Bola Tinubu has been a politician for the better part of his life. He has the uncanny reputation of seeking to do the impossible, in very difficult circumstances. By his own declarations, the presidential ambition has been in the works for a very long time, so he was well prepared for the job and nobody should pity or cry for him. We were taught that the best way to know somebody is through what other people say about him, what he does and what he says about himself. This piece is a simple analysis of the impact of Tinubu’s government upon the people of Nigeria since May 29, 2023, when he commenced his four-year tenure.

The President gave out himself as a progressive, by which term it is understood that he would implement programmes and policies that will lead to major and remarkable improvements in the lives of the people. The President is seen as a welfarist, judging by his eight-year tenure as governor of Lagos State, during which time his supporters claimed that he executed people-oriented programmes of mass transit, that he revolutionized the judicial sector and even increased the internally generated revenue of the State.

You would have a hard time convincing them that he was not a thorough democrat as they would cite examples of his legal battles to enthrone true federalism, when he pioneered the creation of local government development areas and dared the federal government. You will not be able to convince his fans that the President as governor of Lagos State could not guarantee water supply to many homes, that he was not able to arrest the incidences of cultism, the ‘area boys’ syndrome and that he did nothing to upgrade the various slums that littered the State beyond primitive land acquisition and reallocation.

The governance structure in Nigeria is designed to deliver durable infrastructure and guarantee inclusive government for the people. This is clearly the purport of Chapter 2 of the Constitution. In its various sections, the Constitution provides for a government of the people, for the people and by the people. Section 13 enjoins all persons exercising legislative, executive and judicial authorities to uphold the provisions of the Constitution. Section 14 (1) states clearly that the Nigerian State shall be governed on the principles of democracy and social justice, while section 14 (2) (a) gives ultimate power (sovereignty) to the people. Section 14 (3) prohibits nepotism by stating that the composition of the Government of the Federation and indeed the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and to promote national unity, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government. What do we have in the current Tinubu dispensation? The judiciary is headed by the South-West, the Army is headed by the South-West, the police is headed by the South-West, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is headed by the South-West, the Immigration is headed by the South-West, the Customs is headed by the South-West, the FIRS is headed by the South-West, the Governor of Central Bank is from the South-West, the Comptroller-General of the Correctional Centre is from the South-West and the Minister of Petroleum (Tinubu) is from the South-West. In simple terms, the South-West region of Nigeria controls the executive, the judiciary, the security and the finance architectures. This is one of the causes of constant agitation in the land, when the leader in power sees himself as the representative of his region alone. And as if following Tinubu’s example, I was shocked to read that in the composition of the new governing councils of federal universities, Adamawa, the home-state of the Minister of Education, produced a whopping 22 chairmen. Section 15 (2) requires the President to promote national integration and to avoid all forms of discrimination.

For this to happen, the government will provide adequate facilities for and encourage free mobility of people, goods and services throughout the Federation. But you and I know that the roads are not motorable and even when they are, the fear of terrorists discourages people from using the roads.

In section 15 (3) (b), the government is to secure full residence rights for every citizen in all parts of the Federation. Some weeks ago, it was reported in the news that the Lagos State Government gathered persons suspected to be from Osun State into a truck and dropped them off in Osogbo to go back to their State. This is not new. Should other States of the Federation retaliate this gesture, there will be crisis everywhere. Section 15 (5) enjoins the government to abolish all forms of corrupt practices and abuse of power. Since the advent of the Tinubu administration, the State Security Service (SSS) has been let loose on Nigerians. The agency invaded a court in Ota area of Ogun State to arrest litigants right inside the court. Journalists are languishing in various detention centres on account of their professional engagements. The sad impression being conveyed by the President and his team is that might is right.

Section 16 (1) (a) directs the government to harness the resources of the nation to promote national prosperity and an efficient, dynamic and self-reliant economy, with equality of status and opportunity granted to all citizens. The question to ask is this: what is the current state of the Nigerian economy? Inflation is at its highest ever (33%), energy cost has gone beyond reach, many companies are closing down due to negative economic factors and the unemployment rate is rising daily. The ballooning exchange rate has worked to cripple many businesses, with the unfortunate result that purchasing power has dwindled drastically whilst the cost of living has quadrupled. This has led to mass exodus of Nigerians to other climes in search of greener pastures.

In section 16 (1) (b), the State is directed to control the national economy in such a manner as to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity. I am pretty sure you can resolve this issue yourself, if you go by the increasing cases of suicide, mental illness, broken homes and crime rate. From being the happiest people on earth a while ago, most Nigerians have been turned into emergency beggars, barely able to eke out a decent living. If you get fifty messages in one day, forty of them must come from those who claim not to have eaten the whole day or to have medical bills to settle or they need your support to pay their children’s school fees or settle their accommodation bills. The fuel subsidy removal has only worked to pauperize the people, creating lamentations in various homes and businesses. Section 16 (2) states that the government shall ensure that the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good. Nigeria has oil and gas in very large quantities but they are not harnessed for the benefit of the people. If you go to the Niger-Delta area you will see degradation and the wicked effects of oil production and pollution on the ecosystem. We also have gold, bitumen and other natural and mineral resources. The real issue is that our leaders are not deploying these huge resources for the common good.

In section 16 (2) ©, the government is to ensure that the economic system is not operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of a few individuals. It is the opposite that operates presently, as the same people who control the banks also control the real estate sector, they play in the oil and gas sector, they dominate the power sector and indeed all other important sectors of the Nigerian economy. It is a circle of friends who have not allowed and will not allow any outsider to invade their “privacy”.

