Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has stated that electricity tariff across its franchise states will increase effectively from July 1, 2023.

In a terse statement on Sunday, AEDC stated that the review was due to the fluctuation of the Naira in the exchange rate.

The statement read: “Effective July 1st, 2023, please be informed that there will be an upward review to the electricity tariff influenced by the fluctuating exchange rate.”

“Under the MYTO 2022 guidelines, the previously set exchange rate of N441/$1 may now be revised to approximately N750/$1 which will have an impact on the tariffs associated with your electricity consumption.”

“For customers within band B and C, with supply hours ranging from 12 to 16 per day, the new base tariff is expected to be N100 per kWh while Bands A with (20 hours and above) and B (16 to 20 hours) will experience comparatively higher tariffs.

“For customers, with a prepaid meter, we encourage you to consider purchasing bulk energy units before the end of this month as this will allow you take advantage of the current rates and potentially make savings before the new tariffs come into effect.

“For those on post-paid (estimated) billing, a significant increment is imminent in your monthly billing, starting from August.”

Daily Trust

Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Monday after a failed mutiny by Russian mercenaries over the weekend raised concerns about political instability in Russia and the potential impact on oil supply from one of the world's largest producers.

Brent crude futures rose 95 cents, or 1.3%, to $74.80 a barrel by 2300 GMT on Sunday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $70.04 a barrel, up 88 cents, or 1.3%.

A clash between Moscow and Russian mercenary group Wagner was averted on Saturday after the heavily armed mercenaries withdrew from the southern Russian city of Rostov under a deal that halted their rapid advance on the capital.

However, the challenge has raised questions about President Vladimir Putin's grip on power and concerns about possible disruption of Russian oil supply.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Helima Croft said there were concerns that Putin would declare martial law, preventing workers from showing up to major loading ports and energy facilities, potentially halting millions of barrels of exports.

"It is our understanding that the White House was actively engaged yesterday in reaching out to key domestic and foreign producers about contingency planning to keep the market well supplied if the crisis impacted Russian output," she added in a note on Sunday.

Goldman Sachs analysts said markets may price a moderately higher probability that domestic volatility in Russia leads to supply disruptions or has a sizable negative impact on oil supply in the future.

However, the impact may be limited because spot fundamentals have not changed, and because any hits to financial risk sentiment or to oil demand from increased uncertainty may provide an offset, the Goldman Sachs analysts added in a note.

Both Brent and WTI fell about 3.6% last week on worries that further interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve could sap oil demand at a time when China's economic recovery has also disappointed investors after several months of softer-than-expected consumption, production and property market data.

"China's economic growth has been a nightmare for commodity markets, particularly in oil and industrial metals," CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng said in a note.

Reuters

Five Nigerian pilgrims participating in the 2023 hajj have died in the course of the exercise, an official of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has disclosed.

Head of NAHCON medical team, Usman Galadima, disclosed this on Saturday during a meeting of the commission in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Galadima, in his presentation, said Osun and Kaduna states recorded two deaths each, while Plateau State recorded one.

To address the mortality rate, Galadima called for the strengthening of the pre-hajj medical screening of intending pilgrims. He added that there is a need to restrict those deemed to be “not fit to travel”.

“What we are asking is that the pre-hajj medical screening should be strengthened. Any particular pilgrim is either fit or not fit to perform hajj. In fact, it is a pre-requisite for the hajj, to be healthy and have the means. We advocate for strong or very effective pre-hajj screening for hajj,” Galadima said.

Speaking further, he added that the team also discovered 30 patients with mental challenges, who are currently undergoing treatment and expected to perform hajj.

“We have been managing them in our facilities. We have about four psychiatrists in the team. We have been managing them and all of them would likely perform hajj because they are a bit stable now,” he said.

Galadima also said that the hajj clinic recorded two miscarriages and delivered one baby.

“One of the babies was delivered through Caesarian section – it was a seven-month pregnancy,” he said.

He disclosed that one patient was amputated due to diabetes complications. Aside from the one case of amputation, Galadima said the team is also worried about the rising cases of fractures among elderly pilgrims.

He said eight cases of fractures have been recorded by the medical team.

We airlifted every Nigerian with valid hajj visa – NAHCON Chairman

In his opening remarks, chairman of the commission, Zikrullah Hassan, said every Nigerian with a valid visa for the 2023 hajj has been airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“We brought in every available Nigerian that has a visa – we have been able to bring them to the Holy Land. In this town today, we have more than 95,000 Nigerians,” Hassan said.

Over two million pilgrims are expected to participate in the 2023 hajj exercise.

PT

No fewer than 50 people have been killed and over 170 houses burnt in renewed onslaught on residents of Izombe in Oguta, Imo State, in the last two weeks.

National President Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Igboayaka O Igboayaka, disclosed this at a press briefing in Owerri, the state capital, last weekend.

