The #EndBadGovernance protest, which started on August 1, 2024 and formally ended on August 20, 2024 has continued to raise discussions across the country and beyond, especially within civil society groups. More than 1,400 people who took part in the protest have reportedly been arrested and detained by security agencies with indications that the government is still trying to hunt-down suspected sponsors of the protest.

One of the important lessons from the protest is that the storm clouds seem to be really gathering towards a totalitarian state – a system characterized by a strong central rule that attempts to control and direct all aspects of individual life through coercion and repression. In political science, totalitarianism is the extreme form of authoritarianism, wherein all power is held by a dictatorial nanny state that promotes group-think through blackmail and propaganda. Group-think, according to the American social psychologist Irving Janis who coined the term, is “the mode of thinking that persons engage in when concurrence-seeking becomes so dominant in a cohesive in-group that it tends to override realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.”  In groupthink, loyalty to the group requires individuals to avoid raising controversial or non-conforming issues and ideas or even alternative solutions.

The first lethal blow to liberal democracy by totalitarians is the ‘chilling of speech’. This refers to a situation where individuals or groups refrain from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech (both verbal, and symbolic such as organizing peaceful protests) for fear of running afoul of a law or regulation. The ‘chilling of free speech’ is a form of ‘prior restraint’ (a form of censorship that allows the government to review the content of printed materials to decide whether such should be published or not). When free speech is successfully stifled, even an honest opinion could be construed as an incitement by the totalitarian state which then uses it as a pretext to come after purveyors of the speech it does not like. As the American jurist Wendell Holmes famously put it in Gitlow v New York (1925), “Every idea is an incitement… The only difference between the expression of an opinion and an incitement in the narrower sense is the speaker’s enthusiasm for the results”.

Totalitarians come in different guises, usually rationalizing their desire to chill free speech by hiding under higher values. A good example is the ‘end of politics’ sycophants in the Tinubu government. This is an overzealous but self-serving group which, in the wake of the Supreme Court affirmation of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President after the controversial 2023 presidential election, began an aggressive quest to muzzle free speech by those they consider as opposition elements. They did so (and still do) using various mantras such as “the time for politicking is over, it is now the time for governance” or “the President should be allowed to concentrate on governance”, the “President should not be distracted”, “those who lost elections should wait until 2027” etc. etc. The irony is that the advocates of “the end of politics” are themselves being political. They are either trying to stifle the voices of opposition or blackmail critics of the government, both of which are needed in a democracy to keep the government on its toes for optimal performance. Ironically, some members of this in-group flaunt their ‘democratic credentials’ by constantly reminding us of their roles in the struggle for the revalidation of MKO Abiola’s mandate.  The truth is that not all who partook in the noble struggle to re-validate MKO Abiola’s mandate were democrats. Some were drawn into the struggle by different motives, including defence of ethnic pride.

Just like the DSS infamously went after people who expressed an honest opinion of supporting an interim government after the 2023 elections and sought to blackmail the public into believing that such expressions of honest opinion amounted to intentions to commit treason, the ‘end of politics’ zealots, (many of who are linked to the government), are going overdrive to criminalize protest. I fail to see any crime not just in peaceful protests but also in the ‘sponsorship’ of such protests – which is actually a way of encouraging citizens to become active participants in the political process. And talking of sponsorship, are various state agencies such as the National Orientation Agencies and others that provide myriad forms of political enlightenment campaigns not also engaging in ‘sponsorship’ when they devise schemes for citizens to identify more with the government of the day, including funding pro-government or counter protests? The only difference is that while one group is presumably ‘sponsored’ to voice its displeasure with the government (which is constitutionally allowed), another group is ‘sponsored’ to identify with the government of the day. Of course supporting citizens to become active participants in the political process through ‘sponsoring’ peaceful protest must be distinguished from sponsoring an insurrection or encouraging violent protest or vandalizing   people’s property, which is condemnable.