In particular and for loud emphasis, section 14 (2) (b) states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government. And this is the real deal. Or how do you promote the welfare of people by keeping them in perpetual darkness without electricity? I cannot remember anytime that we have enjoyed stable power supply for up to one week since May 29, 2023 when Tinubu was sworn in. We are currently experiencing the worst in power supply because all we hear across the land is the sound of generators. To make matters worse, the government empowered the power distribution companies to extort money from their consumers, when the nebulous Band A group was purportedly created, with the assurance of 18-22 hours of power supply everyday. It was only a clever design to milk the people dry, given that those who are touted to be in Band A have since confirmed the scheme to be false. The Tinubu administration has not done anything to improve the lives of Nigerians since it assumed office. Insecurity is at its worst and nobody is ever sure of who is next but for God. Nigeria is presently an open field of suffering such that even those who have are themselves victims. No government should pride itself for foisting suffering on its citizens.

It is no secret that the number of open positions currently far outstrips the number of candidates available to fill them. According to March 2022 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the gap between the current number of job openings and the total level of unemployment now exceeds 5 million. 

Given such a dramatic and critical imbalance, making good hires is among the most important priorities for HR leaders in organizations of all sizes and stripe this year. And it's not just because people are hard to find.

A Harris Poll for Career Builder found that 74% of employers admit to having at one time hired the wrong person. Then, a Robert Half study looking at the cost of bad hires reported that a total of 16 weeks is wasted when a bad hire is made. Hiring the right people the first time is critical.

Many H.R. leaders and recruiters in small and medium enterprises have turned to pre-hire assessments as a means of attempting to isolate on great hires. Recent research from The Aberdeen Group found that just over half, some 57%, of all companies use some form of pre-hire assessment, ostensibly to improve selection. But the trouble is, they don't work that well. 

Besides opening the door to the creation of discriminatory and highly homogenous workplaces dominated by very similar individuals, these tools are frequently misunderstood both by the user and those administering them. 

About the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), arguably the industry's most popular pre-hire personality screening tool, Wharton Organizational Psychologist and New York Times #1 best-selling author, Adam Grant said, "The MBTI is astrology for nerds." 

Worse, the most clever candidates try to beat the test; they will tailor responses to better align with what they perceive to be the cultural and practical requirements of the position. According to 2019 research by Nicolas Roulin and Franciska Krings, which appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology. 

"On the basis of readily available information about the culture, applicants derive the profile of an individual who potentially would thrive in this context, and then adapt their responses accordingly." 

So, it's not uncommon for pre-hire assessments to deliver the exact opposite of their intended result - a good hire. So, many firms, then, turn to targeted selection for help.

Targeted selection is a process whereby same questions, or very reasonable facsimiles thereof, are divvied up among multiple interviewers who, later, compare candidate replies for consistency. 

An example of a targeted selection question might be, "Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to solve a problem." 

The logic behind targeted selection is that it eliminates bias across multiple candidates while creating an objective frame of reference to discuss and rate candidates across multiple interviewers. 

Additionally, proponents of targeted selection believe that a candidate, under pressure, will have difficulty "tricking" the system. That is, they won't be able to sustain consistent dishonesty across multiple versions of the same question. 

Therefore, they assume, targeted selection will reveal the best, highest quality hires. The problem is, the brightest candidates prepare for targeted selection questions, and likewise prepare answers designed to please the interviewer. 

Whether their answers are true or not, authentic or not, or credible or not take a back seat to whether or not they are more likely to check a box the interviewer is seeking to check. So, targeted selection is (or should be) out. There is, though, a far better, and far more practical way of finding quality hires than costly assessments and complex group interviewing schemes. Just ask, "Oh?"

I've been using this simple two letter interrogative in interviews for more than 3 decades now to help separate winning candidates from everyone else. I use, "Oh?" as a follow-up to bold statements, insufficient statements, superficial statements, or just statements I want to know more about. 

"Oh?" has a sort of magical quality about it. It cannot be ignored. It's too informal to have meant, "I don't believe you." It doesn't invite any sort of canned response. 

It might mean, "Tell me more," or something altogether different; but most wouldn't be caught dead asking you to clarify what you meant by it. "Oh?" is just "Oh?"

But academics, psychologists and business leaders all agree that using "Oh?" in the interview process can lead to better outcomes. 

"Open ended and exploratory questions, like "oh?," allow for an organic conversation, and result in a more accurate evaluation of the candidate's relevant and transferable experience," says Carnegie Mellon University's Diane Taylor. 

Used along with other intelligent and well thought out queries, "Oh?" can produce higher quality hires by addressing some of the shortcomings found in other recruiting tools.

"Oh?" will require a candidate to think on their feet. "Oh?" almost always elicits a completely candid and honest response - because most don't have a repertoire to draw from that includes responses to "Oh?" That's because virtually no one spends time getting ready for the "Oh?"

According to Agnieszka Goulin, head of People at Spacelift.IO, "I like asking the "oh?" question as most candidates do not expect such a question, they have not prepared their answer prior, and thus their answer will be a unique response they came up with at the moment. It showcases their critical thinking and their ability to remain calm under pressure." 

Responses to "Oh?" will typically most closely match the personality and cultural orientation of the responder; because in responding they are foremost considering only how to answer the question, not how to make a cultural impression.