He said Izombe and other neighbouring communities such as Agwa, Ejemkwuru, Awa, Akabuo, Mgbele and Ogbaku have been recording incessant security challenges due to the nefarious activities of criminal elements with a code name ‘Umuoma’ (Good children)”

A video had gone viral where charred remains of bodies and houses allegedly burnt in Izombe communities were seen.

In the text of the briefing he jointly signed with the Secretary General, Ifeanyi Nweke, the national president expressed regret that both the state government and security agencies in the state “kept quiet” while innocent blood was shed and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

The statement said, “Ohanaeze Youth Council noticed, with utmost dismay, the debilitating inability of Gov. Hope Uzodinma’s administration to checkmate activities of the bandits coupled with military personnel, police and Imo State owned untrained security network called “Ebube-Agu” which has resulted to more casualties and deaths.

“But rather than help to engender peace and tranquility, the security operatives and Ebube-Agu have turned hostile to the residents of the areas particularly, Izombe.

“Unfortunately, the situation has affected socio-economic and other activities as markets, schools and churches have been closed down in Izombe for almost 8 months now.

An indigene of Amakpurudere Izombe village said over 50 natives of his village were killed by these security operatives between June 7 and Monday June 19, 2023.

“Some of the identified people killed at Amakpurudere Village alone included Benjamin Nwadirigbo, Nwabu Onuigbo (aka Danvata), Obieze Ajaere, Izuka Izuaghanwa and Chike Izuaghanwa.”

“Witnesses in the community narrated that others were equally killed in other villages of Izombe like Ndiawa, Ndioko, Orsu and Ugbele and Agwa, a neighbouring Community to Izombe.

“The combined team of police, untrained and illegal Ebube-Agu and the military had equally destroyed more than 170 buildings in various villages including over 45 houses in Amakpurudere Village alone”.

“To add more Injuries into the agony of Izumbe people, a community source reported that security forces like Ebube-Agu looted people’s property. More than 90% of the residents had fled to safety from there the community.

“Since Wednesday June 7, and Monday June 12, 2023, thousands of people fled from Izumbe after careless security operatives killed Benjamin and four others.”

Imo Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, described the allegations as untrue.

He said that the police are capable of protecting lives and property of the citizens, admitting that though some insurgent groups have camps in Izombe, Agwa and other surrounding areas from where they carry out raid on innocent citizens, the police have been raiding such camps.

He added “But while we are doing so, we ensure that the lives of innocent citizens and freedom of movement is not put at risk.”

Daily Trust

Gunmen operating in the Imo axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway reportedly kidnapped nine Enugu-bound passengers, killed two and robbed others of their valuables.

The victims, who hail from Amangwo Olokoro in Umuahia, were said to be travelling to Enugu on Saturday for a burial when they were attacked.

Narrating their ordeal in Umuahia on Sunday, one of them, who identified himself simply as Francis, said their Sienna Bus was flagged down at gunpoint near the Arondizuogu Junction on the expressway.

Francis said the vehicle was later diverted off the expressway to Arondizuogu Road in Imo, from where they were led into a hamlet far into the bush.

He said: “I have never had this kind of experience in my life.

“We were travelling to Enugu for a burial and when we got close to Arondizuogu junction, we saw a group of heavily armed men and they asked us to park.

“One of us in the vehicle asked them ‘why do you ask us to park and pointing your guns at us, do you know who I am?’.

“Then one of the hoodlums said, ‘Now oga you will prove to us who you are’.”

How the two passengers were killed

“They ordered us out of the vehicle and asked us to sit on the ground and pull off our shirts with which they blindfolded us.

“From there, they started beating the man that made the comment with a machete,” Francis said.

He said that when they got into the hamlet, residents “were watching us as if they were watching a video.

“When we alighted from the vehicle, their leader asked about the man that made the comment and they pointed at him.

“They brought him out, and barely three steps away from us, they shot him dead.

“Another man with us, who saw what happened and attempted to escape, was rushed and also shot dead,” Francis said.

According to him, they seized the two corpses.

He said that the hoodlums were about 50 in their hideout, with 20 of them heavily armed.

“These men were speaking our own language.

“They told us that Umuahia people are ‘sabo to them’, that they asked us not to vote in the last election and we went out to vote.

“That they declared Monday sit-at-home and we are not obeying them.

“That any Umuahia person they got around here will get it hot.

“Then they asked us to say our last prayers,” Francis said.

He said that as they were praying, they were being moved into one of the three new Hummer Buses in the hideout and taken to where they were eventually put back into their Sienna Bus and led to the tarred road.

“At that point, they asked whether we can find our way out and we said no and they told the driver to go straight.

“They said we should go and tell Umuahia people what we saw.

“That was how we found ourselves back in Umuahia,” he said.

Francis said that valuables collected from them included cash and cell phones.

Meanwhile, the deceased persons have been identified as Chukwuemeka Nwachukwu, a pastor, who passed a comment after their vehicle was flagged down, and Ifeanyi Onwunkwe, who attempted to escape.

