riegel chose Etsy over platforms like Amazon, Wayfair and Overstock because it felt more user-friendly, and a better fit for his personalized products, he says. He also sells on Facebook Marketplace, which costs him more in advertising — but less in shipping costs for customers within a 200-mile radius, he adds.

Tim Riegel turns propane gas tank ends into fire pits and sells them on Etsy.

Tim Riegel

That kind of platform analysis is valuable, no matter what kind of side hustle you run.

If you sell a service, instead of a good, you might consider platforms like Fiverr and Upwork — popular among photo editors, marketing writers and voiceover artists — or Taskrabbit, known for labor-intensive side hustles like cleaning or repair work.

Or, opt out of those platforms entirely. If your gig is something that many other people also do, try finding marketplaces with more narrow niches like Contently, Skyword or ServiceScape, recommends side hustle expert Kathy Kristof.

"One of the problems I see with a lot of freelancers is that they go to the best-known online platforms ... and those platforms are so saturated with people who have been there for, often, decades," says Kristof, whose blog SideHusl has reviewed more than 500 different side gigs.

They stand out on saturated platforms

No matter your platform, you'll need to stand out. A good listing can help: clear and concise, written for your intended audience, free of typos, with high-quality graphics and some search engine optimization (SEO).

Becky Powell, a kindergarten teacher based in Beaverton, Oregon, has a side hustle selling worksheets for other educators on an online platform called Teachers Pay Teachers. Many of her worksheets focus on her personal specialty, teaching children sight-reading skills.

Her side hustle didn't take off until she embraced SEO. When she uploaded her first worksheets, she titled them, "Creating sight words with pattern blocks." Sales slowly trickled in.

Her husband Jerome, who has a business background, suggested a simpler title, like "Hands-on sight words." The sight-reading worksheets quickly became her bestselling products, Powell says.

Kindergarten teacher Becky Powell's side hustle — making worksheets for other educators — brings in six figures per year.

Becky Powell

Powell's store brought in $125,500 in 2022 revenue, according to documents reviewed by Make It. Her husband also sells worksheets on the platform, and they've used their combined earnings to fund vacations and pay down their mortgage and student loans, Powell says.

"You have to have passion and knowledge," she says. "You also have to have a business sense [and understand] SEO."

Once you gain enough customers, work to turn your sales into positive reviews, so you appear higher in platforms' search results, Kristof advises. Customer service, prompt shipping and quality control can usually earn you a good online reputation.

They know when to change direction or walk away

The McCauleys have a rule for their ever-changing collection of side hustles: "You either have to be one of the first to get there, or your approach has to be very unique and different to be successful," Sarah says.

But being first or unique doesn't guarantee long-term success. In 2020, the couple was early to a side hustle trend: pallet flipping. At local warehouses, they'd buy pallets of returned goods from Amazon, Walmart or Target. They'd unbox the pallets, discover their contents and resell the items for a hopeful profit.

From December 2020 to December 2022, the McCauleys made about $19,500 in pallet-flipping profits, they estimate. Their most popular unboxing YouTube video got 5.4 million viewers, translating to an additional $30,000 in advertising revenue, says Jamie.

Last year, more Americans hopped on the pallet-flipping trend. Pallet prices rose, resale values dropped and a slew of unboxing videos diluted the McCauleys' viewership. "The pallets became not really worth our time ... from the standpoint of time over money," says Sarah.

The McCauleys filmed and posted their pallet-flipping experiences on their YouTube channel.

Jamie and Sarah McCauley

Four years ago, the McCauleys would've simply moved onto their next side hustle. Now, they're feeling the strain of constantly building new gigs from scratch, and starting to reorganize their income streams into a smaller number of longer-term projects.

Instead of flipping their current home renovation project in Northern Michigan for a profit, for example — something they've done multiple times — they'll keep it as their own vacation house and part-time Airbnb rental, they say.

"We always knew [side hustling] was going to have an expiration date," says Jamie. "It's a young person's game, to always be looking for what's next."

