₦airaland Forum

#ENTERTAINMENT

Forbes settles Davido/Wizkid’s feud with new announcement.

Forbes has named Davido Africa’s richest artiste for 2024

The Forbes list, which ranked Africa’s top five wealthiest musicians, placed Davido at the top with a net worth of $100 million.

Don Jazzy followed with $50 million, while Burna Boy and Wizkid held third and fourth spots with $30 million and $25 million, respectively. Rema stood at $15 million.

Rema had previously hinted at his rising status in one of his songs, claiming that the “Big Three” era is over, as he now ranks fourth.

Reactions Trail Julius Abure's Message To Peter Obi After Court Declared Him As LP National Chairman.

Barrister Julius Abure has sent a message to the former governor of Anambra state, Peter Gregory Obi after the Federal High Court in Abuja declared him as the National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP.

In a post that was shared on the official X handle of the Labour Party on Tuesday, Julius Abure called on Peter Obi to help unite the party. He said the judgment that was delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite marks the beginning of a new dawn in the Labour Party.

Julius Abure said with the collective efforts of all members, his leadership will continue to fight for the interests of the common man and the betterment of Nigeria.

Here is what Julius Abure said;

"Be that as it may, I call on Peter Obi, the former Presidential candidate of our party to help unite the party.

"This judgment marks the beginning of a new era for the Labour Party in Nigeria. There is no question that the party will need restructuring and healing, but I assure you that our doors are open to all. In the coming days, we will focus on rebuilding our structures, reconnecting with our grassroots, and uniting our members. We will heal old wounds and emerge stronger than ever before".

Ttalk:
If you have and cherished your parent you won't call someone s father shameless

Stop that!

Regardless of age, a thief is a thief.

Pastor Adeboye, despite his 30+ years of biblical experience, was teaching incorrect sermons on tithes until Dr. Domina publicly rebuked him, prompting a revision in his teaching.

The Meaning of what the Honourable said:

Let go of negative tendencies and focus on achieving great success in the global music industry. Pay attention to both the details and the bigger picture to reach the top.

Pastor Adeboye Apologies For Saying It’s Impossible To Make Heaven Without Paying Tithe.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has apologised for saying that Christians who don’t pay tithe might not make heaven.

The cleric who had previously claimed that paying tithe was one of the prerequisites for going to heaven, apologised for the comment while addressing his congregation recently in a video making the rounds on the internet.

Describing his earlier claim as a “mistake”, Adeboye said the bible never said such.

He emphasised that the bible says peaceful and holy living are the prerequisites for making heaven.

“I apologize for saying ‘If you don’t pay tithe, you might not make it to heaven.’ I’m sorry, that’s wrong, and it’s not in the Bible. What the Bible says is ‘Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God’,” he said.

Small, but highly trained forces to assassinate key figures, the Mossad minimized civilian casualties and effectively disrupted terrorist networks.

Babalegba:
Your analysis is wrong. The Arab states fear America not Israel. Without the u.s.a backing, Israel would be obliterated within days.
I used to think God was their military architect before but then realized that God does not fight with might of arms and that America is always lurking around there with aircraft carriers and marines.
The game will be up when Iran acquires nuclear weapons in the not too distant future and all bets will be off.

Brother read or watch the 6 days war between Israel and 4 Arab countries.
When you finish, you will understand the determination and resilience of Israelis.

etrouble:
They fear USA, Canada, and the 32 Europe countries that are helping Israel to kill Palestinians

Lies

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Strikes Fear Into The Hearts Of Arab Leaders.

A Defiant Netanyahu, 74, calls these charges a “canard.” He insists the goal in Gaza must be a victory so decisive that when the fighting stops, Hamas can make no claim to govern in Palestinian territories or pose a threat to Israel. Otherwise, he argues, it will only condemn his country to a future of more massacres at the hands of enemies who want to eliminate the world’s only Jewish state. With the conflict expanding, Netanyahu says he is puncturing the confidence of every other element of Iran’s “axis of resistance,” a network of nonstate actors throughout the Middle East with a collective arsenal of rockets trained on Israel.

If the war in Gaza widens into a regional conflict, the consequences for Israel and the world would be dangerously unpredictable. The U.S. and the West risk being dragged into another Middle East quagmire. Israelis increasingly worry that the war supposedly launched to save Israel will imperil it. Among their most profound fears is that the cycle of violence and the perception it shapes of Israel for the next generation will cause lasting damage to its survival and its soul.

For Netanyahu, who says he’s waging an existential war, it’s a risk he recognizes, but one he’s willing to take. “Being destroyed has bigger implications about Israel’s security,” he says. “I’d rather have bad press than a good obituary.”

Protesters demanding a hostage-release deal outside Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence on Aug. 3.
Protesters demanding a hostage-release deal outside Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence on Aug 3.

Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to Tel Aviv to meet Israeli officials in the Kirya, the towering office complex from which the Prime Minister and his Cabinet were conducting the war. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza had already caused an estimated 30,000 deaths, a count by the Hamas-led Health Ministry that doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians, but is accepted by the U.N. and the White House. Nearly 2 million Palestinians had been displaced. It was a humanitarian catastrophe inflaming the world, and Blinken’s message to Netanyahu was simple: Wind down the war, you have achieved your objective, Hamas can no longer carry out another Oct. 7.

“That’s not our objective,” Netanyahu replied, according to a source familiar with the exchange. “Our objective is to completely destroy Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.” The larger, more essential goal, Netanyahu argued, was restoring Israel’s principle of deterrence. The price of Oct. 7 had to be sufficiently high for Hamas that any other power considering an attack on Israel would fear similar destruction. While Israel faces a cynical enemy that endangers its own people to delegitimize the Jewish state, the price of that full-throttle approach was already evident: the civilian death toll was mounting, Palestinians struggled to access basic health care, and there was a shortage of food and water. The calamity spawned accusations of a disproportionate counterattack. “This is collective punishment,” says Rashid Khalidi, a Columbia University professor who worked on Palestinian peace negotiations in the 1990s. “You don’t punish civilians for what Hamas did.”

Netanyahu dismisses those allegations out of hand. “We’ve gone out of our way to enable humanitarian assistance since the beginning of the war,” he says, citing Israel’s delivery of aid through food trucks and air drops.

To some extent, Netanyahu has been preparing to fight this war his entire adult life. His political career began as a telegenic diplomat explaining Israel’s positions on U.S. television during Iran’s takeover of the U.S. embassy in 1979, and he was elected Prime Minister three times pitching himself as “Mr. Security.” That the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history happened on his watch was a deep wound, forcing a reckoning in Israel over the strategic policy decisions he had championed for decades.

The first was allowing Qatar to send funds into the Gaza Strip. Hamas had come to power first by the ballot box (in 2006 elections promoted by U.S. President George W. Bush) and a year later by force of arms, amid factional fighting. Israel first responded by enforcing a blockade on the enclave. But under a policy embraced over the past 10 years by Netanyahu, billions in Qatari cash was allowed into Gaza. The infrastructure it financed included many miles of tunnels.