A journalist from the community said on the condition of anonymity that “the sad incident has thrown the area into mourning”.

NAN could not immediately reach the police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, for comments.

A senior police officer at the Abia State, however, claimed he was aware of the incident but said a “formal entry” had yet to be made.

“I am aware of the Saturday attack, but you know the incident happened in Imo. So, as we speak, nobody has made any formal entry here,” the source said.

NAN

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian military repels more than 20 Ukrainian attacks in single day – MoD

Foreign powers involved in coup attempt in Russia – Serbian president

Foreign intelligence services likely played a role in the failed Wagner PMC coup attempt on Saturday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has claimed. In his address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin described the mutineers as traitors whose actions could play into the hands of Moscow’s adversaries.

In an interview with Serbia’s Pink TV channel on Sunday, Vucic stressed that Belgrade does not support coups in other countries as a matter of principle.

“We didn’t support it in Turkey or Russia, we wouldn’t support it in America, either,” the official explained, adding that governments should only be “changed in elections by the will of the citizens.”

The Serbian head of state went on to say: “I don't want to say who was involved from the outside, but have no doubts.”

Vucic cited “foreign services,” without, however, going into further detail or providing any proof.

He said the masterminds behind the failed coup attempt had devised a sly tactic which included attacking the Russian president without saying directly that the effort was actually directed at him.

The official also claimed that some of the grievances voiced by the mutineers, especially those involving allegations of corruption, were legitimate. However, whatever these may be, they are still not a “reason to stab your country in the back,” he emphasized.

The Serbian president added that some forces, which he stopped short of specifying, had “had high expectations” of the Wagner PMC insurrection.

Vucic praised Putin’s handling of the crisis, saying that it was ended thanks to his “sharp and strong reaction.”

Addressing the nation on Saturday, Putin characterized the armed mutiny as a “betrayal” and a “knife in the back” of Russia and its people. At a time when the country is “waging a tough struggle for its future,” he said, “any strife” might be used by enemies “to subvert us from within.”

Meanwhile, Politico reported on Saturday that American officials viewed the events in Russia as opening a window of opportunity for the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The New York Times reported that same day, citing anonymous sources, that US intelligence agencies strongly suspected that Evgeny Prigozhin was planning a major move against the Russian government.

US President Joe Biden and his administration were allegedly briefed on this as early as Wednesday.

** Russian Defense Ministry may ink contracts with some Wagner PMC fighters — Kremlin

A part of the Wagner private military company’s troops, who decided against participating in an armed mutiny, will be able to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

"An agreement was reached that PMC Wagner troops would return to their camps and places of deployment. Some of them, if they wish to do so, can later ink contracts with the Defense Ministry," Peskov said. "It also applies to fighters, who decided against taking part in this ‘armed mutiny.’"

The spokesman also said "there were some fighters in the military formations [of Wagner PMC], who changed their minds at the very beginning [of the armed mutiny] and returned immediately."

"They have even requested the assistance of the traffic police as well as other help to return to their permanent places of deployment," Peskov added.

On the evening of June 23, the Telegram channel of Wagner private military company founder Yevgeny Prigozhin posted several audio records with his statements, in which he claimed that strikes had allegedly been delivered against his formations and accused the country’s military leadership of that. In the wake of this, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia opened a criminal case into a call for an armed mutiny. The FSB urged Wagner fighters not to obey Prigozhin’s orders and take measures for his detention.

Russia’s Defense Ministry dismissed as untrue the reports that Russian forces had allegedly delivered a strike against "the rear camps of the Wagner private military company."

In his televised address to citizens on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the actions by the Wagner private military company an armed mutiny and betrayal and assured that harsh measures would be taken against the insurgents.

**Kiev’s forces have repeatedly attacked Russian positions across the frontline in the past 24 hours, sustaining heavy casualties in the process, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. The Ukrainian forces lost more than 800 soldiers during that period, as well as multiple pieces of military hardware, it added.

The Donbass city of Artyomovsk (known in Ukraine as Bakhmut) and its immediate vicinity have seen the most intense fighting, with ten attacks repelled in the area. The Ukrainian forces lost up to 430 troops there, as well as 11 infantry fighting vehicles, multiple cars, and an artillery piece, the Defense Ministry said in its daily briefing.

The Russian military also said it had destroyed a major ammunition stockpile near the contested town of Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), which saw a further four attacks repelled.

Another four major attacks were repelled in the north of Donbass, with intense fighting observed around multiple settlements in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR). On that axis, the Ukrainian military lost up to 130 fighters, three armored vehicles, a self-propelled and two towed howitzers, as well as other hardware.

In the south, the main theater of the long-heralded Ukrainian counteroffensive effort since it began in early June, medium-intensity fighting continued along the frontline, with another three attacks fought off. The Russian military said it hit multiple targets near the city of Orekhov, the primary logistics hub of the Ukrainian military in Zaporozhye Region. The Ukrainian troops lost more than 170 soldiers in the area, with at least five howitzers, a tank and several armored cars destroyed.

