A State High Court sitting in Edo on Friday dismissed the notice of suspension issued against the embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, by some party members at the ward level.

The judge, Emmanuel Aihamoje, on Friday, threw out the case for lacking merit.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, who also confirmed that the action was filed by Abure and the executive members of the LP in Ward Three in the Esan North-East of Edo State.

In his judgment which lasted for nearly two hours, Aihamoje said the party ward executive members in Uromi in Ward Three lacked the power under the party’s constitution, particularly Act 13 and 17 and the Electoral Act 2022, as amended, to remove the national chairman of the party.

The judge, in suit no: HUC/21/2023, imposed a perpetual injunction against Lamidi Apapa and his faction from removing or suspending Abure as the national chairman until a new national convention of the party was convened.

Aihamoje further stated that the purported Ward Three executive members who suspended the national chairman of the party acted outside the powers vested on them by the Labour Party constitution.

Reacting to the ruling, the Ward 3 Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, told journalists on the court premises that the judgment had put an end to impostors who were masquerading as members of the party in the ward.

He added, “These charlatans claiming to be members of our party are from Edo North and members of APC. I want to use this medium to congratulate the Labour Party and the ‘Obidient’ movement that stood firmly with Julius Abure while the sponsored crisis in our great party lasted.”

On his part, the state Chairman, Kelly Ogbaloi, said the Labour Party had been vindicated.

Counsel for the LP, President Aigbokhan, described the judgment as a landmark decision that would stand the test of time.

He said, “Any decision taken on the void notice of suspension falls effortlessly. The court in its decision emphasised that the role of ward executive members in the Labour Party does not include the suspension of national officers of the party.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Lamidi Apapa-led faction, Abayomi Arabambi, said he was planning to address a press conference to address the ruling.

As of the time of filing the report, nothing has been heard from him.

Punch

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian attack on Ukrainian clinic kills two and wounds 30, Kyiv says

A Russian missile hit a clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Friday, killing two people and wounding 30 in an attack that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called a crime against humanity.

Video footage showed a devastated building with smoke pouring out of it and rescue workers looking on. Much of the upper floor of what appeared to be a three-storey building had been badly damaged. A covered corpse lay in the road nearby.

"Another (Russian) missile attack, another crime against humanity," Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter.

He said a psychological clinic and a veterinary clinic had been hit, and added: "Only an evil state can fight against clinics. There can be no military purpose in this. It is pure Russian terror."

Regional governor Serhiy Lysak said a 69-year-old man had been killed as he passed the clinic and another man's body had been pulled from the rubble.

He said 30 people had been wounded, including two children, and contact had not yet been made with three people thought to have been in the building when it was hit.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry called the attack a serious war crime under the Geneva Conventions, which set out how soldiers and civilians should be treated in war.

Russia's Defence Ministry said it had carried out an overnight strike on Ukrainian ammunition depots.

"The target of the strike has been achieved. All designated facilities were hit," the RIA news agency quoted it as saying.

Moscow has dismissed allegations that its soldiers have committed war crimes and denies deliberately targeting civilians although it has bombarded cities across Ukraine since invading 15 months ago.

OVERNIGHT ATTACKS

Moscow said earlier on Friday Ukraine had struck two regions in southern Russiawith a rocket and a drone, but the missile was shot down.

Ukraine said it had shot down 10 missiles and more than 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on Dnipro, Kyiv and eastern regions.

Zelenskiy's office said a fire had broken out on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Kharkiv after an oil depot was hit twice, and that equipment for pumping oil products had been damaged.

After months of attacks on energy infrastructure, Russia has shifted the focus of its missile strikes to try to disrupt preparations for a Ukrainian counterattack, a senior military intelligence official said last week. Attacks were increasingly targeting military facilities and supplies, he said.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Residential area in Russia’s Krasnodar hit by drones – governor

Two drones hit a residential area in the city of Krasnodar in southern Russia, local governor Veniamin Kondratyev has said, confirming earlier media reports.

The UAVs crashed on a street in the center of the city, Kondratyev wrote on Telegram on Friday, adding that no injuries have been reported.

“There is damage to buildings, but critical infrastructure remained unharmed,” he stated.

An investigation has been launched and the local authorities will provide assistance to anyone whose home was damaged in the incident, the governor added.