In the run-up to the protest, Bayo Onanuga, who had in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election in Lagos proclaimed himself a Yoruba irredentist and weaponized ethnicity, accused Peter Obi of being the secret sponsor of the #EndBadGovernance protest. Others linked to the government have also variously accused Atiku Abubakar, the North, some Senior Army officers from the North, the Igbos and foreign interest of being the sponsors of the protest. There was also a threat to start a campaign for Igbo Must Go from August 20 2024 to force the Igbos to vacate Lagos and all the states in the South-west (so far no arrest has been made about the sponsors of the genocidal campaign).  Recently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, introduced a so-called Counter Subversive Bill 24 (now withdrawn), which proposed harsh penalties for Nigerians who refuse to recite the national anthem, destroy national symbols, or deface places of worship or who organize “an unlawful procession”. I see all these as gangster methods of chilling speech through the spreading of fear across the camps of opposition forces. Once free speech is successfully chilled, our current liberal democracy, as imperfect as it is, would be further corrupted into George Orwell’s dystopian account of a totalitarian state in his book, ‘Nineteen-Eighty-Four’. Since the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, it is important that anti-democratic forces, in whatever guises they come, are not allowed to gain an upper hand. It is germane to note that the very First Amendment to the American Constitution in 1791 was to protect freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. This is because free speech, and the marketplace of ideas which it creates, is the foundational structure of democracy. Without it, democracy dies.

** Jideofor Adibe is a professor of Political Science at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

Deryl McKissack is no stranger to spotting toxic traits.

McKissack, 63, is the founder and CEO of Washington D.C.-based construction firm McKissack & McKissack, which she launched with $1,000 from her savings in 1990. She churned through employees who weren’t the right fit in her company’s early years and the business struggled, she says.

Finding the right talent helped grow her company, which now brings in $25 million per year in revenue, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

These three red flags stand out the most when McKissack is hiring employees or evaluating her current talent, she says.

People who lack integrity

Every boss needs to be able to trust their employees, McKissack says. People who lack integrity are a problem, especially managers who don’t give their teams proper credit.

Alarm bells go off in her head “if someone is saying ‘I did this’ the whole time, and they’re not giving credit to their team,” McKissack says.

McKissack isn’t the only person who says a lack of integrity is a red flag among employees: Heidi K. Gardner, a professional leadership advisor and distinguished fellow at Harvard Law School, similarly calls out workers who pass off other people’s work as their own. It’s unethical, and it gives off the impression that you don’t respect your colleagues, Gardner told Make It last year.

“Maybe they’re unable to actually see how much value the people around them bring to their own success,” she said. “And that inability to appreciate other people’s contributions is a huge red flag for me ... It’s anti-collaborative.”

People who are hard to be around

Nearly every team, no matter your industry, needs people who can work well with others. That’s difficult when your co-workers don’t like being around you, or vice versa.

McKissack says she needs to actually like her employees’ personalities, because if she doesn’t like to be around you, chances are, clients won’t either. “If I don’t want to be in their presence, then no one wants to be in their presence, usually” she says.

Having a warm, inviting personality at work can potentially take you farther in your career than your capabilities and credentials, self-made millionaire and entrepreneur Steve Adcock told Make It in April.

“Your personality will get you 10 times richer than your intelligence,” said Adcock. “I learned that throughout my career, slowly but surely. I worked with a lot of smart people, no doubt about it. But those smartest people in the office weren’t necessarily the ones getting the raises and promotions.”

People who don’t live up to the company mantra

McKissack has a three-word mantra for her business: humble, hungry, smart. She says she picked it up from author and business management expert Patrick Lencioni’s book, “The Ideal Team Player.”

“We have an insatiable appetite for success,” McKissack wrote on LinkedInearlier this year. “Humility drives us to make decisions for the collective good ... [and] we value emotional intelligence because we know that’s what builds strong relationships.”

Expecting employees to embody those three descriptors — humble, hungry, smart — turned McKissack’s firm into a workforce full of people dedicated to the same mission, rather than one that struggled with low employee engagement, she says.

They’re the “three virtues” of successful team players, according to Lencioni’s book.

“I kept saying, ‘We’ve been stagnant for years. Why am I stagnant?’” says McKissack. “But when I made that decision to make our mission larger than just what we do, bricks and mortar, but make it more about the betterment of mankind, is when we really started changing.”

CNBC

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has been hijacked by a cabal around President Bola Tinubu.

The opposition leader said future of the country has been “effectively mortgaged to Tinubu, his family, and associates”, saying that “even after Tinubu leaves office, it will be nearly impossible to break these shackles.”

Atiku in a statement signed by Paul Ibe, his Media Adviser, said, “Just as Alpha Beta, Primero, and others act as Tinubu’s proxies in Lagos, managing critical sectors and generating revenue for him and his family, he has begun to replicate this at the federal level.”

He also expressed surprise at the operations of the NNPC and how the government-owned oil company had put its retail arm under the control of OVH, a company in which Oando, led by Wale Tinubu, owns 49%.