The Russian military also continued to conduct long-range strikes against Ukraine’s military installations. Near the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson, for instance, the attacks resulted in elimination of more than 50 Ukrainian servicemen, as well as in the destruction of a US-supplied M777 howitzer and other equipment, the Defense Ministry stated.

The apparent uptick in fighting on the frontlines and ramped up attacks by the Ukrainian military came amid domestic turmoil in Russia, caused by the short-lived insurrection by the Wagner Group PMC on Friday. The group seized control of a military HQ in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and even advanced towards Moscow, but ultimately backed down following talks facilitated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Zelenskiy discusses Russian turmoil with Biden, Trudeau, Duda

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his defence minister said they held a series of calls with Kyiv's allies on Sunday to discuss the "weakness" of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's next counteroffensive steps.

The phone calls took place after an extraordinary failed mutiny by the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, that raised questions about Putin's grip on power as Ukraine presses a counteroffensive in its south and east.

"We discussed the course of hostilities and the processes taking place in Russia. The world must put pressure on Russia until international order is restored," Zelenskiy said after a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden.

According to the White House readout, the two leaders "discussed Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive, and President Biden reaffirmed unwavering U.S. support."

Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's defence minister, said he and U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed Ukraine's counteroffensive and next steps to strengthen the forces.

"Things are moving in the right direction," Reznikov wrote on Twitter.

While Ukraine's officials said the Russia chaos works to Kyiv's advantage, it yet remains to be seen whether Zelenskiy and his army can capitalise on the Moscow disorder to reclaim territories now occupied by Russia.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command, said on Sunday Kyiv's army advanced 600 metres (2,000 ft) to 1,000 metres over the previous day near Bakhmut, a city taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting.

But the gains have been incremental so far, with Zelenskiy saying recently the counteroffensive has been "slower than desired."

On Sunday, Zelenskiy said he and Biden had discussed expanding defence cooperation with an emphasis on long-range weapons, coordination ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius next month and preparations for a "Global Peace Summit" he has promoted.

"Yesterday's events exposed the weakness of Putin's regime," Zelenskiy was quoted in the statement.

Separately, Zelenskiy said he had told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a call about the "threatening situation" at Ukraine's vast, Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

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Zelenskiy warned earlier this week that Russia was considering carrying out an act of "terrorism" involving the release of radiation at the plant, an allegation denied by Russia.

"Ukraine's partners must demonstrate a principled response, in particular at the NATO Summit in Vilnius," he said.

The Ukrainian leader made similar comments in a statement announcing a phone call with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

** Mercenaries return to bases after challenge to Putin's authority

Heavily armed Russian mercenaries withdrew from the southern Russian city of Rostov under a deal that halted their rapid advance on Moscow but raised questions on Sunday about President Vladimir Putin's grip on power.

Ending their short-lived mutiny, fighters of the Wagner group began heading back to their bases late on Saturday in return for guarantees for their safety. Their commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, will move to Belarus under the deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested the turmoil in Russia could take months to play out, while Italy's foreign minister said it had shattered the "myth" of Russian unity.

Putin has not commented publicly since the deal was struck to de-escalate one of the biggest challenges since he rose to power more than two decades ago.

He said he was giving top priority to the conflict in Ukraine in excerpts from an interview aired by state television on Sunday, but it appeared to have been recorded before the mutiny and he made no reference to Saturday's events.

State television said Putin would attend a meeting of Russia's Security Council this coming week, without elaborating, and Belarus' Belta news agency said Putin and Lukashenko spoke again on Sunday, after at least two calls on Saturday.

Prigozhin, 62, was seen leaving the district military headquarters in Rostov, hundreds of miles south of Moscow, late on Saturday in a sport utility vehicle. His whereabouts on Sunday were not known.

A former Putin ally and ex-convict whose forces have fought the bloodiest battles of the 16-month war in Ukraine, Prigozhin said his decision to advance on Moscow was intended to remove corrupt and incompetent Russian commanders he blames for botching the war.

'CRACKS' IN THE FACADE

Western leaders expressed concern over the events in Russia, which has the world's largest nuclear arsenal.

"We've seen more cracks emerge in the Russian facade," U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told NBC's "Meet the Press" program on Sunday.

China, a key ally of Putin, made no initial public reference to the turmoil, eventually saying after talks with a visiting senior Russian diplomat on Sunday that it supported Russia in maintaining national stability.

After capturing Rostov, the main rear logistical hub for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the mercenaries began what Prigozhin called a "march for justice" on Saturday, transporting tanks and armoured trucks hundreds of miles north and smashing barricades set up to stop them before the deal to stand down.

Videos shared on social media from Rostov that night purportedly showed the mercenaries withdrawing in a convoy of armoured vehicles, tanks and coaches to the sound of cheers, chants of "Wagner" and celebratory gunfire from residents.

