Newscast - Africa

Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi and presidential aspirant say Nigeria’s biggest problem is leadership failure.
He says Nigeria has experienced a cumulative effect of leadership failure over the years.
He says Nigerians want a leader who is competent and capable to start tackling the innermost problems affecting the country, starting from the issue of cohesion and unity.
Obi says he doesn’t believe in the idea of the first hundred days but rather he believes that issues should be tackled as quickly as possible.

The US State Department has approved the potential sale to Taiwan of equipment, training and other services worth $95m to support the island’s defence in what would be the third arms package since President Joe Biden took office a year ago.
The approval covers the training, planning, fielding, deployment, operation, maintenance and sustainment of the Patriot Air Defense System and associated equipment.
It says this proposed sale serves US national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive capability.

The United States Congress voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of Russian oil, ratcheting up the US response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities by Russian forces.
The measures now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. Action by the House of Representatives came quickly after the Senate approved the two bills with unanimous 100-0 votes on Thursday.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says the legislation strengthens Biden’s hand in applying new trade penalties to Russian goods and puts the president’s ban on energy imports into law, signalling it will likely stay in place until well after any end to the war in Ukraine.

Japan’s industry minister says the country plans to reduce Russian imports of the fuel gradually while looking for alternative suppliers in the wake of sanctions against Moscow.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters that Japan will aim over time to end coal imports from Russia, the country’s second-biggest supplier of thermal coal in 2021.
Hagiuda says finding immediate alternative suppliers would be difficult.
Hagiuda says they would need to find alternative suppliers or we would face difficulties securing domestic coal which could lead to power outage.

The UN General Assembly voted to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine.
Of the 193 members of the assembly, 93 voted in favour of suspension while 24 voted against and 58 abstained, suggesting weakening international unity against Russia.
It was the second-ever suspension of a country from the council. Libya was the first, in 2011.

The World Health Organization has warned that non-communicable diseases, or diseases that are not transmitted directly from one person to another, are said to be on the rise in Africa as climate change continues to pose a big threat to health in the region.
The WHO has called for sensible steps to curb the use of fossil fuels responsible for most of the harmful emissions that are linked to acute and chronic sickness.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa says non-communicable diseases are set to overtake communicable diseases, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional conditions combined, to become the leading cause of death by 2030.

Malawi’s Government says it will not be pushed to hike fuel pump prices in the country.
Minister of information Gospel Kazako however says that the reason why fuel prices have not been adjusted upwards is that there are other critical issues to be considered first.
Kazako says that the hike will not be because other sections of the public have made recommendations.
Energy minister Ibrahim Matola said Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority will announce the fuel prices at an appropriate time.

Nigerian authorities have issued new guidelines for trials of persons charged with terrorism in the federal high court.
The measures include a ban on media coverage of court proceedings unless ordered by the trial judge.
Only judges, lawyers and parties to a case are to be allowed into courtrooms.
Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, the chief judge of the federal high court, gave the new directions to ensure security and safety.
It said that any person who violates the guidelines shall be deemed to have committed an offence contrary to the country’s anti-terrorism law.

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission are set to reveal the revenue allocation formula with the reduction of the allocation to the federal government by 3.3 per cent while the allocation to the 36 states and the 774 local government councils would be increased by 3.07 per cent and 0.44 per cent respectively.
President Muhammadu Buhari stressed that for the nation to have a lasting review of the present revenue allocation formula, there must first be an agreement on the responsibilities to be carried out by all the tiers of Government.
He noted that the proposal seeks a 3.33% reduction in the current federal government’s allocation and on the other hand an increase of 3.07 per cent and 0.44 per cent for the states and local governments on the other hand.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved Executive Order 11 on National Public Buildings Maintenance.
President Buhari directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government to set up maintenance departments, in line with the provisions of the new Executive Order.
The President presided over the Council meeting attended by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.