Nigeria Times

The House of Representatives has rejected the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) conferred on Speaker Tajudeen Abbas by President Bola Tinubu. The lawmakers expressed displeasure over what they perceived as discrimination against the lower chamber, pointing out that Senate President Godswill Akpabio was awarded the higher Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

This decision followed a motion of urgent public importance introduced by Rep. Philip Agbese, with members arguing that the House should be treated equally with the Senate. The motion, signed by 360 members, called for the abolition of the “upper chamber and lower chamber” designations, asserting that both chambers of the National Assembly are equal.

Israel has declared United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as persona non grata, banning him from entering the country. The decision, announced by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday, follows Guterres’ failure to unequivocally condemn a recent missile attack on Israel by Iran.

Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, targeting multiple areas on Tuesday night. While world leaders condemned the attack, Guterres issued a statement calling for de-escalation in the Middle East without specifically condemning Iran. This omission angered Israeli officials.

Katz criticized Guterres for not denouncing the attack and accused him of failing to address atrocities committed by groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Katz declared that Israel would continue defending its citizens and uphold its dignity, with or without the UN chief.

Political economist Pat Utomi has voiced strong criticism regarding the alarming levels of poverty in Nigeria, stating that the country should feel ashamed for having more impoverished individuals than India, despite India’s population being seven times larger.

Utomi expressed his concerns at “The New Tribe” during a Global Village Square Town Hall meeting held in Victoria Island, Lagos. He lamented, “This country of great potential, as we celebrate 64 years of independence, is still crawling. It has become the place of domicile for the poorest people on the planet. The Brookings study a few years ago showed how, in absolute numbers, there are more poor people in Nigeria than in India. That should make anybody feel ashamed. How? Explain to me how the richest can become the poorest.”

Highlighting the decline of cultural values in Nigeria, he attributed the nation’s challenges to a loss of moral integrity. “Fundamentally, progress is dependent on culture, on your values. And if you look at Nigeria, the one clear thing is the collapse of culture. The values have gone south. I mean, people don’t have a sense of shame anymore. Our political class is an embarrassment,” he remarked.

Utomi also addressed the deterioration of Nigeria’s institutions, particularly within the justice sector, which he believes is a significant barrier to attracting foreign investment. He stated, “The Nigerian judiciary is considered a joke around the world. Nobody takes it seriously. Investors don’t come to Nigeria because they say to you, ‘If I have a dispute with a partner in Nigeria, going to court is a waste of time. Complete waste of time.’ And so they go to a country where the returns can be less, but where at least they know some justice can be obtained from the courts.”

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider hiring military contractors to assist in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State. His plea follows a recent attack by the militants in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area, where six farmers were killed and five others, including women, were abducted.

In a statement, Ndume acknowledged the commendable efforts of the military and the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) but stressed that they are inadequately equipped to tackle the insurgency effectively. He argued that employing military contractors, who would collaborate with the existing forces, could provide a significant boost to the operations against Boko Haram and also address banditry in the North West.

He stated, “All across the world, governments hire military contractors to engage in certain places. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can consider this as a short measure. These contractors will work with our military and Civilian JTF, who understand the terrain. They will come with their equipment and military hardware, and in a very short time, they’ll eliminate those Boko Haram terrorists.”

Ndume further suggested that the federal government could subsequently recruit more youths into the military to strengthen the force over time, aiming to increase troop numbers to at least one million.