Reuters was able to verify the location of the video but not the date that it was filmed.

"Take care of yourselves," shouted one woman.

The show of support for Wagner's short-lived insurrection was striking in a country that is increasingly intolerant of public criticism of Putin and his rule.

The mood on the streets of Rostov on Sunday was mainly one of relief.

"It was scary... Everyone is glad that nothing bad happened... It did not come to an armed clash," said resident Dmitry, who declined to give his surname. "There are very serious problems in the country, and they need to be solved."

In Moscow, where there was little evidence on Sunday of increased security, some expressed a measure of understanding for Prigozhin's position.

"The opinions of a person who has a certain weight in society should probably be heard by the authorities," said Oleg, a Moscow resident who also did not provide a last name.

Monday has been declared a non-working day in the Russian capital to allow time for things to settle.

RT/Tass/Reuters

Sudan's RSF says it seized police base as fighting rages

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said it had seized the main base of a heavily armed police unit on Sunday as it sought an edge in its war with the army during heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum.

The RSF in a statement said it had taken full control of the large base belonging to the Central Reserve Police southern Khartoum and posted footage of its fighters celebrating inside the facility, some removing boxes of ammunition from a warehouse.

It later said it had captured 160 pick-up trucks, 75 armoured personnel carriers, and 27 tanks. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the footage or the RSF statements. There was no immediate comment from the army or the police.

Since late Saturday, fighting has surged in the three cities that make up the wider capital - Khartoum, Bahri and Omdurman - as the conflict between the army and the RSF entered its 11th week.

Witnesses also reported a sharp increase in violence in recent days in Nyala, the largest city in the western Darfur region. The U.N. raised the alarm on Saturday over ethnic targeting and the killing of people from the Masalit community in El Geneina in West Darfur.

Khartoum and El Geneina have been worst affected by the war, although last week tensions and clashes escalated in other parts of Darfur and in Kordofan, in the south.

Fighting has intensified since a series of ceasefire deals agreed at talks led by the United States and Saudi Arabia in Jeddah failed to stick. The talks were adjourned last week.

The Central Reserve Police has been deployed by the army in ground fighting in recent weeks. It had previously been used as a combat force in several regions and to confront protesters demonstrating against a coup in 2021.

It was sanctioned last year by the United States, accused of using excessive force against protesters.

'LEFT ALONE'

The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been using air strikes and heavy artillery to try to dislodge the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, from neighbourhoods across the capital.

"Since the early morning in north Omdurman we've had air strikes and artillery bombardment and RSF anti-aircraft fire," 47-year-old resident Mohamed al-Samani told Reuters by phone. "Where are the Jeddah talks, why did the world leave us to die alone in Burhan and Hemedti's war?"

In Nyala, a city that grew rapidly as people were displaced during the earlier conflict that spread in Darfur after 2003, witnesses reported a marked deterioration in the security situation over the past few days, with violent clashes in residential neighbourhoods. A human rights monitor said at least 25 civilians had been killed in Nyala since Tuesday.

"Today I left Nyala because of the war. Yesterday there was bombardment in the streets and bullets going into homes," Saleh Haroun, a 38-year-old resident of the city, told Reuters.

There was also fighting between the army and the RSF last week around El Fashir, capital of North Darfur, which the U.N. says is inaccessible to humanitarian workers.

In El Geneina, which has been almost entirely cut off from communications networks and aid supplies in recent weeks, attacks by Arab militias and the RSF have sent tens of thousands fleeing over the border to Chad.

U.N. Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on Saturday called for safe passage for people fleeing El Geneina and access for aid workers following reports of summary executions between the city and the border and "persistent hate speech" including calls to kill the Masalit or expel them.

Of those uprooted by the conflict in Sudan, nearly 2 million have been displaced internally and almost 600,000 have fled to neighbouring countries, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Reuters

This week, Muslims the world over will celebrate the eid-ul-adha or the “big eid” or “big Sallah”. We are, however, more interested in its meaning, implications and bearing on us as a nation. We need to look at spiritual milestones, hoping to find the seemingly elusive panacea for our ills.

Eid means feast, festival or celebration, while adha loosely means “sacrifice” (animal sacrifice), “offering” or “oblation”. It so got its name because it commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) devotion to Allah (SWT) and his readiness to sacrifice Ismail, his son, for His love.

The Qur’anic story has it that Ibrahim (AS) experienced a dream in which God ordered him to sacrifice his beloved son, Ismail (AS). At first, he was skeptical, and believed it was the trickery of the cursed devil. After experiencing the dream the following night, he then understood that it was a message and a command from Allah (SWT). Without hesitation, he prepared his son for the sacrifice. Ibrahim (AS) loved his son dearly, yet this was no obstruction to honouring his duty as instructed by Allah (SWT) and thus proving his full submission to Allah (SWT).