“Hamas wore two hats. It wore a terrorist hat and it wore a governance hat after 2007,” says Michael Oren, Netanyahu’s ambassador to Washington from 2009 to 2013. “We thought that we could incentivize Hamas to wear the governance hat through large infusions of Qatari cash and by allowing Palestinian workers into Israel. Give Hamas something to lose. That was the idea. But it was wrong.”

Others saw a more cynical strategy, to deepen divisions between Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and undermine the prospects for a unified Palestinian state. “He saw Hamas as an asset and the [West Bank–based] Palestinian Authority as a liability,” says Barak. “As long as he can hold Hamas alive and kicking and being a threat to Israel, he can easily protect himself against demands from America and from the rest of the world who argued that Israel should look for a way to achieve a breakthrough with the Palestinians.”

While Hamas was growing stronger in secret, Israel was making a spectacle of its own division. In January 2023, after Netanyahu returned to power for the third time with a coalition that included far-right parties previously considered too extreme to govern, he backed a radical bill to weaken the judiciary. The plan triggered an immense backlash, with tens of thousands of Israelis protesting every weekend. “You are weakening us, and our enemy is going to see it and we’re going to pay the price,” former Minister of Defense Benny Gantz warned Netanyahu.

Netanyahu blames the protesters, thousands of whom declared they wouldn’t serve in the military of an Israel with a diminished democratic foundation. “The refusal to serve because of an internal political debate—I think that, if anything, that had an effect,” he says.

Amid this tumult, Hamas had been planning to infiltrate Israel by land, air, and sea, and not just for a one-off attack. The plan on Oct. 7 was to secure the south of Israel and keep moving farther into the north, according to two senior Israeli sources who have reviewed Hamas documentation discovered in Gaza. “This was not a plan to wound Israel,” says one source who reviewed the documents. “It was planned to be the first step in the operation to destroy Israel entirely.”

Israel’s invasion of Gaza began on Oct. 27, when Netanyahu launched a full-scale ground operation with aerial strikes. The offensive came with a cold calculation; because Hamas intentionally embeds its military infrastructure in densely populated areas, the attacks would inevitably inflict wide-scale civilian casualties. For an Israeli public still reeling from Oct. 7, their deaths became a tragic but necessary price to protect the nation-state established after the Holocaust to provide a safe haven for Jews in their ancestral homeland. A Pew poll in May showed fewer than 20% of Israelis thought the country’s military went “too far.” The press here seldom shows images of civilian deaths. In our interview, Netanyahu says the IDF’s “best estimate” is that the ratio of civilian deaths to military is 1 to 1—extraordinarily low for urban combat. (The U.N. has said that civilians usually account for 90% of casualties in war.)

The hostages remain the focus of domestic attention. In November, Israel and Hamas reached a temporary cease-fire to exchange 105 of them for 240 Palestinian prisoners. When fighting resumed a week later, the humanitarian crisis increasingly became the global focus. Only under intense pressure from the Biden Administration did Netanyahu allow more aid into the Strip. When he prepared to push into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the last refuge both for displaced civilians and Hamas’ remaining battalions, Netanyahu also found himself up against the American President who had flown in after Oct. 7 to publicly embrace him.

Israel seemed more internationally isolated than ever before. Most wounding to Netanyahu was a March cover of the Economist, which he read growing up in the States, headlined “Israel alone.” That, it turns out, was exaggerated. A few weeks later, on April 14, Iran for the first time launched 300 missiles toward Israel, a retaliation for its attack on a diplomatic facility in Damascus. Under Biden’s stewardship, the American, British, French, and Arab forces all rushed to Israel’s defense.

But two things can be true at once. A government anxious to prevent a full-bore regional conflagration might scramble jets to save Israeli lives while also holding grave reservations about what Israel was doing in Gaza. The war had been going on for six months, and Biden wanted Netanyahu to accept a cease-fire-for-hostage deal that would end it. To Biden’s frustration, Netanyahu resisted. He wanted only a temporary pause in the fighting upon the return of the hostages. A longer respite for Hamas stood to cost Netanyahu the support of his far-right governing partners, tanking his fragile coalition. “He’s risking his government in having a deal with Hamas,” says a senior Israeli official. “Bibi will have a hostage deal only when it suits him politically.”

This was the backdrop for Netanyahu’s first trip abroad since Oct. 7, to address a joint session of Congress in Washington. The speech was at first opposed by Biden and Democratic congressional leadership, who knew it would exacerbate party tensions over the Administration’s support for the war. Nearly 130 Democrats skipped it, including Harris, who as Vice President would traditionally preside over the address.

A visit intended to showcase solidarity with Israel’s most essential ally instead underscored what was for Israel a growing partisan divide. In recent years, Democratic voters have grown less supportive of Israel and more sympathetic toward Palestinians, according to Gallup. The Gaza war had only intensified the trend.

Netanyahu says that’s not his fault. “I don’t think that the much reported erosion of support among some quarters of the American public is related to Israel,” he says. “It’s more related to America.” He cites a Harvard-Harris survey that in January found that 80% of respondents supported Israel whereas 20% supported Hamas—a significant chunk of support for a terrorist organization. “There’s a problem that America has,” Netanyahu says. “It’s not a problem that Israel has.”

The partisan divide on display during his trip offered the canny Israeli Premier an opportunity. After the speech he traveled to Trump’s Mediterranean-style Palm Beach mansion to repair his relationship with the billionaire, who remained angry at Netanyahu for backing out of a joint strike on a top Iranian in January 2020, and for congratulating Joe Biden on his election victory. But at Mar-a-Lago, Trump greeted Netanyahu and his wife Sara with open arms, and after their conversation set up a makeshift cabinet meeting around a boardroom table with Netanyahu’s top brass and his own.

Perhaps Netanyahu’s ultimate metric of success in the U.S. came as he prepared to fly home. On July 27, the centrist Israeli television station Channel 12 released a poll that showed his leading all three of his potential rivals in a hypothetical snap election.

Less than a day after the meeting with Trump, a Hezbollah rocket launched from Lebanon struck a soccer field in northern Israel, killing 12, mostly children. In retaliation for the soccer-field attack, Israel on July 30 bombed a senior Hezbollah commander in a suburb of Beirut—a rare strike in the Lebanese capital.

Just hours later, news broke that the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh had been killed in his sleep in Tehran, where he had just attended the inauguration of the new Iranian President. The Iranians accused the Israelis of the hit, which was reportedly delivered via a bomb secreted into an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps guesthouse. Israel has not confirmed or denied involvement but went on high alert, awaiting the promised Iranian retaliation.

Last April, a wider conflict had been narrowly avoided when Iran responded to an Israeli airstrike that killed an Iranian general with a massive but telegraphed direct attack on Israel that was rebuffed with the help of the allied defenses arranged by the U.S. This time, both sides again professed to want to avoid a broader conflict, even as each encounter tested the line between deterrence and provocation.

