Politics
War Drums: Russian Mercenaries Arrive Mali
The drums of war that started beating since the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) signaled intention of deploying military force to restore democracy in Niger Republic has assumed another dimension with the arrival in Mali of armed soldiers from Russian mercenary group, Wagner.
Mali, herself, under military regime had declared loyalty to the coupists in Niger Republic, together with their Burkina Faso counterparts.
The berthing of the fully armed mercenaries with a cache of ammunition, just days after Leader, Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was seen in full army regalia, in a video believed to have been made somewhere in Africa, is sending jitters down the spines of the civilian population in the West African sub-region.
International media sources averred that Prigozhin had posited that the presence of his men in Mali was to help the military government of that country clamp down on terrorists and “any other interest”.
The phrase ‘any other interest’ is now subject of various interpretations across the sub-region, given that the military rulers of Mali had declared interest in backing their counterparts in Niger Republic.
Both countries had openly dissociated themselves from the positions of both the ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) following the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023.
However, the ECOWAS’ Envoy to Niger Republic, Nigeria’s Abdulsalami Abubakar, a retired general and former head of state has expressed the opinion that the situation wasn’t likely to deteriorate.
He bared his mind to media men at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS.
It was gathered that President, ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, also attended the meeting.
Gen. Abdulsalami, explained that he took advantage of his meeting with Bazoum and the coupists over the weekend to share ECOWAS’ position, while he had also delivered the peace terms proposed by the junta to sub-regional body.
The lines of dialogue and diplomacy having been effectively opened and alive point to his appointment as envoy bearing good fruits, the retired general highlighted.
Gen. Abudulsalami said, “The ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have made me an envoy to Niger Republic.
“We were there over the weekend to see the military people and discussed how to find a way out of the situation.
“That’s why I’m here, together with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to report back to Mr. President on our discussions in Niger.
“I must say that our visit to Niger was very fruitful. It has opened an avenue to start talking and hopefully we’ll get somewhere.”
All these are happening while Mali and Burkina Faso, both members of ECOWAS, having pledged to support the military rulers in Niger Republic, already sent troops to Niamey as a backup to the Niger military.
On its part, ECOWAS has rejected the three-year transition plan hinted by Nigerien coup leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani, insisting on the use of force should dialogue fail.
The coupists are also not showing any signs of shifting grounds, and with international backing tending to be swelling in their favaour, the civil population in West Africa have cause to worry.
One of the voices of concern is former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, who called for caution, noting that firing of ammunition in Niger Republic would amount to a civil war within the WA sub-region.
According to E-Rufai, who made his positon on his verified X handle, @elrufai, sent clear caution signals to ECOWAS leaders against application of military force in the bid to restore constitutional governance in Niger Republic.
He cited the bloodlines flowing across the various divides of the geographical entities that constitute the WA sub-region and expressed his detesting any form of ‘brothers-in-arms’, which would have dire and unforeseen consequences.
He maintained that people of the Niger Republic were “one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria,” indeed.
El-Rufai tweeted, “As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our sub-region is a war between brothers.
“Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria.
“Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers.”
What makes this new dimension extreme is insinuations at the global stage that the coupists had the support Russia from the get-go.
They had also called for help from the Wagner Group, which Prigozhin assured he would offer.
According to a former Russian official, Wagner and the Russian state conspired to facilitate the military coup in the landlocked WA country.
“The recent coup in Niger was carried out in close cooperation with Russian special services and Private Military Company (PMC) consultants,” claimed Russian military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk, a former press officer for Russia’s defence ministry, who uses the alias “Rybar”.
However, in the midst of the dramatics on the international stage, the civil population in Niger Republic were said to be rallying round their coupists, as video footages seen online suggest.
The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, had also counselled President Tinubu and ECOWAS to explore diplomatic options for the resolution of the constitutional crisis in Niger Republic.
Similarly, the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) had also urged President Tinubu to exhaust all diplomatic options first.
Like El-Rufai, the NSF are concerned that deploying troops to Niger would not just dangerously expose, but hurt seven northern states, including, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno, all of whom who share borders Nigeria’s northern neighbours.
Former President, Muhammadu Buhari has called for transparency and accountability in the upcoming local government elections in Katsina State.
Speaking during the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting on Saturday at the Presidential Banquet Hall in the Katsina Government House, Buhari emphasized the importance of these principles in maintaining public trust and political relevance.
“Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of good governance and are fundamental to sustaining the confidence of the people,” Buhari said.
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Governor Dikko Radda also addressed party stakeholders at the meeting, urging them to mobilize support at the grassroots level and work towards securing a decisive victory for the APC.
“We are committed to conducting elections that reflect the true will of the people,” Radda stated, highlighting the party’s focus on ensuring transparent, inclusive, and democratic processes.
The governor also underscored Katsina’s political significance, referencing his leadership journey under Buhari’s administration and the recognition the state has received in the form of ministerial and federal appointments under President Bola Tinubu’s government.
In his opening remarks, APC Chairman in Katsina State, Sani Daura, described the caucus meeting as a platform to strengthen party unity and strategize for the elections. He commended Buhari and other stakeholders for their commitment to the party’s success.
Prominent political figures from Katsina, including Senators Abu Ibrahim, Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, Muntari Dandutse, and Nasiru Sani Zangon Daura, were present at the meeting, further underscoring its significance in the lead-up to the elections.
The APC leadership reiterated its commitment to upholding democratic values and ensuring that the local government elections truly reflect the will of the people.