Earlier on Friday, local news outlets and Telegram channels reported what they described as a Ukrainian drone attack on the city, which has a population of around 1 million.

A video purportedly made in Krasnodar captured a UAV and the sound of a powerful explosion shortly after the drone had disappeared from view. Photos from the scene showed the damaged roof of what looked like an office building that had been hit by the blast.

Windows in a residential building were also blown out, according to Krasnodar mayor Evgeny Naumov.

Located on the Black Sea coast, Krasnodar Region is one of the most popular resort destinations in Russia. It is connected to Crimea via the 19km Crimean or Kerch Bridge, which was built between 2016 and 2018 and has become a symbol of the peninsula’s reunification with Russia.

In early May, the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Region was attacked by Ukrainian drones on two consecutive days. Blazes broke out at the facility as a result of the strikes but were quickly extinguished.

Multiple sites in Russian regions bordering or located not far from Ukraine, including oil refineries, military airfields and residential areas, have been attacked by drones since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

** Russian forces hit Ukrainian ammo depots by precision strike, top brass reports

Russian forces delivered a multiple strike by airborne long-range precision weapons against the Ukrainian army’s ammunition storage sites in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.

"Last night, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a multiple strike by airborne long-range high-precision weapons against the Ukrainian army’s ammunition storage sites. The goal of the strike was achieved. All the designated targets were hit," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy 35 Ukrainian troops, howitzer in Kupyansk area

Russian forces destroyed roughly 35 Ukrainian troops and a howitzer in the Kupyansk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, artillery of the western battlegroup struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Dvurechnaya and Kislovka in the Kharkov Region. In addition, the activity of two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted near the settlements of Masyutovka and Ivanovka in the Kharkov Region. The enemy’s losses amounted to 35 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles and an Msta-B howitzer," the general reported.

Russian forces destroy over 60 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area

Russian combat aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems destroyed over 60 Ukrainian troops, a motorized artillery system and two howitzers in the Krasny Liman area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the Krasny Liman direction, army aviation and artillery of Russia’s battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Kuzmino in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Yampolovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman specified.

"Over 60 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two pickup trucks, an Akatsiya motorized artillery system, and also D-20 and D-30 howitzers were destroyed in the past 24 hours," the general reported.

Russian forces destroy 190 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk area

Russian forces destroyed roughly 190 Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, as many as 190 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of strikes by operational/tactical and army aviation, active operations by units and fire by artillery of the southern battlegroup," the spokesman said.

In the area of the settlement of Verkhnekamenskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian forces obliterated an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 54th mechanized brigade, the general specified.

Kiev suffers over 120 casualties in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas, killing and wounding over 120 enemy troops in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aircraft and artillery of Russia’s battlegroup East inflicted damage on the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Orekhov and Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporozhye Region and Novosyolka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, the spokesman specified.

"The enemy’s losses in those directions in the past 24 hours amounted to over 120 Ukrainian personnel killed and wounded and four motor vehicles," the general reported.

Russian forces wipe out 30 Ukrainian troops in Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed about 30 Ukrainian troops in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian personnel, five motor vehicles, a D-30 howitzer and an Akatsiya motorized artillery system were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian air defense radar in Nikolayev Region

Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian air defense radar in the Nikolayev Region over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Novonikolayevka in the Nikolayev Region, a Ukrainian ST-68UM low-altitude target detection and tracking radar was destroyed," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 78 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 92 areas, the general reported.

Russian air defenses intercept two Storm Shadow cruise missiles

Russian air defense forces intercepted a Grom-2 ballistic missile, two Storm Shadow cruise missiles and shot down 20 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Air defense capabilities intercepted a Grom-2 operational/tactical missile, ten rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and two Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, Russian air defense systems destroyed 20 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Olshana in the Kharkov Region, Zolotaryovka and Nikolayevka in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Golaya Pristan and Velikaya Lepetikha in the Kherson Region, Komsomolskoye and Tokmak in the Zaporozhye Region, the general reported.

In total, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 429 Ukrainian warplanes, 235 combat helicopters, 4,341 unmanned aerial vehicles, 424 surface-to-air missile systems, 9,302 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,100 multiple rocket launchers, 4,908 field artillery guns and mortars and 10,464 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

Reuters/RT/Tass

Sudan army calls on ex-soldiers to re-enlist, sporadic fighting persists

Sudan's army called on Friday for reservists and retired soldiers to re-enlist amid a deadly conflict with a rival paramilitary and asked the United Nations to change its envoy to the country.