Ibrahim (AS) took his son to the top of Mount Arafat, and in his hands, he had a knife and a rope. Upon arrival, he mentioned the dream to his son Ismail (AS) and made him aware that Allah (SWT) has decreed for him to be a sacrifice and, in obedience, his son Ismail (AS) accepted what God commanded of him. Ismail (AS) asked that his hands and legs be tied to avoid struggling during the sacrifice and that his father should blindfold himself to avoid witnessing his suffering. Ismail was aware of his father’s love towards him and knew that this would be difficult to witness.

However, as Ibrahim (AS) began performing the sacrifice, Allah (SWT) replaced Ismail with a ram and Ismail (AS) was saved unharmed. Allah (SWT) tested Ibrahim (AS) to see his dedication in his submission (Islam) to his creator. In his willingness to obey Allah’s (SWT) commands, Ibrahim (AS) successfully passed the test and the act of the sacrifice serves as a reminder of Prophet Ibrahim’s dedication and devotion to serving Allah (SWT) obediently. Therefore, eid-ul-adha means the festival of sacrifice.

The lesson here is that of sacrifice for a better you. We mostly look at the sacrifice from the point of slaughtering a ram for its meat. Even at that, Islam recommends one to get a healthy, mature and meaty sacrificial lamb that will be a beauty to the eye. Looked at deeply, the sacrifice should translate to sacrificing what one loves in exchange for gaining spiritual upliftment.

Any man uplifted spiritually will spread the love around. He will not be where there will be an injustice. He will not be a party to corrupt activities. Above all, that man will not be where another human being is being harmed. Humanity will be safe with him. If the Nigerian Muslims who took part in the eid-ul-adha all take in the spirit behind the event, our country will be better than it is now.

It is a sacrifice in self-immolation that can only be compared to the myth of the Thornbird in the fictional book, Thorn Birds, a 1977 bestseller by Colleen McCullough. She set the story in Drogheda, a town that does not exist in Australia. In the front matter of the book, the myth is set out thus: There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest, it searches for a thorn tree and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its agony to out-carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only brought at the cost of great pain… Or so says the legend.

The spirit of eid-ul-adha teaches us to sacrifice ourselves for God. Ismail (AS) was part of Ibrahim (AS), do not forget. By sacrificing his son, he was sacrificing himself as well.

Nigeria, now more than ever in its history, needs countrymen who are ready to sacrifice for its existence. We should frown at a situation where leaders will call on us to change while they indulge in the perfidies associated with our leaders of old.

It is not fair, nor is it right, for leaders to ask followers to tighten their belts while they punch more holes in theirs to accommodate their ever bulging bellies.

It is also not indicative of leaders with the spirit of sacrifice when they take their children to the best schools around while the public schools are a little better than pigsties.

The spirit of sacrifice is no doubt lacking in the leader who, together with his family, can have access to the best Medicare, while a bigger chunk of the people does not have access to basic healthcare facilities.

How can a good Muslim’s conscience not disturb him when he buys good exam results or bribes for his child to get a well-paying job? Why should a good Muslim be happy when he collects money to pass a student or to give him a job?

We are talking of Muslims as citizens because we are referring to an Islamic event that just happened.

But come to think of it, Christianity attaches great importance and symbolism to sacrifices as well. Theirs is even directly and practically connotative of the denial of comfort. Their form of sacrifice focuses on the bodies of its members as a living sacrifice.

And I believe all Christians understand Christ’s death on the cross to be a necessary atonement for the sins of humankind. And if it was so, why should a Christian run away from discomforting himself for God to be happy with him?

In reality, all those who make up a nation must sacrifice for the nation to be great. All religions teach us to sacrifice and all our tribes have stories of legends who sacrificed their happiness for that tribe to survive.

The problem with Nigeria, as my friend Barrister Okoroafor Vincent always insists, is not the North as some southerners would want us to believe or the South as some northerners would insist. He believes it is not even Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw or Tiv, etc. He is also adamant that it is neither Islam nor Christianity. The problem with Nigeria, he opines, is individual selfishness and self-centeredness that border on ‘it is our turn to chop’ and myopia in putting the self first before the nation. And all people from the tribes have that tendency which is exhibited by adherents of both religions.

The lawyer says if we can put Nigeria first as our collective interest, then we would have a great nation. I cannot agree more.

** Hassan Gimba is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Neptune Prime.

“And fear the fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong.” – Quran 8 verse 25

The above is a verse from the Holy Quran, which my late father, Imam Abdulhameed Shuaib Agaka usually cited when trouble brewed and the community kept silent, without seeking to address it.

The Qur’anic verse cautions society against failure to act when atrocities are being committed because the repercussions of silence and inaction could be severe (painful), not only for the perpetrators but the society at large.

Since the return to a democratic system of government over two decades ago, Nigeria has witnessed unbecoming violent attitudes that were seemingly tolerated by the society, before they later snowballed into the nightmarish monsters that we have today.