CNBC

Donald Trump was shot in the right ear during a campaign rally on Saturday, sparking panic and streaking the Republican presidential candidate's blood across his face, before he emerged and pumped his fist in the air appearing to mouth the words "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The shooter was dead, one rally attendee was killed and two other spectators were injured, the Secret Service said in a statement. The incident was being investigated as an assassination attempt, a source told Reuters.

"I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump said on his Truth Social platform following the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Pittsburgh. "Much bleeding took place."

Trump, 78, had just started his speech when the shots rang out. He grabbed his right ear with his right hand, then brought his hand down to look at it before dropping to his knees behind the podium before Secret Service agents swarmed and covered him. He emerged about a minute later, his red "Make America Great Again" hat knocked off, and could be heard saying "wait, wait," before agents ushered him into a vehicle.

The shooter's identity and motive were not immediately clear. Leading Republicans and Democrats quickly condemned the violence.

The shooting occurred less than four months before the Nov. 5 election, when Trump faces an election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.

Biden said in a statement: "There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it."

Ron Moose, a Trump supporter who was in the crowd, described the chaos: "I heard about four shots and I saw the crowd go down and then Trump ducked also real quick. Then the Secret Service all jumped and protected him as soon as they could. We are talking within a second they were all protecting him."

Moose said he then saw a man running and being chased by officers in military uniforms. He said he heard additional shots, but was unsure who fired them. He noted that by then snipers had set up on the roof of a warehouse behind the stage.

The BBC interviewed a man who described himself as an eyewitness, saying he saw a man armed with a rifle crawling up a roof near the event. The person, who the BBC did not identify, said he and the people he was with started pointing at the man, trying to alert security.

The shots appeared to come from outside the area secured by the Secret Service, the agency said.

REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS DECRY VIOLENCE

Trump is due to receive his party's formal nomination at the Republican National Convention, which kicks off in Milwaukee on Monday.

"This horrific act of political violence at a peaceful campaign rally has no place in this country and should be unanimously and forcefully condemned," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on social media.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was horrified by what happened and was relieved Trump was safe. "Political violence has no place in our country," he said.

Biden's campaign was working to pause its television ads and halting all other outbound communication, a campaign official said on Saturday.

Americans fear rising political violence, recent Reuters/Ipsos polling shows, with two out of three respondents to a May survey saying they feared violence could follow the election.

Trump, who served as president from 2017-2021, easily bested his rivals for the Republican nomination early in the campaign and has largely unified around him the party that had briefly wavered in support after his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

The businessman and former reality television star entered the year facing a raft of legal worries, including four separate criminal prosecutions. He was found guilty in late May of trying to cover up hush money payments to a porn star, but the other three prosecutions he faces -- including two for his attempts to overturn his defeat -- have been ground to a halt by various factors including a Supreme Court decision early this month that found him to be partly immune to prosecution.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick, who was seated in the front row at the rally, said he had started to go up on stage when Trump said he would have him come up later.

"Within a minute or two, I heard the shots ... It was clear it was gunfire," he told Reuters in an interview. "It felt like it was an assassination attempt ... It was terrifying."

Donald Trump speaks..

"I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!"

Secret Service responds after security incident at Trump rally

Former President Trump was rushed off the stage by the Secret Service at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, after apparent gunshots rang out.

Gunfire appeared to break out shortly after Trump began speaking at the rally at Butler Farm Show grounds on Saturday evening.

The former president had just begun to fire up the crowd when as many as five shots were heard and he went down, surrounded by Secret Service agents.

"And then the worst president in the history of our country took over. And look what happened to our country. Probably 20 million people [came in illegally]. And, you know, that's a little bit old, that chart... that chart's a couple of months old. And if you want to really see something that sad, take a look at what happened over..." Trump said before gunfire rang out.

"An incident occurred the evening of July 13 at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service has implemented protective measures and the former President is safe. This is now an active Secret Service investigation and further information will be released when available," said Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. 

Biden briefed on Trump rally shooting: 'I'm praying for him'

President Biden released a statement after a shooting at a rally for former President Trump on Saturday, after which Trump had blood on his face and was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents. 