Adam Sanders, Founder and Director of The Relaunch Pad agrees. He told me, "There is more information out there than ever before about what hiring managers want to hear. This makes the typical interview questions easier than ever to answer if you're willing to prepare a bit beforehand. 

All of this leads to candidates interviewing with a persona of what they think will get them hired and companies hiring that persona. It's a bad match for both parties in the long-run but it happens all the time. I've found that "Oh?" is a very effective method to take the interview from canned responses into a more self-reflective conversation. 

Most candidates only prepare for the typical surface-level questions and "Oh?" requires them to dig deeper and improvise on the fly. I've found that I get more honest and authentic answers this way." But beyond reducing bad hire risks often missed by assessments and targeted selection, there are other reasons to use the "Oh?" - like tearing away at veils.

"'Oh?' is an excellent interjection when an applicant has been giving superficial responses. According to Stephan Baldwin, founder of Assisted Living, a digital marketing agency in the healthcare industry. 

"When an interviewer says "Oh?," candidates usually get uneasy and start digging deep into your questions. They assume that the phrase signals inadequacy as if you were expecting more from their reply. 

And sometimes, you really are ... healthcare demands employees who are wholeheartedly interested in what they're doing. It's worth finding out what really drives people to join your team." Making quality hires requires that hiring managers know more about a candidate than meets the eye. 

"Oh?" helps them get to a deeper level of dialogue. It encourages people to talk freely and to share openly in a way that few other questions do. It's disarming and welcoming. When used properly and sparingly, the "Oh?" can enable interviewers to collect a depth of information that before would have remained hidden. The "Oh?" can also quickly build relationships between interviewers and interviewee.

Finally, the tremendously casual nature of "Oh?" can help rapidly create bond and rapport then a deeper connection with a candidate. Few candidates will expect the informality of "Oh?" 

Using it can change the tenor of not only their responses, but likely the nature of their relationship with the questioner and the company. Done well, the interviewer is inviting the candidate to a much broader conversation about possibilities, dreams, and, hopefully, mutual ambitions. 

It's a moment when the candidate may, or may not, start to take ownership of their future role. As psychotherapist, Dr. Heather Browne shared with me, "Oh?" can lead to a place where the interviewer and candidate "then can dream together. 

"And in this way, the candidate will stand out if they so choose. These are the moments we live for in an interview. It's either the transformative connect where you create together or it's the clarity of misaligned thought/belief/mission."

It all starts with two simple letters - "Oh?" - a tiny little word that can have huge implications for the quality of your future hires.

Inc

Ahead of the Students' Loan portal launch this Friday, the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced that it will initially offer loans to students in federal tertiary institutions. The Fund specified that only students from institutions that have uploaded their data onto its dashboard will be eligible to apply.

Akintinde Sawyerr, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NELFUND, made this announcement on Monday during a Pre-Application Sensitisation Press Conference in Abuja. He stated that the first phase of the scheme will benefit 1.2 million students from federal universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and technical colleges.

Sawyerr encouraged students in federal institutions to visit the website [www.nelf.gov.ng](http://www.nelf.gov.ng) to apply starting May 24. Students from state universities and vocational skills centers will be able to apply at a later date.

To apply, students will need a Joint Admission and Matriculation Board admission letter, National Identity Number, Bank Verification Number, and a completed application form from the website.

“Applicants can access online support for any questions or concerns during the application process. We believe that education is a vital investment for the future, and this student loan initiative by Mr. President is a testament to that commitment,” Sawyerr said.

One key feature of the program is the absence of physical contact between the loan applicants and NELFUND, with a user-friendly portal allowing students to submit their applications conveniently. Sawyerr urged students to apply promptly to ensure timely processing.

In addition to the interest-free loan, applicants will also receive monthly stipends for upkeep, though the amount has not been disclosed. “We will look closely at each application and decide based on several factors what fees will be paid. The fees for the institution will be paid directly to the institution per session,” Sawyerr explained.

Sawyerr emphasized the role of institutions in providing data on fees at various levels and highlighted ongoing collaborations with security agencies to prevent fraud.

Last month, President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2024, into law. This Act empowers NELFUND to provide loans for tuition, fees, and upkeep to qualified Nigerian students in approved public tertiary institutions and vocational establishments. The new law, which repeals the Student Loan Act of 2023, removes the family income threshold, allowing all Nigerian students to apply for loans and take responsibility for repayment according to the Fund’s guidelines.

Air Peace, Nigeria’s flag carrier, has responded to allegations of safety violations in the United Kingdom. The airline, in a statement on Monday, asserted that its operations have been under intense scrutiny by authorities since its inaugural flight to London.

The allegations stem from a report titled "Ramp Inspection," dated April 7, in which the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) raised concerns about Air Peace’s compliance with certain UK safety regulations. The UK CAA claimed that Air Peace was using Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) functions without operational approval.

However, Air Peace described the report as false, stating that it had obtained the necessary approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

“Our attention has been drawn to media reports alleging a safety breach by Air Peace in the United Kingdom, which contain a lot of falsehoods aimed at creating fears and doubts in the minds of the flying public,”

Air Peace stated. “From the commencement of our inaugural flight to London, our operations have been subjected to intense scrutiny by the relevant authorities, which we most welcome as we pride ourselves in our continued pursuit of operational excellence and unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our esteemed passengers."

The airline confirmed that the UK CAA contacted Air Peace after a statutory Ramp Inspection on April 7, 2024, requesting clarification on the use of the EFB and other concerns. Air Peace provided the necessary information, resolving the matter without issues.