If a larger war can indeed be averted, Netanyahu believes he can transcend the infamy of Oct. 7 in two ways, according to those close to him.
One is by successfully ridding Gaza of Hamas. The second: cementing a Saudi-Israel normalization deal. This would be a dramatic expansion of the Abraham Accords forged under Trump, which normalized Israel’s ties with four Arab nations. Eviscerating Hamas, then providing the Jewish state a network of alliances in the heart of the Islamic world, would turn a catastrophe into a strategic triumph.

The two goals could intersect in Netanyahu’s vague plan for a postwar Gaza. Once Hamas is out of power, he says, he wants to recruit Arab countries to help install a civilian Palestinian governing entity that wouldn’t pose a threat to Israel. “I’d like to see a civilian administration run by Gazans, perhaps with the support of regional partners,” says Netanyahu. “Demilitarization by Israel, civilian administration by Gaza.”

Few Israelis see this as a realistic scenario. “He doesn’t have any plan for the endgame,” says Efraim Halevy, a former head of Mossad. “First of all, it took him a long time to admit that there would be an endgame, but he has never published it as a proposition, and what he has published is very flimsy.” It also strikes Palestinians as unlikely. “Not unless there’s some kind of Palestinian buy-in, and there will not be a buy-in to something that’s not Palestinian run,” says Khalidi. “Something that’s run by the Emirates or any other alternative is not going to fly.”

The fates of Israelis and Palestinians remain inextricably intertwined. If Israel does not find a way to peacefully separate from the millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, it faces a future of either absorbing them as citizens and losing its Jewish majority, or depriving them of the rights and freedoms afforded to the Jewish population and losing its democracy.

Netanyahu has no interest in overseeing the creation of a Palestinian state. Rather, he offers a vision of limited pockets of autonomy in Palestinian areas where Israel maintains overriding security control, a version of the situation in the West Bank today. “That’s a detraction of sovereign powers,” he admits, “there’s no question about it.” But he also tacitly recognizes the dilemma Israel faces. “I agree we should maintain a Jewish majority, but I think we should do it in democratic means,” he says. “That’s why I don’t want to incorporate the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria as citizens of Israel,” referring to the biblical name of the West Bank. “It means that they should run their own lives. They should vote for their own institutions. They should have their own self-governance. But they should not have the power to threaten us.”

The Saudis have publicly said Israel needs to be taking steps toward a Palestinian state in order to clinch a normalization deal. But Netanyahu’s far-right ruling coalition won’t tolerate any move in that direction. Naming Itamar Ben-Gvir as National Security Minister and Belazel Smotrich as Finance Minister is, as Union for Reform Judaism president Rick Jacobs has put it, like a U.S. President welcoming into the Cabinet the KKK.
The former cheered on the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; the latter has said Israel would be “justified” in starving Palestinians to death but the world won’t let them. Together, they have undertaken a bureaucratic push to eliminate any possibility of Palestinian sovereignty. Smotrich has authorized illegal Israeli outposts in the West Bank and streamlined the approval of settlement activities to expand Israel’s footprint in the occupied territories.

Extremist elements have seeped deeper and deeper into Israeli society since Oct. 7. At the end of July, a Palestinian detainee was rushed to the hospital with severe wounds after being sexually abused with a polelike object. Far-right demonstrators, including some lawmakers, stormed a military base to protest the arrest of nine suspects.

The compounding crises may have Israel at the greatest risk since its founding 76 years ago. Halevy, the former Mossad chief, views the situation ominously. “There were 70 or so years between the temples,” he says, referring to the last two periods the Jewish people had sovereignty in Israel. “You can say that there is a pattern here.”

Amid the gathering sense of existential danger, Netanyahu is, as always, pitching himself as the man who can ensure that Zionism survives the war. “It will, if we win,” he says. “And if we don’t, our future will be in great jeopardy.” Barak, the former Prime Minister, says Netanyahu is in his psychological element. “He genuinely believes that he’s saving Israel,” says Barak. “Not that he’s responsible for one of the worst events in its history.”

Ultimately, the Israeli electorate will determine its future. Though 7 in 10 Israelis say he should step down, the Channel 12 poll showed Netanyahu winning a plurality of 32% support. “There’s a disconnect between public opinion, which is a majority against him in every measure, and his potential for him to stay in power,” says Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli pollster. “That doesn’t necessarily translate into losing power in elections.”

The country’s own fraught history suggests Netanyahu’s vulnerability. Prime Minister Golda Meir resigned months after the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish year, killing over 2,600 Israeli soldiers. Netanyahu has himself been a harsh judge of leaders who oversaw military disasters. In 2008, after a damning report was published on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s management of the 2006 Lebanon war, he called Olmert unfit and incompetent. “The government is in charge of the military, and it failed miserably,” Netanyahu said at the time. “The political echelon and its leader refuse to take responsibility and exhibit personal integrity and leadership—which is what the decisive majority of the public expects them to do.”

In his office on Kaplan Street, TIME asks Netanyahu whether he intends to remain Prime Minister. “I will stay in office as long as I believe I can help lead Israel to a future of security, enduring security and prosperity,” he replies. And would he say an opposition leader who presided over Israel’s worst security failure should stay in power?

Netanyahu pauses to think through his answer. “It depends what they do,” he says. “What do they do? Are they capable of leading the country in war? Can they lead it to victory? Can they assure that the postwar situation will be one of peace and security? If the answer is yes, they should stay in power.”

“In any case,” he says, “that’s the decision of the people.” —With reporting by Vera Bergengruen/Washington and Leslie Dickstein/New York

thesicilian:
My own question is why can't Israel get along with any one of her neighbours? Sometimes when it seems everyone around you is bad, you need to check your own self.

Israel wants peace but the Arab countries don't want Israel to exist

The Existential Fears Driving Israel’s Aggressive Military Action
Israelis believed their country’s survival was no longer in question. Not anymore.

A man clears rubble from a building hit during Israeli bombardment in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip.
A man clears rubble from a building hit during Israeli bombardment in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip.
A man clears rubble from a building hit during Israeli bombardment in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip,

Even Israel’s friends overseas often have trouble understanding its conduct in the Israel-Hamas war and its ancillary conflicts with Hezbollah, Iran, and the Houthis. While some may be forgiving about the high numbers of civilian casualties as an inevitable part of urban warfare, it is harder for many to swallow Israel’s reluctance to allow enough humanitarian aid to reach Gaza or its seeming indifference to the massive collateral deaths involved in rescuing hostages and targeting Hamas leaders. Many are mystified by Israel’s willingness to risk what could be a devastating war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah or Iran. The back-to-back assassinations at the end of July of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh were unusual displays of state violence by the standards of any government, much less one that regards itself as a liberal democracy.

Israel-Hamas War
News, analysis, and background on the ongoing conflict

Israel has traditionally taken an aggressive military stance toward its enemies. But in the 10 months since the outbreak of the war in Gaza it has become more lethal than ever—killing some 40,000 people in Gaza alone. Israel’s harshest critics assert that its purpose is to destroy the last vestiges of Palestinian nationalism—or worse, to commit genocide against Palestinians. But the real explanation for the change is more complicated.