The call to former soldiers to present themselves at their nearest military base looked aimed at strengthening the army in its battle with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary, but may add fuel to the conflict days into a truce.

Sporadic fighting has continued all week, though the ceasefire monitors Saudi Arabia and the United States said earlier on Friday that compliance was improving, but the army moves may indicate it is gearing up for a long conflict.

An army spokesperson said enlistment would be voluntary. Sudan's existing armed forces law says, however, that retired soldiers remain as reservists, eligible for compulsory re-enlistment. That does not include those who only did Sudan's mandatory two-year military service.

Army leader Abdel-Fatteh al-Burhan wrote to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday asking him to replace his envoy Volker Perthes, sources in the Sudanese presidency said.

The sources did not give details but Perthes, who was appointed in 2021, had pushed a political transition to civilian rule that some in the army opposed.

"The Secretary-General is shocked by the letter," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday. "The Secretary-General is proud of the work done by Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Special Representative."

Army sources said the military had also intercepted weapons smuggled into a Red Sea province of Sudan by a foreign country, without giving details.

The army and RSF began a seven-day truce on Monday intended to allow access to aid and services after battles since mid-April that have killed hundreds and created a refugee crisis.

Despite a drop in fighting, there have still been reports throughout the week of clashes, artillery fire and air strikes.

Saudi and U.S. representatives "cautioned the parties against further violations and implored them to improve respect for the ceasefire on May 25, which they did," it added.

Residents of Khartoum who have stayed in the city suffer from breakdowns of electricity, water, health and communication services.

Many homes, particularly in well-off areas, have been looted, along with food stores, flour mills and other essential facilities.

"It's all part of the chaos of this war," said Taysir Abdelrahim, who found out from abroad her home was looted. "Even if we were in Sudan there's nothing you can do about it."

One organisation helping children with cancer said a guesthouse it operates had been raided, including its safe and patients' rooms. The children had been previously transferred.

AID DELAYS

The RSF has denied looting, blaming people who have stolen its uniforms. Its fighters are largely bunkered down in Khartoum neighbourhoods, while the army relies on air power.

It is unclear if either side has gained an edge.

Some 1.3 million people have fled their homes, either across borders or within the vast nation.

The Health Ministry has said at least 730 people have died, though the true figure is likely much higher.

With half of Sudan's roughly 49 million people in need of aid, the U.S. Agency for International Development said grain to feed 2 million for a month was being sent by ship.

However, it is unclear how that and other aid will reach Sudanese without security guarantees and bureaucratic approvals.

"We are in a race against time to get aid to millions of people before the rainy season arrives in June," said Islamic Relief programme manager Eltahir Imam.

The Saudi-U.S. statement said some aid had been delivered to Khartoum on Friday, without giving details. The Red Cross has said it managed to deliver supplies to seven hospitals.

Fighting has flared in several major cities of west Sudan in recent days, according to human rights monitors living in the area, most recently overnight in El Fashir, capital of North Darfur state.

Zalingei and El Geneina have had a communications blackout amid militia attacks. Residents of Nyala said calm had returned after days of fighting, although water was still cut off.

Reuters

Here’s how a change in perspective can help relieve financial stress and allow you to address life’s more fundamental problems.

When you think about it, the entire concept of money is pretty bizarre.

Governments produce paper bills and metal disks adorned with pictures of deceased leaders—and their citizens center their lives around the getting, keeping, and using of these objects.

What’s more, the paper and metal objects themselves are not even necessary these days, as our money is more likely to be numbers on a screen that we spend by clicking buttons or tapping cards.

It’s almost like the whole system is made up.

Of course, just because the financial system is a human invention doesn’t mean money doesn’t occupy a very real place in our lives. Anyone who has ever lost sleep when rent was due can attest to the “realness” of money stress. But acknowledging the fact that money is a construct can help us think more rationally about our finances.

Here’s how to navigate the unreal reality of money so you can make the best possible decisions with your finances and your life.

Collective Psychosis

Jason Vitug, financial wellness expert and best-selling author of Happy Money, Happy Life, wryly describes money as “a collective psychosis we all share.” But Vitug is quick to follow this up by explaining that “money is real as a form of exchange.”