“It is, therefore, wrong to say we do not have approval for our EFB. Air Peace received approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and all our Boeing 777 aircraft are certified to operate with EFBs,” the airline clarified.

Air Peace also addressed the claim that its B777 aircraft lacked iPad mounts and charging ports in the cockpit. The airline stated, “All B777 aircraft are equipped with charging ports in the cockpit, and we ensure that all our B777 aircraft have iPad mounts.”

Another concern raised by the UK CAA was the location of the cockpit library on the B777. The airline explained that the B777 designates two locations for storing manuals and books: one behind the captain and one under the jumpseat. During the inspection, the books were stored under the jumpseat, which is common practice.

“We understand the inspector’s preference for the books to be placed behind the captain and have ensured this preference is accommodated for all operations going forward,” Air Peace said.

Regarding the captain’s choice of runway exit after landing, Air Peace acknowledged that instead of using the middle runway exit, the captain chose to exit at the end of the runway, potentially delaying the arrival of another aircraft. The airline has addressed this matter with the captain to ensure adherence to preferred exit procedures in the future.

Air Peace emphasized that Ramp Inspection is a standard procedure conducted by aviation authorities globally, and the UK CAA followed proper protocol by notifying the NCAA of their inspection results. The airline expressed surprise at the exaggerated and sensationalized media reports on the matter, which was resolved over a month ago.

“Air Peace’s safety record is second to none, and we comply with all established safety standards,” the airline concluded.

Customers of Heritage Bank Plc, a major Nigerian financial institution, have called on the government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to urgently address ongoing issues that have left them unable to conduct transactions for the past three weeks.

In interviews with PREMIUM TIMES, many customers expressed frustration over their inability to withdraw funds from their accounts, leading to significant hardship. Despite the bank's notification of a "system refresh exercise" on May 13, which it claims to have completed successfully, customers reported continued difficulties accessing their money.

Several account holders noted that while deposits into their accounts were not problematic, withdrawals remained impossible. At various branches visited by reporters, customers recounted receiving minimal cash withdrawals or none at all. For instance, at branches in Wuse Zone 5 and the Abuja head office in Garki Area 3, customers were still unable to access their funds as of Monday afternoon.

Hassan Omotayo, Secretary of the Joint Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union, detailed his futile attempt to withdraw money after driving 20 kilometers to the Wuse branch, only to be told that earlier arrivals had been paid. Similarly, a long-time customer named Shola shared his frustration over being unable to withdraw more than ₦10,000 in the past three weeks, despite multiple attempts.

The situation has affected customers' daily lives, with one individual unable to buy food for his family and another, a hypertensive patient, unable to purchase medication due to the lack of access to their funds. Both customers urged the CBN and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to intervene.

On social media platform X, customers have voiced their dissatisfaction with Heritage Bank’s services, tagging the CBN in hopes of prompt action. Some users reported issues such as failed fund transfers, non-functional ATMs, and inoperative mobile banking apps, describing the situation as dire and pleading for regulatory intervention.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Heritage Bank's spokesperson, Ozena Utuku, reiterated that customers had been notified of the system refresh and that subsequent communications confirmed the completion of the exercise. Despite this, customers continue to report unresolved issues.

Attempts to reach CBN spokesperson Hakama Ali for comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. Calls and messages to her known contacts went unanswered.

The ongoing troubles with Heritage Bank’s systems have left many customers in a state of uncertainty and frustration, highlighting the need for immediate and effective resolution.

Residents of Dawaki, near Kubwa in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have been abducted in a recent bandit raid. According to sources, 20 individuals were kidnapped during the incident, which has caused significant tension in the area.

The attackers reportedly targeted homes on Frank Opara Street before security forces could respond to distress calls. Tunde Abdulrahim, Chairman of Dawaki Rock Heaven Community, reported that the attack occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. He stated that approximately 50 heavily armed bandits, including both men and women, invaded the community and broke into six houses.

FCT police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said Commissioner of Police Benneth Igweh led the police response and engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle. "In an immediate and strategic response to a distress call on the attack by unknown gunmen in Dawaki on May 19, 2024, at about 11:30 p.m., the operatives of the FCT Police Command, led by Igweh himself, swiftly mobilized to the scene," Adeh reported.

"The police, in coordination with local hunters, advanced on the assailants, tactically ambushing them at Ushafa Hill via Bwari and Shishipe Hills via Mpape. This led to a fierce gun duel. Overwhelmed by the operatives' firepower, the hoodlums fled with various degrees of bullet injuries, and the victims were rescued. While one of the rescued victims remains in the hospital receiving medical attention, the Commissioner of Police reaffirms the Command’s steadfast dedication to maintaining peace and security in the Territory. Search operations are ongoing to rescue other hostages who fled during the shootout," Adeh added.

Earlier, Daily Trust reported that bandits abducted five people from Shagari Quarters, Dei-Dei in the FCT on Sunday morning. Vigilante sources revealed that the attackers arrived around noon and targeted the compound of a senior customs officer, abducting his wife, three children, and a younger brother. They spent over two hours before moving to the neighboring Dakwa community, where an attempt to attack houses was thwarted by a fierce exchange of fire with security personnel, forcing the bandits to withdraw, according to the Chief of Dakwa, Alhassan Musa Babachukuri.

The traditional ruler lamented that the bandits have established a base behind Zuma Rock in Chachi community near Dakwa in neighboring Niger State, which connects to forests around Bwari. He urged the government to take serious action against the bandits to prevent further escalation of their activities.