The aim of Israel’s ultra-nationalist right is, in fact, to make life unbearable for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. However, only a small minority of Israelis hold such extreme views, and the far-right ministers who echo them have little or no say over war policy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been careful to keep that under his personal control with a handful of like-minded officials.

Where the extreme right does have an impact—and mostly an indirect one—is on humanitarian issues. Far-right leaders don’t have so much a war strategy as a desire to see Palestinians suffer and for the war to go on. Anxious to ensure that the extreme right remains in the governing coalition, Netanyahu has bent to their will by taking a tough line on cease-fire negotiations and has only enabled sufficient humanitarian aid to reach Gaza when international pressure left him no choice. As Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of the rightist Religious Zionist Party, told a conference of rightists on Aug. 5, he would have no problem allowing the people of Gaza to starve. “We bring in aid because there is no choice,” he explained by way of an apology to his audience.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has allowed inhumane conditions at the Sde Teiman detention facility for Palestinians arrested in the war to fester by refusing to move inmates to the civilian facilities under his control. He called nine soldiers suspected of sexually abusing a prisoner at Sde Teiman “our best heroes” and may have told police to back off when rightist extremists tried to block their arrest by military police last month.

To a degree, a desire for punishment and revenge is shared by the troops in Gaza, including the vast majority who have no use for the extreme right. The atrocities of Oct. 7, which remain very much alive in the Israeli consciousness, have inevitably left many soldiers at best indifferent to Palestinian suffering and at worst out for revenge. The military advocate general, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, said in June that she was investigating some 70 cases of alleged wrongdoing, and that is only the tip of the iceberg.

Some observers contend that Israelis have become more violent, or at least more tolerant of violence. Certainly, among extremist settlers violence toward Palestinians has grown and is regarded as a legitimate tool to further their political ends. But even among settlers, they represent a small minority. Overall, the rate of violent crime in Israel is low by developed-country standards and until last year had been falling.

In all events, the actions of soldiers on the ground in Gaza don’t explain what is clearly a change in Israeli policy at the top. Here, the decisions made by Israel’s political and military leaders to order assassinations, bomb the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah at a cost of 80 Yemeni lives for one Israeli, or risk war with Iran reflect a new realpolitik.

In the wake of their momentous victory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Israelis had gradually come to feel that their country’s existence was no longer imperiled. It was a gradual process that developed as one Arab country after another either reached peace agreements with Israel and acknowledged its existence (Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco) or lost the capability to mount a war (Syria). Normalization with Saudi Arabia looked to be on the horizon. The rise of the high-tech economy, growing foreign investment, and two decades of buoyant economic growth that turned Israel into a powerful and prosperous economy seemed to confirm that. The talk turned into how to “contain” the Palestinian conversation because no solution was needed.

This Weltanschauung had practical effects. From the early 1990s, defense spending as a share of gross domestic product declined. Of the three pillars of its defense strategy—victory in war, deterrence, and intelligence—Israel abandoned the first, allowed the second to erode, and therefore became overly reliant on the third. From the 1980s, Israel’s wars with unconventional forces never ended in decisive victory. With that, Israel’s ability to deter its enemies waned, as evidenced by Hamas’s willingness to repeatedly go to war with Israel from 2008 on. In place of decisive victory and effective deterrence, Israel came to rely more and more on defensive measures—walls, fences, and high-tech early-warning systems.

Israel paid a steep price for these policies on Oct. 7. Even if it quickly turned back the Hamas attack, Iran and its proxies appreciated the magnitude of the intelligence and organizational failure. Hezbollah began attacks over Israel’s northern border just a day later and the Houthis were soon firing missiles and drones at Red Sea shipping and Israel itself. In April, Iran crossed a red line in its long-running conflict with Israel by staging for the first time a direct missile and drone attack rather than using proxies.

The U.S. Can Do More to Prevent an Israel-Iran War
The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, a bald man in a gray suit and red tie, speaks at a podium during a press conference in Bogota. A blue ICC flag hangs behind him in front of a wood-paneled wall.
The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, a bald man in a gray suit and red tie, speaks at a podium during a press conference in Bogota. A blue ICC flag hangs behind him in front of a wood-paneled wall.
ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas Leaders
The “total victory” that Netanyahu promises is unlikely to ever be achieved against Hamas, much less against Hezbollah or Iran. Restoring Israel’s deterrent ability is a more realistic goal, but not a painless one. Facing non-state actors with an ideological commitment to ending Israel’s existence, it is not enough to demonstrate effective defensive capabilities. It requires a willingness to strike out even in response to relatively small provocations and to go on the offensive.

For policymakers and public opinion in the United States and Europe, Israel’s recent actions seem dangerous and disproportionate, and there is no denying they risk sparking a regional war. But Israel doesn’t have very good choices. Despite its image as an always-triumphant military power, it is worthwhile remembering that Israel is a small country in terms of population, geography, and economy. It cannot afford to be taken by surprise, fight long wars, or maintain a heightened defense posture indefinitely. Israel now fully appreciates that for every new friend it has in the region, it has an implacable enemy. The Middle East remains a tough place.

The ordinary Israeli isn’t party to the calculations behind restoring deterrence. Public opinion nevertheless backs the country’s newly aggressive stance for more existential reasons.

The Hamas attack of Oct. 7 did not pose a fundamental threat to Israel, but its psychological impact was profound. For Israelis, the images of terrorists engaged in an orgy of murder, rape, and kidnapping were a tangible reminder that the threat to Israel’s existence was not idle talk by its enemies and that the consequences of even a brief moment of failure to secure the country’s borders would be severe. The months of pummeling of the country’s north by Hezbollah rockets, drones, and anti-tank missiles and the Iranian missile barrage in April have given Israelis a taste of how the end may come.

Yossi Klein Halevi captured the new national mood in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed: “Even as we maintain the pretense of daily life, a part of us is permanently alert. We tell ourselves that we’re steady and joke about the apocalypse, because that’s the Israeli way. But during one recent sleepless night, I literally jumped when a passing motorcycle sounded like an explosion.”

Opinion surveys bear that out. An Israel Democracy Institute poll found that those expressing optimism about the future of Israel’s national security had dropped from close to 47 percent in November 2023, when the war in Gaza appeared to be going well, to 31 percent in June. Another recent survey by the Institute for National Security Studies showed that just a quarter of Israelis have a high or very high sense of personal security.