For various reasons, including cultural, religious, social and political dispositions, the society had been displaying a nonchalant attitude to most of the ills that have come to afflict it presently. One wonders if the past inactions of the government, community leaders, traditional institutions and youth activists were not the enabling factors for the perpetration of the rot that we are witnessing today in society.

We can easily remember the introduction of ‘political sharia’ rather than true Islamic Law in Zamfara State in 2000, which imposed discriminatory punishments for offences including the amputation of the hands and limbs of the poor for lesser offences of theft, while the rich, who could be politicians and public office holders, rob the people of their collective patrimony through the pen, yet barely get a slap on the wrist when they are caught. The rich easily get granted bail, which is usually one step to their gradual discharge from the crimes committed. Today, Zamfara is the headquarters of banditry in the country.

We can recall the activities of the lawless kids of Maiduguri over a decade ago, which had then influenced my article, “Killing in the Name of the Devils”, in 2006, when they killed and destroyed the assets of non-indigenes and others in the city over flimsy excuses which triggered reprisal attacks somewhere else. Today, Borno State, with Maiduguri as capital, is regarded as the epicentre of terrorism in Nigeria.

Kaduna, which was earlier one of the most peaceful and secure states in Nigeria, has also tasted the fruit of lawlessness, when after the massacre of Shi’ite in December 2015, including pregnant women and kids by Nigerian soldiers, young miscreants sought recourse in looting the assets and corpses of the dead, yet the government and community kept mum as if the carnage was no big deal. Kaduna today hosts the dens of kidnapping kingpins and is location to recurrent ethnic flares of violence.

In Eastern Nigeria, we noticed how ferocious secessionist activities were condoned and celebrated in the past, but the region has woken up to the reality of control of non-state actors and vicious armed groups who have taken to imposing sit-at-homes on the people on Mondays. This has been going on alongside some of the most ruthless campaigns of extermination of the people and security personnel on a regular basis.

In the North-Central, while farmers and cattle herders had initially co-existed peacefully, however with the antagonism of political crusades, it was not long before states like Plateau and Benue become the hotbeds of communal clashes.

I can go on and on about how governments, community leaders and even different societies have failed to act decisively when the unbecoming attitudes of our kids, especially the youths, were gradually becoming a source of concern.

At this point in our collective experience, I am seized by a sense of foreboding in contemplating the disturbing activities of lawless kids and youth following the election of Abba Yusuf as governor of Kano State under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Immediately after the election, as if in some coordinated form of assault on the social order, the properties of politicians, and celebrities like the popular musician, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, among others, were not only looted, they were also vandalised by youths in broad daylight, without being checkmated in the least by security agencies. That early period also witnessed a frenetic spate of daylight robberies, including phone-snatching. 

Still, at the inauguration of Abba Kabir Yusuf as the state governor on 29 May, 2023, many youthful miscreants, suspected to be supporters of NNPP, heckled the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and his younger brother, Emir of Bichi, Nasiru Ado Bayero. 

As security operatives went about rescuing the descendants of the most revered and longest-ruling Emir of Kano, the late Ado Bayero, these lawless urchins and guttersnipes kept shouting derogatory remarks at the humble traditional rulers, at the top of their voices.

A few days after the inauguration, Governor Abba gave a marching order to security agencies in the state to immediately take over all public properties believed to have been unduly sold by the previous administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

Shortly thereafter, and particularly by midnight, the new state government rolled out bulldozers for the demolition of what it described as illegal structures, towards “restoring” the Kano master plan. Some of the structures pulled down included multibillion naira hotels, business premises, residential accommodations and even monuments.

In other common incidents, youths from far and nearby invaded some of the sites, vandalised and looted the premises, while others removed valuable building materials. In fact, in some of the videos that were trending at the time, a number of the miscreants could be seen struggling and fighting the police and other security personnel who were trying to stop them from their insidious plunder.

What is more worrisome is that these lawless kids are now awake most nights, either stationed close to or following bulldozers to planned demolition sites. The majority of these wretched-looking kids are drug addicts, poor, unemployed and untrained. It is also shocking that school children too and other youths have joined them in the looting spree that they popular tag ‘Ganima’. Meanwhile, Ganima or Ghanima is an Arabic word for “spoils of war”, which may include land, wealth, cattle, women and children.

The governor’s spokesman, Sanusi Bature, has said that the ongoing demolition across Kano was not an act of vendetta against any individual or group in any way. Bature emphasised that these demolitions were first set “of many to come in fulfilment of the governor’s campaign promises”.

This article is not about the merits or demerits of the governor’s action but rather the hasty manner in which some of the actions gravely impacting the state are being undertaken, which are neither sanctioned by the state executive council nor the legislators. It is about the fear of what would become of Kano if more destructions are unleashed under the guise of restoring a masterplan when those at the receiving end of the destructions are folks who actually have lawful official approvals for the structures now being pulled down.