This is the kind of basic economics that you probably learned in high school social studies. Widely accepted currency is an elegant solution to the inefficiencies of bartering. The problem is that both society and individuals lose sight of what money truly is.

“Money is storage,” Vitug says. “It is not an object in itself. It has a use and it needs to flow, which is something that people often forget.”

In other words, money only has value and power because it can be exchanged. But both individually and collectively, we tend to think the money itself has value and power—which leads us to make some seriously disordered decisions about money.

Money and Mood

Since money does not technically exist, we put our own emotional meaning on it. Whether you are letting the fluctuations of your investments dictate your daily mood, chasing the high of hitting the jackpot on a one-armed bandit, or avoiding any purchases for fear of running out, you are having an emotional response to your finances. That’s because money is emotional, even if we rarely think of it that way.

Here’s the good news: We know how to improve our emotional state. “Move to change your mood,” Vitug says. “There is a meditative aspect of physical activity, and movement alters our mood immediately in the moment.”

Scientific studies have proven the link between exercise and mood, which gives us a clear playbook for how to make good decisions when feeling financially overwhelmed. Vitug recommends anything from going for a walk to doing a couple of yoga poses to simply standing up for a few moments when you become emotionally dysregulated.

Getting your body moving can help you emotionally contextualize your financial stress, instead of letting yourself spiral. Once you have done that, you are in a better position to tackle the problem you want money to solve.

Know the Problem

“Money can solve money problems,” Vitug says. “It can’t solve life problems.”

Unfortunately, people often try to solve life problems with money. Remembering that money is storage can help us better recognize when we are trying to use it to solve a life problem.

For example, a devoted parent may believe working overtime is the best way to show their love. The extra hours lead to fatter paychecks that the parent spends on the family. But children almost universally prefer their parents’ presence to their presents. By working overtime, this parent is trying to solve a life problem—how to show love and devotion for the family—with a money solution.

When you are feeling dissatisfied about your finances, it can be helpful to ask yourself what problem you are trying to solve with money. It may be that you have a money problem that money will solve. But you may be trying to use money as a solution to a life problem, in which case, money will not fix anything.

To help you figure out if you’re trying to solve a money problem or a life problem, ask yourself this question: “What would a sudden infusion of cash change about this situation?” For instance, the workaholic dad might recognize that buying a new bike for his child will not fix their relationship—especially if the kid is sad because Dad was a no-show at the school play.

Intentionality and Reality

“Working on the bigger picture of the life you want to live can help you let go of thinking of money as an object,” Vitug says.

An intentional vision of your life gives you a destination to work toward. When you see money as a component of the specific goals you want to accomplish, “money loses its ‘thingness,’” Vitug explains.

And when we stop viewing money as a “thing” to get, keep, or spend, and instead recognize it as the tool it is, we are freer to make the choices that align with the life we want.

** Emily Guy Birken is a personal finance writer. Her books include The 5 Years Before You Retire, Choose Your Retirement, Making Social Security Work for You, and End Financial Stress Now.

Fast Company

According to psychologists, habits rather than conscious choices account for 40% of your behaviour. Your daily routine and everyday activities, which you might believe to be inconsequential, actually make up a substantial portion of your life and can tell a lot about your personality and how you're feeling right now.

The proverb "habits make a man" is accurate for everyone. Your life's habits and decisions have formed a long pattern that makes up your personality.

We have one such entertaining yet educational personality test for you today. Your boldest personality qualities are revealed by the way you squeeze your toothpaste. Discover how by diving in.

You squeeze from the top

You have a stubborn nature if you squeeze the toothpaste from the top, towards the cap.

You have a strong sense of independence and focus. You don't trust people readily and will use whatever means necessary to help you reach your goal. Although you have a strong determination, you can be cynical. You enjoy working independently and find it difficult to rely on others. You can, however, be cunning and take advantage of others to advance.

You squeeze from the middle

You are a practical, driven individual who tends to be a little hurried.

Although you are not the neatest or most organised person, once a problem arises, you have the ability to put your differences aside and find a solution. You enjoy being in public, are quite gregarious, and have many friends. You have a good sense of balance in your life and emotional stability.

You keep it in shape

You like to be by yourself, you fantasise a lot, and you're creative. You could occasionally feel as though you exist solely inside your thoughts.