Israel faces a unique threat among nations at war or threatened with it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping would like to erase Ukraine and Taiwan, respectively, from the map, but neither wants to destroy or expel the Ukrainian or Taiwanese people.
Not that life would likely be pleasant under their rule, but the Ukrainians or Taiwanese would be allowed to remain in their homes and live their lives, albeit as Russian and Chinese citizens.
These are (or will be) wars of empire and conquest. Israel faces the threat of existence. For a time, Israelis thought otherwise—they no longer do.

nikky5:
It is on record that the Dangote refinery has a refinery capacity of 650,000 mdd or bbd or whatever. But we are told that it has the capacity to meet our local pms demand. Nigerians including my humble self had been waiting to see the day Dangote will churn out his pms. We all were glad when eventually he did. We all had expectations too that his refined products would ameliorate the current economic challenges faced by Nigerians.
The cabals and NNPCL took over the refinery and made it a law that only NNPCL can buy PMS and sell to marketers. It is very clear that it was because of Dangote refinery that other refineries like the Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt refineries are still in comatose.
Dangote enjoys monopoly which he has enjoyed in some products like cement. Nigerians had anticipated a price reduction in the pump price of PMS but the reverse has been the case.
The independent marketers will stop at nothing to frustrate Dangote and his allies who are bent on making Nigerians go through more harrowing experience. The imported PMS will sell below Dangote's price and this is the only way Dangote will succumb and bring down his outrageous price.
It's is very glaring that the NNPCL are being used to frustrate the N70,000 minimum wage. With the importation of PMS, that may be the game changer Nigerians have been waiting for.
I may be wrong anyway. I am open to criticism. God bless you all.

There are 25 licensed modular refineries in Nigeria.
Apart from Kaduna, Warri, Port Harcourt refineries.

There are Five operational modular refineries producing diesel, kerosene, black oil and naphtha currently.

1. Waltersmith Petroman Modular Refinery in Imo State.
2. Edo Refinery in Ologbo, Edo State.
3. Duport Midstream Located in Edo State
4. OPAC Refinery in Delta State.
5. Niger Delta Petroleum Refinery (Aradel).

About ten such projects are under various stages of completion, while a handful of others have received licenses to establish.

So, how is Dangote enjoying monopoly ?

CodeTemplarr:
There is Sokoto cement, BUA cement, Elephant Cement. Dangote doesn't enjoy monopoly in cement manufacture. Stop peddling stupid lies around.

You forget to add

Lafarge Cement
Ibeto Cement
United Cement
Ashaka Cement
Niger Cement
Eagle Cement
Powermax Cement
Reagan Cement

Now, tell me how is Dangote enjoying monopoly

https://www.facebook.com/reel/741394107886511?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

The Race That First Discovered Prosperity And Wealth Is The Igbos Race - Ooni Of Ife

Breaking: Nigeria's External Reserves At Risk Due To Petrol Subsidy Removal-CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says the country’s foreign exchange reserves are at risk due to the petrol subsidy removal and lower crude oil earnings.

As of September 12, Nigeria’s external reserves stood at $36.08 billion, according to data from the CBN.

In its ‘Monetary, Credit, Foreign Trade, and Exchange Policy Guidelines for the Fiscal Years 2024-2025,’ published on Tuesday, CBN also said increased external debt servicing obligations could pose downside risks for the growth of external reserves during the period.

“Lower crude oil earnings, fuel subsidy removal, rising import bills and increased external debt servicing obligations could pose downside risks for the accretion to external reserve,” CBN said.

“In addition, the sustained monetary policy tightening by central banks across advanced economies increases the risk of capital outflow.”

Nevertheless, the financial regulator said the outlook for Nigeria’s external sector in 2024 and 2025 is optimistic, on the expectation of favourable terms of trade, occasioned by a sustained rally in crude oil prices and an improvement in domestic crude oil production.

CBN also said the positive outlook is supported by the sustenance of crude oil prices, propelled by the decision to cut production, and gains from capital flows and remittances.

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President Bola Tinubu announced the end of petrol subsidy on May 29, 2023, however, there have been reports that the federal government has restored it.

On August 19, TheCable reported that Tinubu approved a request by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to utilise the 2023 final dividends due to the federation to pay for the petrol subsidy.

On the same day, NNPC denied the return of subsidy, but it later confirmed subsidising petrol, as the company said the federal government owes it N7.8 trillion for petrol subsidy.

Two weeks later, NNPC admitted to owing suppliers of petrol, adding that it is facing financial strain due to the petrol supply costs.

Also, Agora Policy, an Abuja-based think tank, on September 1, said petrol subsidy will reach an all-time high in 2024 after gulping N4.2 trillion from January to July.

‘RISING DEBT, LOW CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION THREATENS NIGERIA’S FISCAL PERFORMANCE’

CBN said the fiscal performance is threatened by the rising debt, low crude oil production and lingering insecurity.

Also, the apex bank said while output growth is expected to maintain a positive trajectory, some risks are likely to undermine the growth outlook.

“Nigeria’s output growth is expected to maintain a positive trajectory in 2024/2025,” CBN said.

“The growth prospects are dependent on continued policy support in the agriculture and oil sectors, reforms in the foreign exchange market, and the effective implementation of the Finance Act 2023 and the 2022-2025 Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP).

“The risk to the outlook is still tilted to the downside, characterized by significant headwinds such as rising energy prices emanating from lingering effects of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the persisting security and infrastructural challenges, which could undermine the growth outlook in the short to-medium-term.

“Domestic prices are expected to remain elevated through 2024/2025, on the back of spillovers from global supply constraints, and exchange rate pass-through. More so, the persisting security and infrastructural challenges could exacerbate inflationary pressures.

“The performance of the fiscal sector is expected to remain on a positive recovery trajectory in 2024/2025. This outlook is contingent on the effective implementation of the Finance Act 2023 and restructuring of key revenue generating MDAs to boost non-oil revenue.

“However, low domestic crude oil production, growing public debt, lingering insecurity, global economic slowdown, and the Russia-Ukraine war, could pose significant downside risks to fiscal operations in the short- to medium-term.”

According to the CBN, Nigeria’s financial sector is also expected to remain resilient in 2024 and 2025.

CBN said the outlook mirrors the efforts of the apex bank in continuously monitoring emerging vulnerabilities and risks in the system, including periodic stress-tests, examination exercises, and the provision of risk mitigants.

BREAKING: 74-Year-old Winfred Schafer Set To Take Over As New Super Eagles Coach.

Following the resignation of Finidi George as Super Eagles Head Coach, the Officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have concluded plans to appoint German coach Winfred Schafer to manage the Super Eagle.

According to sources within the NFF on Monday, an agreement has been reached for Schafer to fill in the role temporarily occupied by ex-international Augustine Eguavoen.

According to report, Schafer will soon arrive Nigeria to take over the job and Eguavoen will be his Assistance.

Schäfer played 403 Bundesliga matches and scored 46 goals in the (West) German top-flight.

He won the 1970 Bundesliga title and 1970 DFB-Pokal with two different clubs – because the West German Cup final was played after the 1970 FIFA World Cup and his move from Mönchengladbach to Offenbach.

As a manager, he led Karlsruher SC to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1993–94 season.

In November 2001, Schäfer was appointed head coach of Cameroon. He won the 2002 African Cup of Nations with Cameroon, defeating Senegal 3–2 in a penalty shoot-out after a 0–0 draw in the

In 2006, he won the UAE national championship with Al-Ahli (Dubai). He worked then from 2007 to 2009 for UAE League side Al-Ain.

In late January 2021, Schäfer became the head coach of Qatar Stars League club Al-Khor to help them in a difficult situation.
Results and performance improved relatively, the team remained in the league after win 3–1 in the play-off match against Al-Shahania.
On 11 November 2021, he left Qatar after his contract was terminated.