Atiku regretted that his “intention to privatize the NNPC and increase its transparency has been overshadowed by what he describes as the criminal hijack of the NNPC by corporate cabals around the current president.”

He narrated that “In October 2022, just five months before the elections, the NNPC Retail controversially announced it had acquired OVH and all its filling stations. NNPCL already had about 550 filling stations across the country but claimed it was enhancing its capacity by acquiring OVH, which had only 94 stations and 100 others leased.

“The NNPC did not disclose the purchase price of OVH or the terms of the acquisition. A Freedom of Information request by an online medium was also rejected by the NNPC, which claimed to be a private company despite still being government-owned.

“Following this dubious deal, Mele Kyari was controversially retained as NNPC GMD despite his incompetence. Tinubu then appointed his former boss at Mobil, turned ally, Pius Akinyelure, as NNPC Chairman, while he himself took on the role of Minister of Petroleum.

“In a move that defies economic logic, OVH, previously owned by NNPC Retail, has now acquired NNPC Retail. This absurd situation means that Wale Tinubu’s Oando now owns 49% of NNPC Retail. Moreover, Nigeria paid Wale Tinubu a significant sum to facilitate the Tinubu family’s acquisition of the national oil company. This represents a clear case of illogical business transactions and abuse of office by Tinubu, who has prevented NNPC from becoming a public liability company as stipulated by the PIA.”

Atiku acknowledged that the NNPC and its leadership are under legislative investigation but expressed skepticism about the process’s credibility due to the vested interests of those conducting the investigation.

Atiku also commented on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project which he said is under litigation.

He said, “The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global network of investigative journalists, reported that the coastal highway project has been taken to court and revealed a close relationship between Tinubu’s son, Seyi, and Gilbert Chagoury, who was awarded the contract without competitive bidding.

“I had earlier claimed that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project was fraudulent, but the government denied it. Now, the matter is in court. It is also concerning that Chagoury and Tinubu have a business relationship, and their children are business partners, as revealed by the OCCRP.

“This indicates a conflict of interest. It is no surprise that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway, which together will cost over $24 billion, were approved without competitive bidding. It seems that whatever Tinubu wants, he gets.” Atiku said.

Daily Trust

The federal government has approved an upward review of the passport fees.

This is contained in a statement by the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO) of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kenneth Udo, on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to him, the new charges take effect from 1 September.

“Based on the review, 32-page passport booklet with five year validity previously charged at N35,000 would now be N50,000 only.

“The 64-page Passport booklet with 10-year validity, which was N70,000, would be N100,000 only.”

However, the statement said the fees remain unchanged in for Nigerians in the Diaspora.

“The Service regrets any inconvenience this increase might cause prospective applicants.

“The service assures Nigerians of unwavering commitment to transparency and quality service delivery at all times.”

NAN

In a country where over 130 million people are trapped in multidimensional poverty, where hunger gnaws at the bellies of millions, and where the echoes of protests against bad governance are still fresh, President Bola Tinubu has committed an unforgivable act of extravagance. His administration’s decision to spend $150 million on a new presidential jet is not just tone-deaf; it is a brazen act of contempt for the very people he was elected to serve.

This move is particularly galling when juxtaposed with the actions of leaders in other parts of the world. U.S. President Joe Biden continues to use a 34-year-old aircraft, which has served multiple American presidents, without so much as a whisper of complaint. Meanwhile, Tinubu, barely a year into his presidency, has deemed it necessary to discard a 19-year-old aircraft—a plane that has served Nigeria through the terms of four presidents—as unfit for use.

The Tinubu government’s rationale for this purchase is as weak as it is insulting. The claim that the old Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) was embarrassing because of mechanical issues on trips abroad is laughable at best. If the American Air Force One, which has been in operation for decades, can be maintained to the highest standards, why couldn’t the federal government ensure the same for its presidential aircraft? This is not about the age of the aircraft; it is about the glaring failure of leadership and a misplaced sense of priority.

The audacity of this purchase, in the face of widespread suffering, is nothing short of scandalous. Nigeria is reeling from economic hardship that has pushed millions into poverty. Basic amenities are out of reach for many, and the cost of living is skyrocketing. Yet, the Presidency finds it appropriate to spend $150 million on a luxury jet, including $50 million on unnecessary retrofits and upgrades. This is the height of irresponsibility, a stark reminder that the Nigerian political elite are grossly disconnected from the reality on the ground.

Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, aptly described this situation when she called the Presidency and the National Assembly “bandits” against Nigerians. Her words are a painful truth that resonates deeply with the masses. The political class in Nigeria seems to have abandoned any pretense of serving the public good. Instead, they have chosen to enrich themselves, disregarding the suffering of the very citizens who put them in power.

The timing of this purchase adds salt to the wound. Coming on the heels of the #EndBadGovernment protests—a movement born out of frustration with corruption, mismanagement, and disregard for human life—this action is a slap in the face of every Nigerian who dared to dream of a better country. It is a reminder that, in the ears of those in power, the cries of the masses are mere noise.

This jet is not just a symbol of luxury; it is a symbol of everything that is wrong with Nigerian governance. It represents the skewed priorities of a government that would rather spend billions on personal comfort than address the critical needs of its people. It is a blatant display of power and privilege, a message that the elites will continue to live in opulence while the masses suffer in silence.

Nigerians must not allow this affront to go unanswered. This is not just about a jet; it is about the future of a country where the gap between the rich and the poor grows wider every day. It is about demanding accountability from those in power and insisting that the needs of the people come first. Tinubu’s extravagant purchase is a betrayal of the Nigerian people, and it must not be forgotten or forgiven. It is time for Nigerians to be more determined to hold their leaders accountable, to demand a government that serves the people rather than one that exploits them.

Africa has the youngest population of any continent, and recent protests in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda suggest growing youth disillusionment. Will they be able to turn discontent into action?

The youth-led protests that have broken out in several African countries over the past weeks should, say observers, serve as warnings that a disillusioned generation blame the elders of the ruling political classes for missed economic opportunities.

From mid-June to early August, young people in Kenya hit the streets protesting against what they described as runaway corruption and high taxes levied by President William Ruto’s regime. In Uganda, what was shaping up as protests against the government in July were nipped in the bud by police after President Yoweri Museveni’s warning that those thinking of such protests “were playing with fire”. Nigeria saw short-lived protests against the poor handling of the economy by President Bola Tinubu’s government.

But beyond these protests, Africa’s demographic bulge finds itself at a crossroads; distrustful of the ruling class but seemingly unable to drive the change.

Last week, more than 400 young people, mostly in their early to mid-20s, converged at the UN offices in Nairobi for the Africa Youth Forum 2024 in order to stimulate an intergenerational dialogue that promotes the perspectives of all age groups in a continent where older ones’ viewpoints are rarely questioned.

“We are here to share our values, our challenges and harmonise the potential within the young people in Africa,” says Mohamed Abdulhalim from the coastal Kenyan county of Lamu.

The continent has the youngest population in the world with more than 400 million people aged between 18 and 35 and by 2030, it is estimated that 42% of all young people entering the workplace will be African.

Abdulhalim says the generational gap that exists between the youth and Africa’s leadership denies young people a chance to show their abilities, energy, and their contribution to the continent’s economy, hence the widespread protests in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa.

“Look, we have the capacity, but we don’t have a platform to showcase [our abilities],” says Abdulhalim. “And that is the reason we went to the streets. We are saying our voices must count, that we must be part of the decision-making process, including those of us from far away in Lamu.”

After the protests in Kenya, the government was forced to drop the contentious finance bill that contained harsh taxation measures. Ruto also disbanded his cabinet hoping the measures would appease the young protesters, or the generation Z. His pleas for dialogue were shrugged off as they demanded that he too, step down.

The young protesters in Kenya styled themselves as “leaderless and tribeless”, thus complicating government efforts to arrange any dialogue. Without dialogue, however, organisers of the Nairobi meeting say Africa’s youth will have no meaningful contribution to state affairs and will always be at the mercy of crafty politicians.

“Dialogue is not being naive,” says Kjell Magne Bondevik, the former prime minister of Norway and founder of the Oslo Center that convened the Nairobi forum. “Dialogue is about listening and learning from each other. It is about identifying common values and strengthening the youth’s participation in political parties.”

Faith Norah Lukosi, a youth representative in a national fund meant to assist young Kenyans set up commercial enterprises has in the past tried to get young people on the negotiating table with mixed success. In 2021, she wrote a scathing piece in the the Daily Nation, where she castigated the youth for sitting on the fence and waiting for handouts from politicians.

“Kenya is ripe for revolution led by youth”, read the title of her article. But they have failed “to portray themselves as the solution, instead flocking around political heavyweights for financial expediency and other short-term goals … easily swayed by the highest financial bidder in the market, regardless of what one stands for,” she wrote.