War crimes prosecutor seeks arrest of Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu

The chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court sought arrest warrants Monday for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over actions taken during their seven-month war.

While Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, do not face imminent arrest, the announcement by the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor was a symbolic blow that deepened Israel’s isolation over the war in Gaza.

The court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, accused Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas leaders — Yehya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the move as disgraceful and antisemitic. U.S. President Joe Biden also lambasted the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas.

A panel of three judges will decide whether to issue the arrest warrants and allow a case to proceed. The judges typically take two months to make such decisions.

Israel is not a member of the court, so even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But the threat of arrest could make it difficult for the Israeli leaders to travel abroad.

Netanyahu called the prosecutor’s accusations against him a “disgrace,” and an attack on the Israeli military and all of Israel. He vowed to press ahead with Israel’s war against Hamas.

Biden said the effort to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant over the war in Gaza was “outrageous,” adding “whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas.”

Hamas also denounced the ICC prosecutor’s actions, saying the request to arrest its leaders “equates the victim with the executioner.”

Netanyahu has come under heavy pressure at home to end the war. Thousands of Israelis have joined weekly demonstrations calling on the government to reach a deal to bring home Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity, fearing that time is running out.

In recent days, the two other members of his war Cabinet, Gallant and Benny Gantz, have threatened to resign if Netanyahu does not spell out a clear postwar vision for Gaza.

But on Monday, Netanyahu received wall-to-wall support as politicians across the spectrum condemned the ICC prosecutor’s move. They included Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, and his two main political rivals, Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid.

It is unclear what effect Khan’s move will have on Netanyahu’s public standing. The possibility of an arrest warrant against Netanyahu could give him a boost as Israelis rally behind the flag. But his opponents could also blame him for bringing a diplomatic catastrophe on the country.

Yuval Shany, an expert on international law at Hebrew University and the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank, said it was far more certain that Netanyahu’s already troubled international standing could be further weakened.

“This is going to make Netanyahu an outcast, and his ability to move around the world will be seriously compromised,” said Shany. Even if the ICC does not issue the arrest warrant, other countries may now be more reluctant to provide support and assistance, he said.

Hamas is already considered an international terrorist group by the West. Both Sinwar and Deif are believed to be hiding in Gaza. But Haniyeh, the supreme leader of the Islamic militant group, is based in Qatar and frequently travels across the region. Qatar, like Israel, is not a member of the ICC.

The latest war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, when militants from Gaza crossed into Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage.

Since then, Israel has waged a brutal campaign to dismantle Hamas in Gaza. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, at least half of them women and children, according to the latest estimates by Gaza health officials.

The war has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, displacing roughly 80% of the population and leaving hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of starvation, according to U.N. officials.

Speaking of the Israeli actions, Khan said “the effects of the use of starvation as a method of warfare, together with other attacks and collective punishment against the civilian population of Gaza are acute, visible and widely known.”

The United Nations and other aid agencies have repeatedly accused Israel of hindering aid deliveries throughout the war. Israel denies this, saying there are no restrictions on aid entering Gaza and accusing the U.N. of failing to distribute aid.

Of the Hamas actions on Oct. 7, Khan, who visited the region in December, said that he saw for himself “the devastating scenes of these attacks and the profound impact of the unconscionable crimes.”

In their rampage, Hamas militants gunned down scores of revelers at a dance party and killed entire families as they huddled in their homes. “These acts demand accountability,” Khan said.

International human rights lawyer Amal Clooneyserved on a five-member expert panel that advised Khan. She said the panel had agreed unanimously that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that both the Hamas and Israeli leaders had committed war crimes, according to a statement.

South Africa, which has been leading a genocide case against Israel at the U.N. world court, welcomed Khan’s announcement seeking the arrest of Israeli and Hamas leaders. “The law must be applied equally to all in order to uphold the international rule of law,” the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

The ICC was established in 2002 as the permanent court of last resort to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s most heinous atrocities — war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.

The U.N. General Assembly endorsed the ICC, but the court is independent.

Dozens of countries don’t accept the court’s jurisdiction over war crimes, genocide and other crimes. They include Israel, the United States, Russia and China.

The ICC accepted “The State of Palestine” as a member in 2015, a year after the Palestinians accepted the court’s jurisdiction.

In 2020, then U.S. President Donald Trump authorized economic and travel sanctions on the ICC prosecutor and another senior prosecutor. The ICC staff were looking into U.S. and allies’ troops for possible war crimes in Afghanistan. Biden lifted the sanctions in 2021.

Last year, the court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putinon charges of responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Russia responded by issuing its own arrest warrants for Khan and ICC judges.

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine's Zelenskiy pushes allies to step up aid and involvement in war

Western allies are taking too long to make key decisions on military support for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Reuters in an exclusive interview in Kyiv on Monday.

He also said he was pushing partners to get more directly involved in the war by helping to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine and allowing Kyiv to use Western weapons against enemy military equipment amassing near the border.

The call to accelerate aid and push so-called "red lines" of engagement in the conflict reflect the growing pressure Zelenskiy's forces are under along more than 1,000 km of front lines in the northeast, east and south of the country.

An impassioned Zelenskiy, dressed in his familiar khaki T-shirt and trousers, said the situation on the battlefield was "one of the most difficult" he had known since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In recent weeks Moscow's troops have made incursions into northeastern Ukraine, further testing Kyiv's already stretched defences. At the same time, Russia has taken territory in the eastern Donbas region in sometimes fierce battles.