The Archbishop of Lagos, Methodist Church Nigeria, Most Rev. Isaac Ayo Olawuyi, has described the “miracle water” and “miracle soap” saga as absolute religious madness practised within the Christian faith.

Rev. Olawuyi condemned such practices as mere fallacy while lauding the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for taking up the case, as it involves public consumption.

“Many people are just being religiously crazy,” the clergyman said in a The PUNCH interview.

“Whatever people consume and which is meant for the public should get NAFDAC’s attention and approval. There is nothing like miracle water. Even if the water comes from heaven, as long as it has to do with the health and well-being of the general masses, there is nothing miraculous about it.

“So, it should have NAFDAC’s confirmation and pass through the agency’s inspection process to ensure that it is safe for public consumption.

“There is nothing like miracle water, miracle soap, or miracle anything. It is just nonsense.

“As for the bishops that protested, that should be the case only if the water is meant solely for their family members.

“There won’t be a problem with that because you can drink whatever you want and harm yourself in any way through it. But if the so-called spiritual item is subject to public use and members of the public are patronizing it, I think NAFDAC should not hesitate to inspect the item and where it is being produced to confirm its suitability for public use, even if it is called a miracle something.”

Rev. Olawuyi further appealed to the general public to rally behind NAFDAC’s efforts to unravel the mystery behind the so-called ‘miracle water’ and ‘miracle soap’.

“Let the factory producing the so-called spiritual item be licensed and the items produced confirmed safe for human consumption. So, those saying such things shouldn’t happen because it is spiritually related are simply talking rubbish.

“Let everybody allow NAFDAC to do their job, and after the agency has confirmed it, they can go ahead and call it all kinds of miracle items,” he added.

Miracle Competes With Medicine As Nigerians Dump Hospitals For Healing Water, Soap

SODIQ OJUROUNGBE examines how many Nigerians with health issues are abandoning conventional medicine for miracle cures and spiritual healing.
From miracle water to divine intervention, they seek help in error

Ibrahim Adeogun’s unfortunate death two years ago still leaves severe emotional pain in the hearts of his loved ones.

His family still believes their son could have been alive if his fiancee, Mary had not reportedly taken him to a church for healing and made him abandon his medication.

Adeogun’s life took a sudden and dramatic turn one Tuesday evening when he reportedly collapsed and was rushed to a hospital in the Oremeta area of Agbado in Ogun State.

Adeogun, a painter who is in his early 30s was diagnosed with high blood pressure, a silent killer that had been lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.

After spending several days in the hospital, Adeogun was discharged with a stern warning from his doctor; stick to the medication, avoid salty foods, and return for regular check-ups.

But Mary had other plans. Believing that divine intervention was the key to Adeogun’s recovery, she turned to her pastor for help.

The pastor’s solution was simple: a bottle of ‘miracle healing water’ that would cure Adeogun’s high blood pressure once and for all.

With renewed fervour, Mary replaced Adeogun’s medical regimen with the pastor’s miracle water. Hospital visits were replaced by church services, and the doctor’s instructions were cast aside in favour of faith.

Adeogun, despite his reservations, followed Mary’s lead, consuming the water daily and immersing himself in spiritual practices.

Months passed, and while Mary’s faith remained unshaken, Adeogun’s health deteriorated. His blood pressure climbed to dangerous levels, and his physical strength waned. Mary clung to the belief that their faith would triumph over the medical concerns, but the reality of Adeogun’s worsening condition could not be ignored.

It wasn’t until Adeogun’s condition became critical that the pastor faced the harsh truth. With urgency and regret, he urged Mary to take Adeogun back to the hospital. The realisation came too late. As the ambulance raced through the streets, Adeogun’s body was already in the throes of failure, his organs giving in to the relentless strain.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, it was clear that the damage was irreversible. Adeogun’s body had succumbed to unchecked high blood pressure, and despite the frantic efforts of the medical staff, he could not be saved.

Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise, Adeogun’s sister, Kafayat insisted that his brother died due to negligence and continuous patronage of some spiritual healers rather than visiting the hospital.

“What happened to my brother has a medical solution. Blood Pressure is hereditary for us because I also have it, but his fiancee decided to ghost us and feed him with healing water and continue to take him to church rather than hospital.

“In fact, on the day he died, he was at the church, it was when they discovered that the ailment had become worse and they may end up losing him that they took him to the hospital.

“We were all at the hospital when a doctor told him what he should be doing to avoid a rise in his blood pressure. We expected his fiancee to support him and encourage regular check-ups, but, unfortunately, she took my brother to church, and his life was cut short,” she expressed in Yoruba.

Kafayat lamented that his dead brother was the breadwinner of the family and since his death, they have not been able to recover from the loss.

She stated, “My brother was supportive and his loss was a big blow to us. We are unable to move on, especially for the fact that what led to his death could have been prevented. A lot of people have high blood pressure and they don’t end up dying, so, it is painful that he died of something that can be medically managed.”

Adeogun’s tragic loss was just one of many cases in a growing trend where people are increasingly abandoning hospitals and medical treatments in favour of unproven remedies, such as healing water and divine intervention.

It was discovered that this was not limited to rural areas or the uneducated, even in urban centres, educated Nigerians were seeking miracle cures, often with devastating consequences.

In a country where access to quality healthcare is limited, findings by PUNCH Healthwise revealed that many people turned to traditional or spiritual remedies out of desperation.

In Nigeria, the phenomenon of miracle healing water and other fake spiritual remedies has become a lucrative business. Self-proclaimed prophets, pastors, and traditional healers claim to possess divine powers to heal any ailment, from cancer to HIV/AIDS, using “holy” water, oils, or powders.

These charlatans prey on vulnerable patients, often those who have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses or have exhausted conventional treatment options. They promise instant cures, claiming their remedies are divinely ordained and scientifically proven.

However, these remedies are often nothing more than tap water, vegetable oil, or powdered herbs, sold at exorbitant prices.

In some cases, they may contain harmful substances that can worsen the patient’s condition or interact with prescribed medications.

PUNCH Healthwise observed that the false promises of these miracle healers make patients abandon conventional treatment, causing them to present late at hospitals with advanced stages of their illnesses.

This shift towards spiritual and miracle-based remedies, despite the availability of conventional medical treatments, raises significant concerns about healthcare practices and beliefs in the country.

Another avoidable death

A medical doctor identified as Evelyn, shared a troubling perspective on how faith healers can adversely impact patient care, shedding light on a controversial issue within the medical community.

While in medical school, Evelyn said she was perplexed by the hostility some professors, especially surgeons, exhibited toward religious leaders.

“I used to find it strange how the professors hated pastors,” she recalled.

However, her experiences in the field of medicine soon clarified their disdain.

Her first encounter with the detrimental effects of faith-based healing was with a 50-year-old woman diagnosed with breast cancer.

Evelyn recounted the tragic story saying, “The woman, aware of her worsening condition, sought spiritual intervention rather than medical treatment. She was moved into a church compound by a pastor, who instructed her to stay there for eight months while her cancer advanced untreated.