Lukosi says: “I received so many negative reactions from people thereafter. Some said, ‘Do you want us to burn our country down?’ But I am happy my sentiments have been vindicated in 2024. A revolution is building up and young people are ready for it. Kenya’s gen Zs have led the way. I believe we are on the right trajectory.”

Rwanda has not witnessed the kind of political and economic protests seen in Kenya or Uganda, as young people in the country still feel the best way to forestall such chaotic scenes is by continued government engagement, “something that we have been mentioning over and over again”, says Deborah Mukundwa from the capital, Kigali.

“I think we also need to understand our leaders,” Mukundwa says. “What are they up to and how can the youth contribute into that thought process? For example, I have the privilege of accessing quality education, a privilege of expression and being informed about national matters, but I recognise the majority of young people are lacking such privileges.”

Not just education but digital access is a major challenge for many – in 2021 only 43% of Africans had access to the internet, below a global average of 66%.

As of January 2024, about 74% of web traffic in Africa was via mobile phones, over 14 percentage points higher than the world average. This is down to cost and the availability of infrastructure needed for computers with fixed-line internet connections.

“Youths in Africa lack internet accessibility and have an education system that doesn’t really serve them in order to execute the different agendas and matters that we are talking about at this meeting,” says Mukundwa.

Without physical and intellectual infrastructure, she says Africa’s youth will not reach their potential, will not have any tangible input in the global, regional, or national agendas, nor will they understand what really matters to them and how policies formulated at the highest levels affect them.

“We are lacking that meaningful youth engagement, an engagement that goes beyond inviting young people to forums, inviting them to speak. They need an engagement that enforces that collaboration and partnership to the execution of different projects and agendas, an engagement that is more meaningful and that says, ‘We see you, we see your project, and we support you with resources.’ We are not only present at these forums, but have safe spaces for such engagement,” she says.

Kalonzo Musyoka, a former vice-president and key opposition figure in Kenya, says it will no longer be business as usual. Young people, he says, are offering the continent a new viewpoint and a desire to innovate “as long as they are spared state-sanctioned brutality”.

The Guardian, UK

Israeli military intelligence head leaves post, takes responsibility for Oct. 7 failure

Israel's outgoing head of military intelligence took responsibility for his country's failures to defend its border on Oct. 7 at his resignation ceremony on Wednesday.

Major General Aharon Haliva, a 38-year veteran of the military, announced his resignation in April and was one of a number of senior Israeli commanders who said they had failed to foresee and prevent the deadliest attack in Israel's history.

"The failure of the intelligence corps was my fault," Haliva said at the ceremony on Wednesday, and he called for a national investigation "in order to study" and "understand deeply" the reasons that led to the war between Israel and Hamas.

The Oct. 7 attack badly tarnished the reputation of the Israeli military and intelligence services, previously seen as all but unbeatable by armed Palestinian groups such as Hamas.

In the early hours of the morning of Oct. 7, following an intense rocket barrage, thousands of fighters from Hamas and other groups broke through security barriers around Gaza, surprising Israeli forces and rampaging through communities in southern Israel.

Some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed in the attack, most of them civilians, and about 250 were taken into captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Some 109 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza, around a third of whom are thought to be dead.

The head of the armed forces, Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi, and the head of the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, both accepted responsibility in the aftermath of the attack but have stayed on while the war in Gaza has continued.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine attacks Moscow in one of largest ever drone strikes on Russian capital

Ukraine attacked Moscow on Wednesday with at least 11 drones that were shot down by air defences in what Russian officials called one of the biggest drone strikes on the capital since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.

The war, largely a grinding artillery and drone battle across the fields, forests and villages of eastern Ukraine, escalated on Aug. 6 when Ukraine sent thousands of soldiers over the border into Russia's western Kursk region.

For months, Ukraine has also fought an increasingly damaging drone war against the refineries and airfields of Russia, the world's second largest oil exporter, though major drone attacks on the Moscow region - with a population of over 21 million - have been rarer.

Russia's defence ministry said its air defences destroyed a total of 45 drones over Russian territory, including 11 over the Moscow region, 23 over the border region of Bryansk, six over the Belgorod region, three over the Kaluga region and two over the Kursk region.

Some of the drones were shot down over the city of Podolsk, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The city in the Moscow region is some 38 km (24 miles) south of the Kremlin.

"This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow using drones ever," Sobyanin said on the Telegram messaging app in the early hours of Wednesday. "The layered defence of Moscow that was created made it possible to successfully repel all the attacks from the enemy UAVs."