You exhibit tenderness, gentleness, amiability, consideration, and tolerance. You may be very forthright and kind at the same time.

You are always open to sharing your many views and ideas with people.

You squeeze from the bottom

You are a special person if you squeeze the toothpaste tube from the bottom and fold it as you go. Even though this is the best approach to extract toothpaste, most people ignore it. But you're extremely organised and a perfectionist.

You are overly prudent and problem-solve in original methods. You don't waste anything and make maximum use of the available resources to finish your task. You lead a similarly disciplined lifestyle, with careful preparation and organisation. You put in a lot of effort and are dependable.

You squeeze from the centre

You are like the vast majority of individuals on the earth if you squeeze the toothpaste from the centre.

You are a person who excels at everything and is looking for their niche. You lead a busy, independent life that is also social. Although you might not be the most organised person, you are tough. When an issue arises, you tackle it head-on. You are well liked and have many close friends. You enjoy social interaction while maintaining emotional stability.

Times of India

After wearing masks in public for three long years, many Japanese are signing up for smiling classes to learn how to smile again without looking awkward.

Smiling used to be a natural response, but apparently, three years of hiding behind a mask have left many Japanese unable to smile naturally. Some of them are now paying so-called smiling educators to teach them how to display their pearly whites again without looking awkward. They participate in specialized classes where they are taught how to stretch and flex various parts of their faces and even their neck muscles to smile properly and actually convey happiness without looking weird.

“A smile is only a smile if it’s conveyed,” Keiko Kawano, a radio personality-turned-entrepreneur, told The Japan Times. “Even if you’re thinking about smiling or that you’re happy, if you have no expression, it won’t reach the audience.”

Kawano said that she has taught smiling classes to around 4,000 people so far and has also helped train around 700 certified “smile specialists” since she started her work in 2017. However, demand for her services has skyrocketed recently after people started giving up the medical masks they have been wearing for the last 3 years.

“I’ve heard from people who say that even if they’re able to remove their masks, they don’t want to show the bottom half of their faces, or that they don’t know how to smile anymore,” smile trainer Miho Kitano said. “Some say that they see more wrinkles around their eyes after using them more to smile, or they feel like their face is drooping because they haven’t been using it as much as before.”

Smiling instructors like Kitano claim that exercising one’s smile is just like training other parts of the body. It’s all about the muscles, so exercising the expressive facial muscles is the most important thing.

A standard smiling education class begins with a stretching session, after which participants are asked to pick up small handheld mirrors and observe themselves as they follow the instructions of a trainer who teaches them how to flex their facial muscles to convey the warmest and brightest expression of happiness possible.

Interestingly, instructional smiling classes have been a part of Japanese culture for several decades, because of the people’s notorious difficulty to convey their feelings through facial expressions, but they’ve once again risen in popularity after the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions were lifted.

Oddity Central

Nigeria's state-owned oil company NNPC Ltd said on Thursday it had renewed a production sharing contract with Total, China National Offshore Oil Corp and others, a major step to resolving disputes on a deepwater oil block in the Niger Delta.

Oil Mining Lease 130 is located offshore Niger Delta at water depths of over 1000 meters. The block contains the producing Akpo and Egina fields and the Preowei discovery.

NNPC said in a statement that the agreements will pave the way "to firm up final investment decision on the Preowei amounting to USD$ 2.1 billion."

NNPC said the agreements would convert the oil mining lease into a petroleum mining licence, in line with a new law.

Nigeria has struggled with low oil production due to massive crude theft, pipeline vandalism and underinvestment. Oil majors in the country are leaving onshore operations to concentrate on deepwater projects.

Reuters

The court of appeal has ordered Ambrose Owuru, presidential candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in the 2019 elections, to pay a fine of N40 million for filing a frivolous suit to stop the inauguration of Bola Tinubu, president-elect.

Jamil Tukur, the justice who read the lead judgment of a three-member panel of the court, held that Owuru committed a gross abuse of the court process by filing a frivolous, vexatious and irritating suit to provoke the respondents.

Owuru had filed the suit in April challenging the outcome of the 2019 elections.

He asked the court to declare the president’s seat vacant and swear him in as the authentic winner.

In the suit marked CA/CV/259/2023, Owuru urged the appeal court to prohibit President Muhammadu Buhari, Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), from going ahead with Tinubu’s inauguration.