“By the time the woman’s family could no longer afford the “miracle offerings” demanded by the pastor, the cancer had metastasised to her spine, causing paralysis and severe infections. Ultimately, she was asked to leave the church and seek medical attention at a hospital. Sadly, she died a few weeks later.”

Evelyn noted that faith healers and traditional medical fraudsters can sometimes hinder proper medical treatment, leading to preventable deaths.

The medical doctor argued that this contributes to the country’s poor cancer survival rates and raises questions about the efficacy of modern miracles.

“In all my years as a doctor, I have never seen a single patient with a terminal disease get healed by a pastor,” she asserted.

The allure of miracle cures

The attraction of miracle cures, such as healing waters and spiritual interventions, lies in their promise of instant and divine relief.

For many, these remedies offer hope where conventional medicine seems slow or ineffective.

In a country where the healthcare system is often strained, and the cost of medical care can be prohibitive, the appeal of a quick, cost-free solution becomes even more compelling.

PUNCH Healthwise observed that pastor-led churches and spiritual healing centres have become increasingly popular, with numerous testimonials claiming miraculous recoveries from various ailments.

It was discovered that these places often provide an accessible and affordable alternative to the sometimes inaccessible or expensive conventional healthcare system.

The blend of faith and the promise of divine intervention creates a potent mix that draws in individuals desperate for a solution.

Recently, there have been reported cases of faith-based organisations selling miracle water, oil, and soap, among others to their members as remedies for some of their chronic diseases.

One such is Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin whose “miracle” water and soap recently generated widespread attention.

Fufeyin, leader of Christ MercyLand Delivery Ministries in Delta State, has been promoting these products, claiming they can heal barrenness and guarantee women will bear twins.

But the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control came out to caution Nigerians against patronising the “miracle” water, soap, perfumes, and other products being advertised and sold by the prophet.

The agency’s director general, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said the products were not registered with NAFDAC.

Even after NAFDAC had warned Nigerians against using such unapproved remedies, findings by PUNCH Healthwise showed that many still rely on them as solutions to their medical challenges Contributes to high mortality

Experts, however, maintained that seeking miracle healing rather than going to hospitals worsens the ailment and leads to more complications.

Some of the medical experts lamented that by the time many of the cases are presented in the hospital, it had become worse and that only takes grace for them to be able to resolve.

According to them, the consequences of abandoning medical treatment for miracle healing water and other spiritual remedies are dire.

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has prophesied that there would be a fight between President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Ayodele said the fight with Shettima would cause political problems for Tinubu.

In a video on his X page, the popular prophet also prophesied that a fight would break out between Tinubu and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Ayodele said: “Tinubu and Shettima will fight and that will cause a political problem for the President. Also, Akpabio and Tinubu will fight because Ganduje is going; these are the things that would cause problems for the APC.”

Primate Ayodele also noted that some northerners Tinubu depended on would attempt to betray him.

He further prophesied that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike would be used to destroy the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

“On the part of the PDP, they would use Wike to destroy the party, I see that some governors will leave. From 2025 you will see what will happen because a lot of people Tinubu depends on in the North want to stab him due to his decision to run for a second term,” he added.

GreatOchuks:
Oga leave that thing, no one is hating , he only asked you to point at Obi's legacy projects during his 8 years tenure as Governor in Anambra ..... Shouldn't that be very easy for you seeing that he is widely believed to have executed so many wonderful projects .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKGYHEG2cGQ?si=sBAfDDNo2EOmzTt0

Peter Obi is truly the Man that Nigerians needs

Fuel Scarcity: Hawkers Sell Cheaper Than Filling Stations — Investigation.

Petrol price hike unavoidable, eases subsidy burden – Stakeholders

Nigerians have not seen the last of the current petrol scarcity in the country as some funny developments have continued to emerge by the day.

The most amusing one presently is that fuel is now sold cheaper by hawkers when compared to the pump price at filling stations.

Vanguard investigation revealed that fuel is sold at #1,000 per litre by hawkers along Mile 2-Apapa expressway as against #1,070 and more at most filling stations controlled by independent marketers.
Apart from major distributors like Mobil, Total, Ardova Plc (formerly Forte oil), MRS, and Eternal filling stations, other are dispensing petrol at between #1,070 to #1,400 per litre.

Vanguard investigations further showed that while fuel might not be available at some filling stations, motorists could easily find any quantity to buy from the nearby hawkers displaying the product mostly in white gallons.

Investigations revealed that these hawkers never run out of product and they are sure of constant supply from tanker drivers at night who give them the fuel at give-away prices.

Although the hawkers were not ready to disclose their source of procurement, some people also doing business in the area said that the tanker drivers supplied the fuel to the boys without minding the loss to the owners of the product.

“My brother, you need to come around here at night when this lucrative business is going on and the kind of money that exchanges hands.

“I’m even considering joining them but I doubt if they would sell to me.
The business is coded.
“The drivers know their customers and they do not hesitate selling to them,” a young man who wouldn’t like to be identified told Vanguard.

Meanwhile, a young man who told our reporter that he was rescued a few days ago, when he ran out of fuel by the hawkers described them as God-sent.

“I ran out of fuel in the traffic along Mile-2 expressway and only God knows what would have happened to me if these hawkers were not there to sell petrol,” he said.

The man further said, “My car dashboard showed the amber light from Lekki, my place of work and I was looking out for a place to top my fuel but couldn’t find any on the road. “The car finally stopped around Mile-2 at 8:30pm in traffic.
I had no option than to patronize the hawkers who graciously sold petrol to me at #1,000 per litre. In fact I was ready to pay more for it, given how urgent I needed it.

“Maybe, I would have been attacked by hoodlums if not for the intervention of the hawkers who came handy with the product.”

The situation has become so critical that most motorists see the fuel by the hawkers as the last option and would target to buy form them at anytime of the day or night.

Some buyers who patronize these petrol sellers confirmed that apart from the competitive pricing, the petrol sold by the hawkers is of the same quality with what is available at the filling stations.

All kind of cars, including exotic ones buy petrol from these hawkers.

A bus driver who would not like his name mentioned said that since the scarcity started few weeks ago, he had never visited a filling station.

He said: “I can’t stand the queue. I rather buy the fuel at the same price or even cheaper from the hawkers than to queue up at the filling stations for many hours. Even at that, which filling station sells fuel twice a week in Lagos?”

As it stands now, Nigerians and indeed motorists are at the mercy of filling stations. Unlike in those days when filling stations would canvass for motorists to drive in and buy from their stations and even offered complimentary services like cleaning your windscreen, and giving drivers tips on how to keep their engine running among other offers.

Meanwhile, a trailer driver who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity said that he was aware of deals by some drivers and their motor boys but declared that he would never join in the fraud.

It is a common sight to see the hawkers during the day and late night siting on the pavement in between the the expressway waiting for some motorists to run out of fuel. The line stretches from Mile 2 to Apapa Wharf everyday.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/09/fuel-scarcity-hawkers-sell-cheaper-than-filling-stations-investigation/

PlayMaker14:
If this was Peter Obi, BATIST will wail over the thread calling him "walkabout" looking for attention...