Along Moscow's boulevards, the cafes, restaurants and shops of the capital - which has been carefully insulated from the war - were crowded with little sign of concern, while President Vladimir Putin met Chinese premier Li Qiang in the Kremlin.

Two Russian citizens who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said the foiled drone attack simply showed how well defended Moscow now was, and that Ukraine was "playing with fire" by attacking Russia both in Kursk and in Moscow.

Russia meanwhile is advancing in eastern Ukraine, where it controls about 18% of the territory, and battling to repel Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region, the biggest foreign attack on Russian territory since World War Two.

Russian media showed unverified footage of drones whirring over the dawn sky of the Moscow region and then being shot down in a ball of flame by air defences.

Moscow's airports, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, limited flights for four hours but restarted normal operations from 0330 GMT, Russia's aviation watchdog said.

Sobyanin said that according to preliminary information, there were no injuries or damage reported in the aftermath of the attacks. There were also no casualties or damage reported following the attack on Bryansk in Russia's southwest, the governor of the region, Alexander Bogomaz, wrote on Telegram.

Russia's RIA state news agency reported that two drones were destroyed over the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region to its north. Vasily Golubev, governor of the Rostov region in Russia's southwest, said air defence forces destroyed a Ukraine-launched missile over the region, with no injuries reported.

The Russian defence ministry did not mention either Tula or Rostov in its statement listing destroyed Ukrainian air weapons. Ukraine's military said on Wednesday it overnight struck an S-300 anti-aircraft missile systembased in the Rostov region.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

The drone attack on Moscow was on a par with a May 2023 attack when at least eight droneswere destroyed over the capital, a strike Putin said was a Ukrainian attempt to scare and provoke Russia.

In Kursk, Russian war bloggers said intense battles were ongoing along the front in the region where Ukraine has carved out at least 450 square km (175 square miles) of Russian territory.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia saved from ‘talks trap’ – Medvedev

Kiev’s decision to launch an offensive on Russian soil has benefited Moscow, since it can no longer be pressured to compromise for the sake of peace, former president Dmitry Medvedev has suggested.

Ukrainian troops occupied some border areas in Kursk Region this month in a move that the country’s leadership claims would strengthen its position in eventual peace talks. However, President Vladimir Putin has ruled out negotiations with Kiev following the incursion, accusing Ukraine of targeting Russian civilians during the attack.

Medvedev, who serves as deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, argued that Russia should take a more hardline position in response to the incursion.

”In my view, there was a theoretical threat of a talks trap, which our nation could fall into under certain circumstances. That is, unnecessary early peace negotiations, offered by the international community and imposed on the Kiev regime,” he wrote on social media on Wednesday.

”After the neo-Nazis committed an act of terrorism in Kursk Region, every piece got into its place,” he added. “Everyone realizes that there can be NO TALKS BEFORE THE ENEMY IS FULLY DEFEATED!”

Medvedev lashed out specifically at Britain and its former prime minister Boris Johnson, who enthusiastically welcomed Kiev’s move. The UK has hurt Ukraine a lot with its support, since it led to unnecessary destruction and loss of life, Medvedev said.

Before the offensive started, Moscow was willing to order a ceasefire in exchange for Kiev renouncing its aspirations for NATO membership and pulling troops out of all territories claimed by Russia.

Politico reported on Monday that the Ukrainian government wanted to have mediated, indirect talks with Russia similar to those that resulted in the Black Sea grain initiative, an arrangement that provided safe passage to certain merchant ships sailing to or from Ukrainian ports. The 2022 deal was technically two separate agreements that Russia and Ukraine signed with Türkiye and the UN, but not with each other.

Ukrainian officials have told the outlet that they are hoping for the same model and expect Russia to accept an outcome based on the so-called ‘peace formula’ penned by the country’s leader Vladimir Zelensky in 2022. Moscow has rejected his proposal from the start, calling it a de facto demand for capitulation that is detached from reality.

Reuters/RT

Following the seizure of the country’s assets based on the ruling of a French court, former Ogun governor Ibikunle Amosun, put out successive press releases clarifying his role in the embarrassing situation. The first, explaining his responsibility in the matter between Ogun State and two Chinese companies (which culminated in the seizure of three presidential aircraft), was just as self-indicting as the second, a rejoinder to economist Pat Utomi. Both succinctly summarise everything wrong with leadership in this part of the world and why we just never seem to move forward. It is no longer news that we have bad leaders, but it was always distressing to see—through their self-narration—that we are ruled by people who are unethical, unthinking, and unsophisticated.

