Africa Business Radio

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly investigate allegations of systemic mismanagement of security votes by state governors since 1999. The SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, says the organisation said anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate.

The 11 electricity Distribution Companies in Nigeria have responded to allegations that they, manufacture figures in a bid to bill customers who are still operating on the estimated billing platform. The Executive Director for Research and Advocacy, Sunday Oduntan, explained that contrary to misinformation concerning the nature and purpose of revenue targets Discos give their staff, such targets were usually set based on what customers consumed. The Discos argued that the allegation that marketers were given revenue targets in their quest to meet targets that supposedly lead to extortion of customers, giving them bills that do not reflect their electricity consumption, was not correct.

The Presidency has denied reports suggesting that the executive and legislative arm of government might be at loggerheads following an episode on Friday at the State House during the signing of the 2022 Budget and Finance Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari. The spokesman for the President, Garba Shehu, says the president and the parliament have not fallen out. He says President Buhari frowned at a couple of things including “reduction in the provisions for many strategic capital projects to introduce ‘Empowerment Projects. Mr Shehu says there is no rift between President Buhari and the National Assembly, adding that both arms of government are working amicably for the good of the nation.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume has asked the Federal Government to name and arrest those that finance terrorism in the country. Ndume says he was prosecuted by the Federal Government for sponsoring Boko Haram. He noted that his offence was because the Department of State Services tracked a phone and uncovered a call made by the spokesman of the insurgents. He also criticised security agencies for not doing a proper investigation before subjecting him to public ridicule.

The United States has cut Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea out of a duty-free trade programme over alleged human rights violations and recent coups. The US Trade Representative says it terminated the three countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act due to actions taken by each of their governments in violation of the AGOA Statute. It says the US was deeply concerned by the gross violations of internationally recognised human rights being perpetrated by the government of Ethiopia and other parties amid the widening conflict in northern Ethiopia as well as by the unconstitutional change in governments in both Guinea and Mali.

Vietnam’s trade ministry has asked China’s Guangxi authorities to take urgent measures to ease congestion at border crossings after China stepped up its border controls with neighbours to follow zero COVID-19 policies. State-run Vietnam News Agency says Anti-virus prevention measures that Guangxi is applying under the ‘zero COVID’ policies, including closing border gates or stopping fruit imports, are over necessary. Guangxi trade officials said they would increase the duration of customs clearance and pass along other proposals to higher authorities.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has promised to use his last months in office to push for a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea, despite Pyongyang’s silence on his efforts to secure a declaration of peace between the two countries. Moon says the government will pursue normalisation of inter-Korean relations and an irreversible path to peace until the end and hope efforts for dialogue will continue in the next administration too. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un focussed on jump-starting the economy and improving people’s lives.

Twitter says it has permanently suspended the personal account of outspoken Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for violating the platform’s Covid-19 misinformation policy. Twitter says it was shutting down Greene’s personal account — @mtgreenee — for repeated violations of its Covid misinformation policy. She still has access to her official Twitter handle, which is @RepMTG. Twitter in a statement says they have been clear that, per strike system for this policy, they will permanently suspend accounts for repeated violations of the policy.

The White House in a statement says US President Joe Biden reassured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Washington and its allies will respond decisively if Russia moves to invade its pro-Western neighbour. White House spokeswoman Jen Psakiin in a statement says President Biden made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine. Biden and Zelenskyy discussed preparations for a series of upcoming diplomatic meetings to address the crisis. Zelenskyy tweeted afterwards that he appreciated the United States unwavering support and that the call proves the special nature of the two countries relationship.

South Africa says its latest coronavirus wave has peaked without a surge in deaths or hospitalisations, enabling the country to lift a nightly curfew for the first time in 21 months. A minister in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office Mondli Gungubele, says according to experts, Omicron has reached the peak with clinical manifestations that have not caused any alarm in the hospital situation. The minister cautioned that they will monitor the situation on an hour-by-hour basis and if need be reinstate curfew. Gungubele says the government of Africa’s most advanced but battered economy took the action to try to balance between livelihoods and saving lives.

A man has been arrested after a large fire severely damaged the Houses of Parliament in the South African city of Cape Town. A police spokesperson said the man was facing charges of arson, housebreaking and theft, and would appear in court on Tuesday. President Cyril Ramaphosa called it a terrible and devastating event as he vowed parliament's work would continue. The parliament is not currently in session because of the holidays, and no injuries were reported. Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo says the suspect is also expected to be charged under the National Key Points Act, which protects sites of strategic importance.