He argued that he was the winner of the 2019 presidential election and had not spent his tenure.

Owuru maintained that Buhari has been usurping his tenure of office since 2019 because the supreme court has not determined his petition challenging the election’s outcome.

However, in its judgment on Thursday, the appellate court held that the appellant’s grievances against the 2019 presidential election were not only strange but uncalled for because they had been pursued up to the supreme court and were dismissed for want of merit.

The appeal court held that Owuru’s bid to resuscitate the case that died in 2019 was aimed at making the lower courts go on a collision course with the supremacy of the apex court.

The court ordered the appellant to pay N10 million each to Buhari, the AGF, INEC and Tinubu — the first to fourth defendants in the suit.

The Cable

Southern and Middle Belt Leaders (SMBLF), a coalition of pressure groups, says there are increased cases of killings and a rise in the cost of living in the country after the general election.

In a communique issued after a meeting with various stakeholders from the regions, on Wednesday, the coalition expressed concerns over the rising insecurity in the country, noting that agencies and state governors were not showing commitment to addressing the challenge.

“We express shock at the escalation of killings, pogroms, and total destruction of entire communities and means of livelihood in several targeted areas in select states since after the 2023 general election, mainly in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Kebbi, and various states of the Southeast, where hundreds of armless citizens are being slaughtered daily,” the statement reads.

“Note with grave concern that the nation’s security agencies have continued to show unwillingness to decisively deal with the perpetrators of these monstrous acts, or rather, deliberately turned a blind eye to the atrocious occurrences, thereby exposing the country to a seeming state of war.

“It is shameful that non-state actors are allowed to openly tote dangerous weapons about and rampage the country unhindered.

“Condemn in unmistakable terms, the cavalier and totally nonchalant attitudes of the outgoing governors of some states over the collapse of security in certain parts of their states, which has continued to exacerbate the worrisome situation, and hope their successors will show greater commitment to the welfare of their citizens who are the victims of this sad situation.

“Further warns that the continuous abdication of government’s primary and abiding constitutional responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of its citizens is an irresistible signal to Nigerians to exercise their inalienable rights of self-defence, by all means.

“Again deplores the inhuman plight of thousands of indigenous people in the Middle Belt states driven out of their homes and have now become internally displaced persons (IDPs) for years as well as several other internally displaced persons in different parts of the country, left to live in conditions that impinge on their human rights as citizens of this country.

“Hence, calls on the federal government to, without any further delay, facilitate the return and reintegration of these Nigerians to their communities.”

ELECTION OUTCOME AND JUDICIARY

The group said the judiciary should be cautious as Nigerians were monitoring the election petition proceedings, adding that the outcome of the trial must be in line with the constitution.

“With regards to the 2023 general election, SMBLF commends Nigerian youths for their courage and astuteness in expressing their interest in the future of this country and calls on them not to become discouraged by some of the seeming outcomes,” the group added.

“Accordingly, calls on the youths of Nigeria to remain undeterred and emboldened to carry their foresight of building a new Nigeria to fruition, and to note that the struggle for the needed change has just begun.

“SMBLF strongly urges the nation’s judiciary to be aware that all Nigerians are watching with very keen interest the ongoing judicial processes at the presidential election petition tribunal as well as various election tribunals across the country.

“Further cautions the judicial arm, at all levels, to be mindful of the fact that the present process is a true test of our effort at building a country based on the rule of law and respect for our constitution.

“It is the expectation of Nigerians that the outcome of the processes will be a reflection of the provisions of the constitution of the country, which must be sacrosanct, and the rights of all affected parties upheld based on the provisions of the laws of Nigeria.

“SMBLF notes with serious concern, the continued snowballing level of indebtedness being incurred by the federal government, particularly the recent request for a $800 million World Bank loan, and calls on the federal government to rescind that request.

“Decries the rising cost of living in the country and the hyperinflation rate, confining a vast majority of ordinary Nigerians to a dire state of survival.

“Implores government at all levels to take urgent, practical steps to rejig the economy, check inflation and help improve citizens’ well-being and prospects.”

Signatories to the communique were Edwin Clark, an Ijaw national leader, Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, president-general, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Pogu Bitrus, national president, of Middle Belt Forum, and Emmanuel Essien, national chairman, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).

The Cable