Now, see their incompetent Buffon globetrotting while his country is in disarray.


A drug lord for a reason. 😊

The basic truth of the matter is that he is busy junketing from one country to another trafficking drugs

DevilsEqual:
Obi is useless
A nonsensical human with zero value to his immediate environment, even as a leader

Sorry for your life.
Obi is a billionaire while you are poor like church rat ranting every day on nairaland

The Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr Mike Okonkwo has called on President Bola Tinubu to cut down on the excesses in his government.

Dr Okonkwo also called on President Tinubu to have empathy with the masses, while stressing that the recent hike in the pump price of petrol from about N600 per litre to N855 and above is challenging for Nigerians.

Bishop Okonkwo made the call on Thursday in Lagos State at the 23rd edition of Mike Okonkwo’s Annual lecture, which is part of events to celebrate his 79th birthday anniversary.

Prizes were presented to the winners who emerged in the 2024 Bishop Mike Okonkwo Annual Essay Competition for Nigerian Secondary Schools at the event.

Okonkwo specifically urged members of the National Assembly, the 36 State Governors in Nigeria, as well as other public officials at all tiers of government to have empathy for Nigerians, especially the masses.

He noted that many Nigerians are having challenging times having been plunged into excruciating poverty and penury, adding that the government must initiate policies and programmes to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.

He stated that the Tinubu administration inherited a bad economy but called for cutting down the cost of governance by all tiers of government.

The revered cleric warned that it would be difficult to convince people to understand the bad national economy when public officials are being profligate and living luxurious lifestyles.

“The hike in pump price is a challenging period because it appears everything is going higher and higher. As I often say, the present administration, unfortunately, inherited a terrible thing on the ground and people should not expect overnight change. It is not going to change overnight.

“What they inherited, if the truth is to be told, is a very poor economy. The economy was already on the floor before they took off.

“But the challenge Nigerians are facing is that the government should be seen to have empathy with the masses through the way, they have to cut down on their excesses. You cannot be telling Nigerians, ‘O things are hard’ and fuel prices are increasing, electricity cost is increasing, everything is increasing, and then you are enjoying luxury. So it will be difficult to reconcile it. That is the problem we are facing!

“My advice is that the government should be seen to cut down the cost of governance so that Nigerians can agree with them. Otherwise, it will be challenging to agree with whatever they are saying because whatever they are saying is contrary to their lifestyle.”

He urged the federal government to convince the organised labour not to embark on strike again, through good governance, delivery of dividends of democracy and prudency in management of public resources.

He also admonished Nigerians to continue to believe in God for a better Nigeria, adding that they must be godly and avoid untoward behaviours.

“On labour, that is what I am saying, that it is a complex situation. If the government is saying to labour, you should not go on strike, then show them, let there be a sign that you are also willing to cut down (cost of governance).

“You are not willing to cut down the cost of governance and you are telling labour to accept the situation the way it is. It will be difficult. It will be tough for anyone to accept that,” Okonkwo said.

Meanwhile, former Attorney-General of the Federation and former Minister of Justice, Kanu Godwin Agabi (SAN), who spoke at the event, warned that efforts at a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s Constitution can only lead to disaster.

Delivering the lecture titled: Nigeria’s Pathways: Diagnosis and the Prescriptions,’ Agabi also said that people should be mindful that it was not easy to agree on the Constitution even as it is.

He added that even as it is, the Constitution meets the needs of the nation if its interpretation is approached with honesty and imagination.

Agabi said: “We must be reconciled to the fact that there is in existence a binding Constitution. To dismiss the Constitution as a product of the military is unrealistic. Lack of respect for the Constitution has played a significant role in our downfall.
Those who gave us the Constitution were under no illusion that it was a perfect document.

“The constitution is an evolving document. It is prepared for all generations. And so every generation will have the opportunity to amend it to suit its own needs. Let us do what we can now and not worry too much about the future. At the same time, we must acknowledge that some responsibility for the defects in our polity lies in the constitution itself.

“Our Constitution envisages a strong national government. Unless the national government is strong, the nation will disintegrate. In all its provisions, the Constitution looks to an indivisible and indestructible nation.

“We may restructure or rearrange the nation as we please but its integrity as such must be protected and preserved. A bad Constitution, assuming that our constitution is bad, is better than none at all.”

In an interview with journalists, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, also urged President Tinubu to close the nation’s borders and encourage indigenous production of goods and services.

He said: “We should unite, we should be self-reliant, we should be transparent, we should love one another. If we do that, we are good people. Firstly, we must unite, and remove all these boundaries and divisions.

“We are having fuel scarcity and hardship today in the country because we are running a government of patronage. People are waiting to be patronized and because of that patronage, we do not pay too much attention to elections.

“We must pay attention to elections: House of Assembly, Senate, Councillors, everything.
We should stop the government's patronage, just patronizing people!

“I do not know what policies and programmes President Bola Tinubu has in place because there is a price to be paid for growth. Maybe we are paying that price. The price will be paid. For instance, if we say shut the borders, stop importing things, and all others. Look at some of the cars being driven in the country, look at how big and fat they are, for a nation that is producing nothing.

“If we shut the borders, all this type of thing will not come in. The first thing this nation must do for Nigerians to use their hands is to stop the importation of things.

“If I were Mr. President, I would shut the borders. If you shut all the borders, you must immediately start producing. If you shoot the borders and you are not importing rice, you have to produce rice. That is what we must do. The first thing the nation should do is to shut the borders, stop imports.”

Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Atedo Peterside, in an interview with journalists called on the federal government to ensure that there is a proper and good arrangement for its cash transfer for the vulnerable.

Peterside, who is the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, stated that there must be verifiable data for the government’s social safety net programme.

He said: “The people that I am particularly worried about in this country are the poorest of the poor and we do not even have any proper arrangement for identifying them and doing cash transfers to them. Instead, what happens is that some authorities, or some ministries or some agencies collect money on their behalf and dispense it to whoever they want and whoever they like. It is not even transparent!

“So it is important to get people to buy into the reform of the economy where you have no proper arrangements to provide some minimal safety net for the poorest of the poor.

“I pray that we all see the kind of change that the guest speaker was referring to. That is the Nigeria of our dreams. It is not the one based on corruption, theft and other vices.”

The finance guru called for transparent elections, adding that people must eschew bad conduct.

He said: “You cannot use bad behaviour to correct bad behaviour. Then you are as bad as the person you are correcting.

“If in an election you are my opponent and you are changing figures, hiring thugs and beating up voters, if I do the same to beat you, then what have I achieved? We are back to square one.

“Perhaps also the change that will come is only deserved when the majority of Nigerians decide that there has to be some sort of overall cleansing and get into government not for what they can get, not to favour themselves and the narrow clique but to really commit themselves to doing the best for the generality of Nigerians.”

Some bigots from one part of this country will find a way to blame Peter Obi and Igbos for the problem in the North