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has resigned after another day of mass protests rocked the capital Khartoum. Thousands marched against a recent deal he had done to share power with the army, who staged a coup in October. Mr Hamdok's decision to quit leaves the army in full control. It is another blow to Sudan's fragile attempts at a transition to democratic rule after a popular uprising led to the overthrow of Sudan's long-term authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Mr Hamdok says the country was at a dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival. He says he had tried his best to stop the country from sliding towards disaster", but that despite everything that has been done to reach a consensus it has not happened.

The Coalition of Northern Groups said it was ridiculous for Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State to ask hungry and angry people of the state to defend themselves against the marauding bandits terrorising the state. Masari asked residents of the state to acquire weapons and defend themselves against bandits and kidnappers. The North-west Coordinator of the Coalition, Jamilu Aliyu, revealed that the state has 438,808 unemployed people with a poverty rate of about 80 per cent. Aliyu noted that the unemployment rate in the state was a looming danger resulting from the failure of leadership. He added that acquiring weapons by citizens in the name of self-defence would increase bandits’ cells and lead to greater instability and deepen insecurity in the state.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, assured Lagosians that 2022 would be a year of consolidation, promising that his administration would complete some of the landmark projects that the state had embarked on. Sanwo-Olu says his administration would complete the Imota Rice Mill, the 37km Red and 27.5km Blue Line Rail projects, 18.75km Eleko to T-Junction in Epe, a section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and other ongoing iconic projects in the State. He said his administration was committed to completing ongoing projects, ensuring the rule of law, transforming the state into a 21st-century economy and significantly advancing his government’s journey towards the Greater Lagos of the collective desire of the people.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa has asked all those still involved in the illicit drug business to turn over a new leaf or risk losing their freedom and assets in the new year. The anti-drug boss says the NDLEA and its workforce are moving into 2022 with a resolution to rid the country of illicit substances and to continue our aggressive pursuit of drug cartels, barons and traffickers anywhere they may be within the country or even outside.” Marwa says there is still a window of opportunity for drug traffickers and barons.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the shutdown of illegal crude oil refining sites in the state with immediate effect. The governor directed council chairmen and community leaders to report those behind illegal bunkering and crude oil refining sites in their localities to his office for prosecution. Wike stated that the move has become necessary to contain the menace of soot pollution which has continued to endanger public health in the state. He lamented that despite bringing the issue to the attention of the Federal Government on numerous occasions, nothing has been done to address the situation

The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu, says President Muhammadu Buhari will not hamper the implementation of the 2022 budget despite the numerous changes made by the National Assembly. The presidential spokesman dismissed reports of a crisis between his principal and the federal lawmakers. He noted that while it is true that the President expressed disagreement with these and many of the other alterations, including the reduction in the provisions for many strategic capital projects to introduce Empowerment Projects, innumerable lies are being spread about the President being angry at, had blasted or lashed out at the Parliament.

Seychelles took a step forward toward introducing electronic biometric passports after signing a contract with the French company IN Groupe.The contract was signed by the Minister for Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, and the Vice-President for Internal Sales of IN Groupe, Walter Groppi.Fonseka says that the introduction of an electronic biometric passport in Seychelles is expected to raise the level of security at borders.Fonseka says it will help in ensuring visitors and ourselves, movement of people through our border is enhanced, is faster and sleeker, but above all the security element of the biometric passport allows us to enhance our border control

China will impose new restrictions on offshore listings by firms in sectors that are off-limits to foreign investment, a move that could plug a loophole long used by the country’s technology industry to raise capital overseas.the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce in a statement says Chinese firms in industries banned from foreign investment will need to seek a waiver from a negative list before proceeding for share sales, .Overseas investors in such companies would be forbidden from participating in management and their total ownership would be capped at 30%, with a single investor holding no more than 10%, according to the updated list effective Jan. 1.

President Joe Biden has signed into law a $777.7bn US annual military budget weeks after Congress overwhelmingly passed the bill amid protests from progressives and anti-war groups who had advocated for cutting military spending.The White House announced that Biden signed the piece of legislation, formally known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), on Monday, noting that the bill includes a pay increase for the US armed forces.The US Senate passed the bill in an 89-10 vote on December 15, days after the House of Representatives had approved it in a vote of 363-70.The White House expressed gratitude for the leading members of the armed services panels in the House and the Senate from both major parties. Congress allocated about $24bn more than the Biden administration had requested for the military.