"A very powerful wave (of fighting) is going on in Donbas ... No-one even notices that there are actually more battles in the east of the country, specifically in the Donbas direction: Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Chasiv Yar."

He added, however, that the situation north of Kharkiv was now "under control".

The 46-year-old was speaking on the fifth anniversary of his inauguration as president. He has not contested elections because of martial law imposed due to the invasion.

Zelenskiy called again for faster military aid from the United States and other partners. Weapons and ammunition from a recently passed U.S. package is now arriving in Ukraine, but it was delayed for months by internal political wrangling.

"Every decision to which we, then later everyone together, comes to is late by around one year," said Zelenskiy.

"But it is what it is: one big step forward, but before that two steps back. So we need to change the paradigm a little bit."

RISK OF ESCALATION?

Zelenskiy said he wanted his partners to be more directly involved in the war, but understood they were wary of antagonising Russia.

"It's a question of will," he said. "But everyone says a word that sounds the same in every language: everyone is scared of escalation. Everyone has gotten used to the fact that Ukrainians are dying – that's not escalation for people."

He proposed that the armed forces of neighbouring NATO countries could intercept incoming Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory to help Kyiv protect itself.

Russia has fired thousands of missiles and drones at Ukraine since the start of the wider conflict, and air defences are a priority for Kyiv.

"Russians are using 300 planes on the territory of Ukraine. We need at least 120, 130 planes to resist in the sky," he said. Ukraine is waiting for the delivery of U.S.-designed F-16s which have yet to be used in anger.

He said that if countries could not supply the planes straight away, they could still fly them from neighbouring NATO states and shoot down Russian missiles.

The Ukrainian leader also said Kyiv was negotiating with international partners to use their weapons to strike Russian military hardware at the border and further inside Russian territory.

"So far, there is nothing positive," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin would likely view such developments as escalatory.

He casts the war as part of an existential battle with a declining and decadent West which he says humiliated Russia after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 by encroaching on what he considers Moscow's sphere of influence, including Ukraine.

Ukraine and the West reject such an interpretation, calling the invasion an unprovoked land grab.

Zelenskiy reiterated that he had not broken agreements with allies not to use their weapons inside Russia.

"We can't put the whole volume of weapons at risk."

INTERNATIONAL STAGE

Ukraine is gearing up for international talks in Switzerland next month that will exclude Russia and are aimed at trying to unify and harden opinion against Moscow.

Putin has said he believes the talks may convert Ukrainian demands for a Russian withdrawal into an ultimatum for Russia, a strategy he said would fail.

Zelenskiy said it was crucial to get as many countries around the table as possible.

"And then Russia will have to answer to the majority of the world, not Ukraine. ... No-one says that tomorrow Russia will agree, but it is important that we have the initiative."

Beijing has yet to say whether it will participate, although Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin met last week in China and pledged a "new era" of partnership between the two most powerful rivals of the United States.

"It is very important that they (China) are there," said Zelenskiy. "Because in principle, after this summit, it becomes clear who wants to end the war, and who wants to remain in strong relations with the Russian Federation."

On U.S. politics, he sought to dampen concerns that any win for Republican candidate Donald Trump in November elections could spell trouble for Ukraine. Trump is a Ukraine aid sceptic who has stressed "America First" policies.

"I don't believe that Republicans are against support for Ukraine, but some messages that are coming from their side raise concerns."

Zelenskiy, a former comedian, said he would let others judge his performance as leader of a country at war, but he expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainian people for their stoicism in the face of adversity.

He also insisted that Ukraine could still win the war, despite setbacks in recent months.

"I think we need to walk this path to the end, preferably a victorious one," he said. "Even though today people look somewhat sceptically at the word 'victory' - I understand it is difficult, because it is long."

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

NATO countries already training troops in Ukraine – Estonian PM

Military personnel from some NATO member states are already training Ukrainian soldiers inside the country, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has said. This will not lead to a direct confrontation with Russia because the personnel are doing it “at their own risk,” she insisted in an interview with Financial Times on Monday.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded by urging the Estonian leader to inform the public about the less savory aspects of these missions.

“Some nations are already getting their trainers back. But they keep mum about that. I hope brave Kaja will give the details,” she wrote on social media.

Kallas is one of the most outspoken supporters of Kiev’s war effort against Russia, and has been critical of Western politicians who are hesitant to ramp up military aid for Ukraine.

Her claim that the deployment of NATO instructors to Ukraine would not result in a direct confrontation with Russia was based on the fact that these military personnel are not covered by the alliance’s Article 5 mutual protection clause.

“I can’t possibly imagine that if somebody is hurt there, then those who have sent their people will say ‘It’s Article 5. Let’s … bomb Russia.’ It is not how it works. It’s not automatic,” she explained in the interview with Financial Times.

“If you send your people to help Ukrainians … you know the country is at war and you go to a risk zone. So you take the risk,” she added.

NATO has been training some Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of member states including the UK, Germany and Poland, teaching them how to use Western-donated weapons. Doing the same thing on Ukrainian soil would be quicker and simpler from a logistics point of view, according to proponents of the strategy.

Western officials have previously acknowledged the presence of some military personnel in Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict in 2022, but did not publicly confirm that they were training local forces.

Kallas has also sided with French President Emmanual Macron, who maintains that a formal deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine cannot be ruled out to prevent a Russian victory in the conflict. He has claimed that this policy keeps Moscow guessing about the bloc’s intentions.

Last year, the Ukrainian government attempted to use Western arms and training to break through Russian defensive lines, but failed to score any significant territorial gains. Its achievements in the so-called “counteroffensive” have largely been reversed since then, Western media have reported.