After reading both press statements, I concluded that the Chinese company’s enforcement of the law against Nigeria should not stop at seizing foreign assets. They should take Amosun with them. They can put him on the plantation for all we care.

Now, let me say that I have taken note that Amosun’s statement on Zhongfu’s duplicity, as much as they give him away as a poor administrator, is also one-sided. Until an investigative journalist can obtain and analyse the legal documents in the four Nigerian courts (where Zhongfu lost their cases) and the Paris arbitration tribunal (where they won) to provide a comprehensive picture of what unfolded, all we have to go by are the self-vindicating statements of each party. I should also add that this is not a defence of either Zhongfu or Utomi. Today, I am not particularly interested in the details of their deals with Ogun to take sides; I am only concerned with the naïve actions of the people who make the decisions that affect our lives.

In his press release, Amosun stated that two Chinese organisations fought over the lawful representative of the original joint venturer, Guangdong Province, China, and the right to manage the Ogun Free Trade Zone. Here is where it gets funny:

Zhongfu International Investment FXE, pretending to be a concerned and genuine tenant and Zone stakeholder, volunteered very damaging and destructive information about the official representatives of Guangdong Province, the Joint Venturer and lawful Zone Managers, China Africa Investment FXE and subsequently requested to be appointed as Interim Zone Managers.

If a rival agency provides “damaging and destructive information” about its rival, common sense should tell anyone that whatever they are “volunteering” cannot be merely for charitable purposes. Amosun must have been wearing that his signature cap too tight for air to be let into his head because he apparently favoured the gossiping party for no reason other than their takedown of their opponent. According to him, it was only later that they discovered the information was a “tissue of lies.” When I read the part where he stated that unknown to the Ogun Government at the time, Zhongfu International Investment FXE merely sought to de-market China Africa Investment FXE and to surreptitiously covert the state-owned assets of Guangdong Province in China together with the zone ownership and management rights of their business rival, I thought Amosun should be flogged in the market square.

For a state government with an entire bureaucracy at its disposal, it should not have been “unknown” to you that you were being manipulated. You could have done due diligence by carrying out an independent fact-finding mission before taking decisions rather than letting a self-interested agent do your homework. Also, between 2012 when you appointed Zhongfu as “interim managers” and 2016 when the Chinese government clarified that China Africa Investment FXE was the rightful investor, you did not do any independent work to ascertain the truth? If it would take the Chinese government for you to know what was true, why did you not contact them all along?

But that is one part of his self-indictment. The second part is revealed in his release where he responds to Utomi. He says, Before I came into office, the Ogun State House of Assembly had passed a persona non grata on Utomi, and put its resolution in the state’s black book. So, I was curious when I became governor and called Utomi to ask what the issue was. This was entirely at my discretion and not because he reached out to me. But I reckoned that as one with some degree of name-recognition, that should not be, and I wanted to know what happened.

What you quickly notice is that in his reply to Utomi is the change of tone. In the first statement, he was careful to assume corporate responsibility for the decisions that led to the Nigerian embarrassment. He made sure to use the pronoun “we,” and to state that this and that action was taken by “Ogun” or “our administration.” When he got into the spat with Utomi, he dropped the façade and reverted to the personal pronoun. Unlike the first where he was careful to spread responsibility for the failure of intelligence that has brought Nigeria to this point, the second revealed him as a governor who basically ran a one-man show while in office.

He left me wondering, why would you—as a governor—be curious about the legislature blacklisting an individual to the point of contacting the person? If you need to find out anything, why not read the records? I am sure Ogun lawmakers did not just blacklist Utomi; there had to be a documented reason somewhere. It was not enough that he reached out to someone on the state’s black book, but he also offered them N100m.

He said by their assessment of the project, the expenditure could not have exceeded N35m or at most N50m. So, how did he arrive at N100m as compensation? What bureaucratic procedure reviewed the project and thought N100m was due to the blacklisted Utomi as compensation? The only reason anyone would have needed to award a governor a plaque to cajole him to pay the N100m balance must have been because he personalised the government, and administrative decisions were based on his gut instinct rather than official procedure. Even you confirmed that by saying, But I did not change my position on the refund of N100 million as against his N200 million claim.