"I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania," Biden said in a White House statement around 8 p.m.

"I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information," Biden, who is facing Trump in the 2024 presidential election in November, added. 

"Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it," the president said. 

Former President Obama released his own statement prior to Biden, saying, "There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy."

"Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics," he said. "Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery."

In a statement from the George W. Bush Presidential Center, former President Bush said, "Laura and I are grateful that President Trump is safe following the cowardly attack on his life. And we commend the men and women of the Secret Service for their speedy response."

Fellow former President Clinton reacted on X, posting that "Violence has no place in America, especially in our political process."

"Hillary and I are thankful that President Trump is safe, heartbroken for all those affected by the attack at today’s rally in Pennsylvania, and grateful for the swift action of the U.S. Secret Service," Clinton said. 

Biden addressed the nation from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Saturday evening after the shooting, telling reporters, "There’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick. ... We cannot condone this."

** From Jenny Leonard, who is traveling with Biden back to DC: Biden spoke to Trump. The president is also getting updates from homeland security and law enforcement officials, according to a White House official.

** Jeff Bezos says in a post on X that Trump “showed tremendous grace and courage under literal fire tonight.” Bezos owns the Washington Post and is the founder of Amazon.

** A scene tonight from elsewhere, in New York City: Outside of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, a small crowd gathered - mostly media. One man had an American flag draped around his neck, while a woman in a red Trump hat also held a flag. Three people - one of whom wore a Make America Great Again hat - held candles in a vigil. About 10 police cruisers and vans were parked outside, and five officers stood in front of the entrance, which people seemed to walk freely in and out of.

** Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News that Biden and Trump should work together to “reassure the nation that they’re both going to make an effort to change the tone of this campaign.

He said he sent a note to Trump “thanking him for his courage during that event, which was inspirational.”

But Kennedy declined to discuss his own request for Secret Service protection. “I don’t want to make this evening about me. It’s about something bigger.”

** Trump Released From Hospital After Rally Shooting

** Possible security lapses in focus after Trump rally shooting

The attack on Donald Trump raised questions about how the Republican presidential candidate is protected on the campaign trail and what caused the apparent security lapses at Saturday's rally.

While information about the incident is still sparse, at least one person interviewed by the BBC said he had tried to alert police and the U.S. Secret Service, to no avail, to an apparent sniper climbing onto a nearby roof outside the security perimeter of the rally venue in Butler, Pennsylvania.

As a former president and the Republican presidential candidate, Trump is protected primarily by the Secret Service.

During most of Trump's campaign stops, local police aid the Secret Service in securing the venue. Agents from other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, such as the Transportation Security Administration, occasionally help.

It is no easy task. Many Trump rallies feature thousands of audience members, take place in the open air and last for hours.

Before the event, agents scan the venue for bombs or other threats, and Trump invariably arrives in a fortified motorcade.

Law enforcement officials typically put up barriers as a perimeter, and require all attendees to go through a metal detector to enter the venue. Armed protective agents search all attendees' bags and even wallets. Many rallygoers are patted down by hand.

Saturday's attack, however, appeared to have been committed by a gunman located outside the secured perimeter, according to initial media reports.

A local resident who was present at the Saturday event and asked to remain anonymous, said he saw what appeared to be two Secret Service agents perched on a nearby roof ahead of the event. He said the agents had been scanning the area with binoculars beforehand.

"They kept looking over to the left behind the event, before Trump came on stage. They seemed very focused on that area,” said the attendee.

The Secret Service said shortly after the shooting that it has begun an investigation and briefed Democratic President Joe Biden, though the agency did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment regarding its protocols.

The Pennsylvania State Police referred questions to the Secret Service, which did not immediately respond.

In the moments after Trump was injured, the former president was quickly surrounded by Secret Service personnel who formed a human shield, while heavily armed agents in body armor and toting rifles also took to the stage and appeared to scan the area for threats.

Trump was whisked by the agents to a black SUV, and taken to a local hospital, according to the campaign.

Reuters/Fox News/Bloomberg