While the administration of Ganduje ensured the safety and security of the state from banditry and terrorism, Yusuf should rather try to concentrate his energies on employment generation, wealth circulation and urban development to enable survival and prosperity in the state. It is very doubtful if potential investors would be willing to put their money in the current state of confusion that defines Kano as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful and populous states.

It is necessary to point out that most activities of banditry and terrorism are engineered by aggrieved victims of injustice, inequality and the burning desire for vengeance. As many might be aware, the targeted abductions of the family members of politicians, public officers and the rich in neighbouring states are usually perpetrated by faceless aggrieved sponsors.

I wish to, therefore, advise Yusuf and the new Kwankwasiyya administration in Kano to re-examine their actions and not allow the activities of lawless youth to degenerate into what we are currently witnessing in most Northern states of Borno, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara, to mention but a few that are bedevilled by activities of violent criminals.

The governor should put in place programmes for social and economic inclusion, youth empowerment, improved local governance, reconciliation and conflict mitigation, towards a more peaceful and prosperous state, which is much loved by all.

Some two out of five CEOs in South Africa believed that their company would no longer be economically viable a decade from now. Therefore, building business resilience was critical, according to PwC’s 26th Annual Global CEO Survey.

This was as the pressure to optimise costs and maximise productivity was at the forefront of all business leaders’ minds.

Today, this pressure was further exacerbated by disruptive technology, the increasing complexity of geopolitics and global trade, evolving risk and regulation, and the ongoing race to find and keep the right talent with the right skills.

Marthle du Plessis, PwC Africa Workforce of the Future Platform Leader, said businesses were grappling with a continuous and speedy work, workplace and workforce evolution. ‘’Going forward, a new norm will become more prevalent-that is, managing teams of three which will see managers overseeing the workforce, borrowed skills (contingent workers) and bots. Getting this right amidst constant change and disruption is no small task. The more prepared a business is to manage a state of continuous change, the less destructive and long-lived the disruption will be for the enterprise,’’ du Plessis said.

In the firm’s newly released report, Your workforce: your value driver, it took a more detailed look at whether the workforce was ready for reinvention, how to prepare for the future of work, and the value of Strategic Workforce Planning in an effort to build business resilience.

PwC’s 2023 Global Hopes and Fears Survey, which details the responses of nearly 54,000 workers across 46 countries and territories, highlights that skills gaps were growing.

A majority of employees did not display the urgency to upskill, as only 39% of employees believed their job would require a significant change in the next five years. Of those who believed that the skills their job requires would need to change significantly, only 71% have a clear sense of how. However, what was very clear was that employees with specialist skills were more ready for reinvention, recognising the need for upskilling and how to upskill.

Bernice Wessels, PwC South Africa People Analytics Leader, said to be prepared for the future world of work, specialist skills would be needed at scale to deliver CEOs’ plans for reinventing business strategies. ‘’The clear disjuncture between executives’ outlook on their business and employees’ belief in their skill set to deliver what is required highlights the need for business strategies to prioritise the development of tangible skills that will be able to execute on these strategies.”

In an effort to do this, Wessels said organisations needed to be proactive, agile and embrace technology to undertake the projection of how work, workers and the workplace will evolve. “With up to 85% of costs tied up in people, leaders will need to predict their strategic and operational requirements and allocate resources accordingly,” she said.

In order to align business reinvention strategies with the skills needed to bring them to life, it was fundamental for executives to proactively anticipate the future of work to assess possible implications on the workforce. “Through a qualitative and quantitative exercise, organisations are able to make sure they have the right people with the right competencies in place to achieve their business strategies,” du Plessis said.

What remained imperative here was that organisations prioritise a ‘skills first’ approach and, in essence, have a clear mandate to attract and retain the right talent with relevant skills despite economic shifts and global disruptions.

In the report, the company outlined eight steps involved in the SWP process, which speaks to the process of building business resilience. Nomalungelo Biyela, PwC South Africa People Analytics Senior Manager, said the purpose of SWP was to “enable organisations to realise their dream workforce by gaining insight into workforce flows and optimisation of people interventions.”

In the report, the firm detail how organisations could leverage SWP to interrogate the possible impacts of business closure on the workforce, as well as how it could be used to model an organisation’s holistic future workforce requirement (not just from a human element, but also bots as they relate to the technology aspect of SWP).

Du Plessis said by incorporating lessons learned and leading global practices and standards, proper SWP could help South African businesses withstand disruption and reduce the overall impacts of various disruptions.

“The four basic principles of SWP are to ensure that your organisation has the right people with the right skills in the right place and time, and at the right cost. It has never been clearer; organisations need a strong workforce strategy that helps them take action today to prepare for tomorrow’s world of work. By understanding the possibilities of automation, organisations can harness the potential of human skills and the needs of the business in a changing global business landscape to nurture and incentivise the people they need for the digital age.”

DFA