It was a plethora of pleasantries in Osogbo on Thursday, when Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke was named 2024 Governor of the year and endorsed for second tenure in office by the top management of the Leadership Newspaper.
The newspaper’s team was on a courtesy call on Gov Adeleke, Biztellers reports.
Receiving them at the Government House, Gov Adeleke noted that his administration had reduced the infra deficit by over 40 percent.
He added that his administration had also bridged access to primary health care, with an ambition to expand health access at medium and tertiary levels.
He said, “Osun State is constantly getting recognitions for what outsiders and even opposition members regard as our commendable performance.
“In the last one year, our government has been conferred with several awards across the sectors. Aside from reputable newspapers like the leadership stable, we have received accolades from several federal agencies and non-governmental bodies. The consensus from those reviewing our performance and service delivery is that we are true agents of good governance.
“In all these positive ratings, my response has always been to task my team to double their efforts. In the face of overwhelming positive reviews and high approval ratings, I am compelled to drive my team harder. When recently, some opposition figures confessed to our positive ratings, I still believe we have a lot of grounds to cover.
“I am not allowing the praises to enter my head. While it may be true that I have delivered a four-year task in under two years, I am propelled to do more because Osun has been left behind on many fronts. As I have reduced the infra deficit by over 40 percent, my real target Is higher. As I have bridged access to primary health care, my ambition is to also expand health access at medium and tertiary levels. While our records across the sectors are laudable as your newspaper has acknowledged, the ultimate goal is to accelerate infra upgrade alongside the boosting of soft investment for the well-being of our people.
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“I appreciate your candid endorsement of our performance. It is important to note that your yardstick for recognizing us correlates with similar reasons adduced by others. Our huge governance records are undeniable facts especially in workers’ welfare, infrastructure delivery, educational expansion, health care access improvement, solid mineral sector reforms, digital economy initiatives, agricultural mechanisation among others.
“I want to assure the public that our administration is not slowing down. Very soon, I will flag off ongoing remodeling of Osogbo stadium to assume international standard. Prior to the ongoing stadium project, we have engineered the creation of Osun Sport Commission and Osun Sport Fund through appropriate legal and policy framework.
“Very soon, I will be flagging off the dualisation of phase one of Odoori – Post office road at Iwo. The contractor for Iwo -Osogbo road has mobilized to site. We plan to complete the two projects within the life of this administration. Meanwhile, the dualisation project at Ilesa is progressing while the flyover bridge at Ile Ife is ongoing with appreciable progress. 2025 is billed to be a year of further expansion of good governance for the good of man and humanity.
On his part, the Vice Chairman of Leadership Group Mike Okpere, noted that the recognition is in order to give Gov Adeleke an insight and encouragement to do a second term.
“Your excellency you will see that, we didn’t just come down here, we had a meeting before the award and that is why we are here, so this trip is to notify you formally for this award and we personally invite you on the 8th of April at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Asokoro where this award will be handed on over to you.
“Our Reputable Person of the Year is Aliko Dangote, you all are aware of the investment he just concluded, by bringing fuel production into Nigeria, because of that and many other things, we chose him as our person of the year.
“Other person’s that would be sharing the merit are other governors that have touched people’s lives, among them is the Governor from Akwa Ibom State, the Governor of Enugu State, the Governor of Jigawa State and the Governor of Kano State.
“We didn’t call this Leadership Governor of the year, we call it Governor of the year, in other words, what we are saying is that, this recognition will give you an insight and encouragement to do a second term.
“As a newspaper company, we don’t endorse Governors but when we see something we say it, your Excellency sir, I therefore want to present this notification and official invitation”, he added.
Other members of the Leadership Newspaper team includes, Abraham Nda Isaiah, Director, Leadership Group, Ibidiran Ayokunle, Head Southern Operations, Joshua Dada, Osun State.
The Cross River State House of Assembly has initiated the process to amend the Local Government Law 2007, introducing provisions to expand political appointments and enhance local government administration across the state.
The bill, sponsored by Rt. Hon. Davies Etta, representing Abi State Constituency, was debated on Tuesday in Calabar.
It proposes increasing the number of appointees in each Local Government Area (LGA) to 50. Among the new roles are 16 Special Adviser positions and a cadre of officials known as Ward Relation Officers.
According to the bill, “The Chairman of Council may appoint such a number of Special Advisers to assist him in the discharge of his duties, provided that appointments, when added to other statutory appointments, shall not exceed a total number of 50.”
The proposed Ward Relation Officers will hold ranks equivalent to Special Advisers and will report directly to the Chairmen of their respective LGAs.
This move, the Assembly says, is aimed at fostering grassroots engagement and improving governance at the local level.
Another key provision of the bill seeks to elevate the office of the Head of Local Government Administration (HOLGA) to the status of a Permanent Secretary within the state public service.
The amendment stipulates that HOLGAs will enjoy all the rights, privileges, and entitlements of Permanent Secretaries, including pensions.
“The office of the HOLGA shall be equivalent to the office of a Permanent Secretary of the State Public Service and shall enjoy all rights and privileges of the Permanent Secretary, including pensions,” the bill states.
It also specifies that appointments to the HOLGA position must be made exclusively from within the local government service in the state.
The bill, which has passed its first and second readings, has been referred to a joint committee on Local Government Affairs, Judiciary, and Public Accounts for further review and consultations with stakeholders.
Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, underscored the importance of the proposed amendment, noting that it would strengthen local government administration and improve service delivery to the grassroots.
The Assembly is expected to hold further deliberations before making a final decision on the proposed amendments.
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