Headline

Buhari Weak In Managing Nigeria’s Economy, Governance – Report

Published

3 years ago

November 14, 2022

Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari has performed poorly in governance, economic and political transformation, according to the BTI 2022 Country Report.

The Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) measures the development status and governance of political and economic transformation processes in developing and transition countries.

Founded in 1977, the report is published biennially by Bertelsmann Stiftung, an independent establishment based in Gütersloh, Germany.

More than 250 experts from leading academic institutions and civil society organizations worldwide assessed 137 nations.

Nigeria is 108th overall: 86th spot for political transformation, 113th for economic transformation, and 99th for governance index.

The 31-page report warns that under “the weak leadership” of President Buhari, dangers in all political fields will persist and continue to shape the system.

It said after the lawsuits against the 2019 presidential and gubernatorial election results were dismissed, Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) consolidated power but have failed to meet expectations.

Noting that the last presidential election “was seriously flawed”, BTI said Buhari’s poor performance in his first term “continued and even worsened”.

The body criticized the President’s COVID-19 policies, as well as “his inability to professionalize the military in its campaign against the Islamist insurgency”.

The report said the military suffered repeated setbacks and faced new challenges in central Nigeria and in the northwest.

“Hundreds of people have been killed by organized criminal gangs involved in cattle rustling, looting villages and kidnapping for ransom.

“The increase in violence and crime indicates that endemic corruption has reached new heights, and the militarization of state and society is increasing,” it observed.

BTI said the Buhari administration’s “only halfheartedly pursued anti-corruption campaign did not yield any significant results”.

In the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released annually by Transparency International (TI), Nigeria is currently placed 149 out of 180 countries evaluated.

BTI recalled how the peaceful End SARS protests against police brutality and the government “were hijacked by hoodlums and criminals” and “turned into mayhem”.

The experts found violence throughout northern Nigeria increased again and continues to claim jihadists, security forces and civilians.

“The multidimensional violent conflict with various groups of insurgents has spread fast to the border areas of the neighboring states.”

BTI said people in southern Nigeria remain in the sphere of influence of border conflict, piracy, kidnapping and robbery.

The report decried the authorities’ incoherent policy to bring succor to millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

It stressed that judging by the attitude, “the international community will have to assume responsibility for these IDPs”.

The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria heightened over the past few months due to flooding, partly caused by climate change.

In its updated November 2022 report, the United Nations (UN) indicated that more than 3.2 million people are affected, amid food crisis fears.

There were over 600 fatalities, and 1.4 million people displaced, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Also, about 14,000 people have been affected by cholera in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) States since January, with 443 deaths.

The UN says the flooding increases risk of waterborne diseases, and while 4.1 million people face severe food insecurity, 1.74 million children may suffer from malnutrition this year.
DAILY POST

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”