Newscast - Africa

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo expressed worry about judicial interventions in election matters, concurring with rising calls for an interrogation of the role of the judiciary, especially, the Supreme Court, in electoral issues, specifically, whether it has not been exceeding its remits.
The vice president says legal interpretation must always bow to the wish of the people, citing what he viewed as the unfortunate outcome of the 2019 elections in Zamfara State.
Osinbajo insisted that appropriate interpretation of the law should always bow to the will of the electorate because the idea of democracy was for the people to determine their leaders.

FMDQ Securities Exchange Ltd. has announced the listing of the Federal Government of Nigeria's $4 billion dollars Eurobonds under its global medium-term note programme on its platform.
The listings are 6.12 per cent $1.25 billion September 2028; 7.37 per cent 1.50 billion dollars September 2033 and 8.25 per cent 1.25 billion dollars September 2051.
It says that the listing of the foreign currency-denominated debt securities was another commendable feat for the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Debt Management Office.
The statement says the transaction demonstrated the government's unrelenting commitment to supporting the development of the nation's debt capital markets toward sustainable economic development.

The United States is offering up to $10m for information leading to the location or identification of Sanaullah Ghafari, the leader of the Afghanistan affiliate of ISIL.
The reward offered by the US State Department also covers any information that could lead to the arrest of individuals responsible for last year’s deadly bombing at Kabul airport, which was claimed by the ISIL group in Khorasan Province, ISKP.
The August 2021 attack in the Afghan capital, which killed 170 Afghan civilians and 13 US service personnel, came amid the US’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Ghafari was appointed head of ISKP in June 2020, according to the US State Department, and was responsible for approving all ISKP operations throughout Afghanistan and for raising funds for the group.

The United States and Japan are set to announce a deal to grant Japanese steelmakers relief from Trump-era U.S. tariffs for a limited amount of steel imports.
The source says the deal differs from one announced last year by the United States and the European Union.
The source added that, unlike the EU deal, past steel product exclusions from tariffs will not be added to Japan’s quota, and Japan will not participate in U.S.-EU talks on a global agreement to discourage trade in steel made with high carbon emissions.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has lifted an almost two-year curfew affecting motorcycle taxis popularly known as boda bodas.
The president says criminal elements who were using this form of transport would be tracked down using digital tools.
President Museveni says boda boda operators should resume work and contribute to their household incomes
The long-running curfew had been criticised with people calling for the operators to be allowed to earn a living.

Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has responded to criticism over his daughter, Violet, being appointed to a position at Malawi's High Commission in London.
He has been accused of nepotism, but he told the BBC that her appointment as first secretary responsible for investments had nothing to do with him.
He added that out of his four children she is the only one to hold an official position.
He suggested that the complaints about the appointment were being pushed for political reasons.

The World Health Organization and the Commonwealth of Nations issued a joint plea for vulnerable small states to get better access to Covid jabs to help revive their economies.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Commonwealth head Patricia Scotland met at the UN health agency’s headquarters in Geneva to sign an agreement focused on ending the pandemic and combating vaccine inequity.
Tedros says that so far, 42 per cent of Commonwealth citizens had been fully vaccinated — but only 23 per cent across its African member states.

The Nigerian government revealed some of the actions it is taking under the radar regarding the allegations against a police officer, Abba Kyari, and suspected fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami says the top of these actions is the collaboration with the United States government to ensure justice is served.
He says it is an issue that has both national and international dimensions and in respect of the two, actions are being taken; it is a work in progress locally and internationally and we are doing whatever it takes to ensure justice is done within the context of the law, regardless of the personalities involved.

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has denied plans to declare his presidential ambition after the All Progressives Congress Convention slated for February 26.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, described the report as false and speculative.
Akande says any information on the Vice President’s action would come directly from his office and not the press.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said the law will take its course in the cases involving separatist leaders Sunday Adeyemo popularly called Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu.
Malami says the Federal Government will not interfere in Igboho’s travails in the Benin Republic.
He says they will allow the law of the nation that was indeed breached to take its natural course and perhaps, maybe thereafter bring him back home after the conclusion of the trial over there for the purpose of facing the Nigerian law that was accordingly breached.