Now Kiev intends to mobilize hundreds of thousands of additional troops under a new law that allows for a heavy crackdown on draft avoidance and extends the pool of potential recruits to some convicts and people previously thought to be not fully fit for duty due to medical conditions.

In early May, the Russian Defense Ministry estimated that Ukrainian military losses had surpassed 111,000 this year alone.

Reuters/RT

“In the general course of human nature, a power over a man’s subsistence amounts to a power over his will.” – Alexander Hamilton, Federalist, No. 79, cited in O’Donoghue v. US, Id., 531 at 516

Nearly one year before he eventually prevailed in the legal contest over the destination of the governorship election, which occurred in Ekiti State in 2007, on 20 November 2009, Kayode Fayemi addressed the 52nd Annual Conference of the African Studies Association in New Orleans, in the state of Louisiana, United States of America, to offer some reflections on ten years of the return to elective government in Nigeria.

Fayemi’s address to the conference dwelt significantly on what he called useful “analytical categories in explaining why elections go the way they do in Nigeria with unpopular candidates ‘emerging’ as ‘winners’ in questionable elections.” He identified and named several gods that needed to be appeased by those with any hope of having their political ambitions blessed with success. His list included the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); security agencies (especially the police and the army); political “thugs and bandits”; and what he called the “money god”. The list additionally included “the judiciary” which Fayemi located rather tellingly in between the thugs and bandits on the one hand and the money god on the other. The most successful politicians, he suggested, were those who found ways to achieve intimacy with these gods.

Borrowing a leaf from Fayemi’s manual of electoral success, senior politicians in Nigeria and their counterparts in the judiciary appear to have been engaged in a prolonged mating game since before the general elections of 2023. As with many mating games that end up in intimacy, the results of the consummation are now showing themselves in unconcealed protuberances.

In his second week as president, the current incumbent indicated assent to a constitutional amendment ending the dichotomy between the retirement age of judges of the high courts around the country and that of Justices of the Court of Appeal and of the Supreme Court. Until then high court judges retired at 65 while their counterparts in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court retired five years later at 70. This new law granted all judges at the level of the high court or its equivalent a career extension of five years. For Chief Judges at the state level, they all received an increase of five years in office, meaning an extension of the good times. However, judges with ambitions or expectations of succeeding into leadership at the state level in the judiciary saw this as career stultification. The politicians who made this possible gained good friends in high judicial office.

At the beginning of April, 2024, the National Assembly passed the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Bill. It took all of three weeks, having only been transmitted by the presidency on 19 March. The bill updates judicial salaries, last reviewed in 2008. In particular, it will become effective from 1 January 2024, which “implies that if signed into law, the new rates of emoluments for judicial officers will be deemed to have become payable from January 1, in which case arrears will have to be paid.”

The bill guarantees a basic annual salary of N36.84 million for high court judges and N51.16 million for the Chief Justice of Nigeria, achieving a notional increase of over 800 per cent on current judicial remuneration. That is still way off the N84 million for high court judges and N120 million for the Chief Justice computed by Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osagie, a judge of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, in a self-help judgment issued on 4 May 2022.

As a negotiating gambit, however, the judges may take the view that the judgment has served its purpose. That is more than can be said for other workers in Nigeria in respect of whom negotiations with the federal government over the Minimum Wage broke down during the past week. Reflecting a peculiar legacy from military rule, Labour in Nigeria is federalized as an item under the Exclusive Legislative List although cost of living is location-sensitive. This is a story for another day.

When the Supreme Court of the United States spoke in 1933 about “the undiminishable character of the compensation of the judges”, they could not have known that the Great Depression had not yet hit the mid-point of its ultimate duration nor did they reckon with the laws of macro-economics. It hardly helps the interests of the administration of justice if judges’ wages are undiminishable while those of their staff are non-existent. Far from guaranteeing more efficient delivery of justice, therefore, Nigeria’s new judicial salaries may just achieve the opposite in the absence of a quick and equitable resolution of the negotiations concerning wages for workers generally, including judiciary staff.

Topping off a spectacular month of rich helpings from the political goodie-bag for Nigeria’s judiciary, the President during the week approved a whopping N37.2 billion for the construction of a new building for the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal. Contrary to the impression suggested by this decision, the court is not like another internally displaced person (IDP) in Abuja. In truth, it has one of the finer judicial edifices in the Federal Capital located also in the Three Arms Zone, just a shouting distance from the Presidency and the Supreme Court. This is why some people believe that the idea of an “Abuja Division” building is an excuse for executive generosity to the Court of Appeal hierarchy.

Also working its way through the National Assembly at this time, the House of Representatives has passed a constitutional amendment bill to increase the number of Justices of Appeal by 67 per cent from the current 90 to 150. It seeks to “increase the number of justices of the Court and provide for the appointment of a minimum of 6 justices in every Judicial division of the Court.” If it becomes law, this will make the President of the Court of Appeal the unquestioned master or mistress of the judicial dark arts in Nigeria.

All this has happened in the week in which the National Judicial Council met to allocate new judicial appointments. The winners included the current Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); one of his predecessors; and a recent Chief Justice of Nigeria, each of whom had one of their daughters formally recommended for appointment to the bench of the FCT High Court.

Another evident winner is the current Chief Justice himself who got his wish to have his daughter-in-law appointed a judge of the FCT High Court in what one source described as granting him his “last wish as CJN.”