And then, the finisher: I challenge everyone, including journalists, to let us meet at the construction site and see the N200 million investment he claimed to have made there. Let them also ask what benefit the project would have been to Ogun State. But this again proves how poorly he thinks and decides. To calculate whether the project was worth the N200m Utomi claims or not, he asked us to meet at the site and assess with our eyes. For a chartered accountant, one would have expected he would provide us with audit documents. Was that how he arrived at the “N35m, or at most N50m” value of the project? He went there and used his eyes to “see.” Now you see why his calculations had a yawning disparity of N15m. If this is how he makes decisions, it is unsurprising that Zhongfu could turn him around.

Then he says after using our eyes to calculate, we should ask “what benefit the project would have been to Ogun State.” So, he did not think that the project would benefit the state, but he offered N100m for it. What kind of administrator does that? If Amosun could arbitrarily spend N100m on a “useless” project, who knows what else he wastefully expended the money that could have benefited the poor people of Ogun State on?

Honestly, the Chinese can keep him as part of enforcing the arbitration award. Except that he is not an asset—not to Nigeria, and definitely not to the business-savvy Chinese.

Punch

The dream of getting rich often feels out of reach, particularly if you believe that wealth requires a hefty initial investment or a lucky break. However, the truth is, many successful entrepreneurs have built their fortunes not from a windfall or a massive inheritance, but by leveraging something they already possessed: their skills.

If you have a skill set you’re passionate about, you're sitting on a goldmine.

Here’s how you can use what you already have to start a business and get rich:

1. Identify Your Core Skills

Before diving into the business world, it’s essential to identify the skills that set you apart. Are you a natural problem solver? Do you have a talent for writing, designing, or coding? Maybe you’re great at teaching, organizing, or managing projects. Start by making a list of all the skills you possess, both soft and hard skills. This list will become the foundation for your business idea.

2. Find a Market Need

Once you've identified your core skills, the next step is to find a market need. Research industries or niches where your skills are in high demand. If you're a skilled writer, businesses are always in need of quality content for their websites, blogs, and marketing materials. If you’re a web developer, there’s a constant demand for websites and apps. The key is to match your skill set with a problem that needs solving.

3. Start Small and Lean

One of the biggest misconceptions about starting a business is that it requires significant upfront capital. However, many successful entrepreneurs started with little to no money. You can start small by offering your services as a freelancer or consultant. This allows you to test the waters, build a client base, and gain experience without the financial risk of starting a full-fledged business.

For example, if you’re a graphic designer, you can start by taking on freelance projects. As you build a portfolio and a reputation, you can gradually expand your services and client base.

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Technology will help you start your business. You can use online platforms to market your skills, find clients, and even automate parts of your business. Social media, freelancing websites, and personal websites are powerful tools for reaching a global audience without spending a dime.

Platforms like LinkedIn can connect you with clients looking for your specific skill set. Meanwhile, a well-maintained social media presence can help you build your brand and attract customers organically.

5. Network and Collaborate

Networking is a critical component of growing your business. By connecting with others in your industry, you can gain valuable insights, find opportunities for collaboration, and increase your visibility. Attend industry events, join online communities, and don’t be afraid to reach out to people who might be able to help you grow your business.

Collaboration can also open new revenue streams. For example, if you’re a web developer, partnering with a graphic designer can allow you to offer a more comprehensive service to your clients.

6. Upskill Continuously

To stay competitive and continue growing your business, it’s essential to keep learning. Invest time in upskilling and staying updated with the latest trends in your industry. This could mean taking online courses, attending workshops, or simply dedicating time each week to learning something new.

Upskilling can also allow you to diversify your services. For example, if you’re a content writer, learning about SEO can make your services more valuable to clients looking to improve their online presence.

7. Focus on Delivering Value

Ultimately, the key to getting rich using your skills is to focus on delivering value. When you consistently provide high-quality work that solves your clients' problems, you build a reputation that leads to repeat business and referrals. Over time, this can lead to higher rates, bigger projects, and more significant opportunities.

8. Scale When the Time is Right

As your business grows, look for opportunities to scale. This might mean hiring additional help, expanding your services, or even creating products based on your expertise. For example, if you’re a consultant, you might create an online course or write a book to reach a broader audience.

Scaling should be done strategically and only when you have the processes in place to handle the increased workload. However, when done correctly, scaling can significantly increase your income potential.

The bottom line is that getting rich doesn’t necessarily require a revolutionary idea or a large amount of startup capital. By leveraging the skills you already have, identifying a market need, and delivering consistent value, you can build a business that grows over time. Remember, wealth is often built slowly through persistence, continuous learning, and smart business decisions.

Forbes