One of the “new” appointees is Buetnaan Mandy Basi, the daughter of the current president of the Court of Appeal. The same NJC had appointed her a judge of the High Court of Plateau State in 2021 where she is currently serving as a judge. How many times can one person be appointed afresh to the same level of the Nigerian judiciary?

Another winner was Nyesom Wike, (the current Minister of the same FCT much admired by the CJN), whose wife, Eberechi, was formally recommended for elevation to the Court of Appeal and whose sister-in-law was also recommended for appointment to the FCT High Court.

The one clear loser was Yahaya Bello, the fugitive immediate past governor of Kogi State whose wish to have his wife, Amina, relocated from his bedroom to the courtroom as a judge of the High Court of Kogi State the NJC turned down. It is not that the Council suddenly suffered a Damascene conversion to rectitude in judicial appointments.

Indeed, senior judicial figures privately attest to the enormous “generosity” of Yahaya Bello. They found the nomination of his wife on this occasion too much of a heavy lift, however, because he is out of favour with the ruling hierarchy. Far from controverting it, therefore, the NJC’s decision to decline the appointment of Yahaya Bello’s wife was the ultimate confirmation of Fayemi’s “analytical categories” from nearly 15 years ago.

** 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..

As we approach the third quarter of 2024, businesses start assessing their performances, and many consider scaling and expanding their operations. With rapid changes in technology, consumer behavior and market dynamics, it's crucial that businesses constantly adopt innovative strategies to remain competitive and achieve sustainable growth within their industries.

So, businesses looking to bring themselves to the next level have a few different strategies they can use to achieve long-term growth.

1. Embrace digital evolution

In today's fast-paced business landscape, embracing technology is not an option but a necessity. Small businesses can use it to their advantage to help streamline operations, enhance customer service experiences and even reach new markets. User-friendly ecommerce platforms, efficient inventory management systems and cloud-based drives are different examples of ways to help improve productivity and scalability.

Also, businesses can use data-driven decision-making technology to help collect and analyze customer data. This can help provide insight into their customers' preferences and behaviors to tailor marketing strategies, optimize product offerings and provide personalized customer experiences, ultimately driving growth through each quarter.

2. Expand online presence

In a post-pandemic world, the importance of a strong online presencecannot be emphasized enough. Consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to discover, research and purchase products and services. Focusing on optimizing your website for search engines (SEO) can vastly improve visibility and drive organic traffic.

Social media platforms remain a huge player in reaching broader audiences. Developing a robust social media strategy that engages customers, encourages sharing and builds brand loyalty is essential to any business. By being consistent and posting relevant content, small businesses can easily connect with their target audience and build a loyal customer base.

3. Diversify revenue streams

Overreliance on a single product or service can become a significant risk to small businesses. If a business can diversify its revenue streamswith new offerings, it can help build the business up and give room for scaling. This offering can be a complementary product line or a service that aligns with your core product. This not only provides added value to existing customers but also opens up new markets and revenue opportunities.

Additionally, strategic partnerships or collaborations with other businesses in the industry are super helpful. These alliances lead to shared resources, increased visibility and access to new customer bases, which ultimately drives growth without a substantial capital investment that not many small businesses have.

4. Focus on customer engagement and retention

Acquiring new customers is an essential element for growth, but retaining existing customers is equally vital. Small businesses should try to prioritize customer engagement and retention strategies. By implementing loyalty programs, offering personalized recommendations and providing exceptional customer support, businesses can create a positive customer experience that will keep them loyal.

With that, businesses should regularly seek honest feedback from customers and use it to make improvements to their products or services. Happy customers are more likely to become brand advocates and refer new business, further fueling growth efforts.

5. Invest in employee development

Your team is the backbone of your business, and their growth and development directly impact your company's success. Investing in training and development programs to build your employees' skills will empower them to take on new responsibilities as the business expands. A skilled and motivated workforce is essential for maintaining the quality of the products or services as the business scales.

Additionally, fostering a positive workplace culture can lead to higher employee satisfaction and retention rates. When your employees feel valued and aligned with your company's mission, they become more motivated to contribute to the business's success.

6. Secure financing wisely

Scaling a small business often requires some sort of capital investment for expansion, marketing and infrastructure development. Securing this type of financing can be challenging, especially for newer businesses. However, there are many different financing options businesses can explore, including traditional bank loans, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, working capital loans, accounts receivable loans and so much more.

Before a business even starts seeking financing, they need to ensure they have a well-defined business plan and financial projection that can show the potential for profitability and growth. Also, it's crucial to assess the terms and conditions of each financing option, considering the impact on your business's financial health and long-term sustainability.

7. Monitor and adapt to market trends

The business landscape is ever-evolving, and staying attuned to market trends is essential for small businesses. Monitoring industry developments and keeping an eye on emerging technologies can help businesses adapt strategies accordingly. This allows them to grow as well as be open to pivoting their business model if market conditions change or new opportunities arise.

Regular competitive analyses can also help businesses understand their competitors' strengths and weaknesses. In turn, this helps identify gaps in the market that the business can fill and helps refine products, services and marketing strategies.

Scaling a small business today requires a combination of innovative thinking, strategic planning and adaptability. Embracing technology, expanding your online presence, diversifying your offerings, focusing on customer engagement, investing in employee development, securing financing wisely and monitoring market trends are all essential strategies for success.

These components can help small businesses thrive in today's competitive business landscape. By continually assessing and adjusting their approaches, businesses can position themselves for sustainable growthand long-term success.

Entrepreneur