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Nigeria: President Tinubu’s cousin, opposition party member get top ministries as portfolios assigned

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Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu on Wednesday evening assigned portfolios to his ministerial nominees.

The ministerial designation comes after weeks of screening by the Nigerian Senate before embarking on recess last week. According to the list showing the assigned roles of the nominees, the president’s cousin and an opposition party member got top portfolios.

A member of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Nyesom Wike was assigned as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, while the predient’s cousin and former governor of Osun state, Gboyega Oyetola was assigned the transportation ministry.

Dele Alake, who is a renowned communication expert, and widely tipped as the minister for the Information Ministry, was made Minister Of Solid Minerals Development.

Other ministers and their designations are as follows: Minister Of Communications, Innovation And Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; Minister Of State, Environment And Ecological Management, Ishak Salako; Minister Of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister Of Marine and Blue Economy, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa; Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John.

Others are Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy; Minister of Works, David Umahi; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Minister of Youth, Abubakar Momoh; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu; Minister of State, Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, and Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh.

Also on the list are the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru; Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of State, Education, Tanko Sununu; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.

Nigeria is currently faced with economic woes embodied by a cost of living crisis following the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the currency. Nigerians would expect that the formation of the cabinet would fasten the execution of President Tinubu’s policies and soften economic strains in the shortest possible time.

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Kenya’s Supreme Court overturns 2023 finance law verdict. What this means

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Following demonstrations that caused President William Ruto to rescind this year’s finance bill, the Supreme Court of Kenya has overturned an appeal court’s ruling declaring the 2023 financial law null and void.

The government primarily uses the finance bills to outline revenue-raising initiatives, and with the repeal of this year’s legislation, Ruto’s administration has been depending on the 2023 finance law to keep collecting taxes.

“We hereby set aside the Court of Appeal’s finding declaring the entire Finance Act 2023 unconstitutional,” the Supreme Court said in its ruling.

Following a spate of protests organised by the opposition last year, the 2023 law was challenged in court after Ruto’s government used it to hike the top personal income tax rate, implement a housing charge, and triple the value-added tax on fuel, among other measures.

After taking power in September 2022, Ruto’s administration attempted to enact a fresh round of tax increases this year, which infuriated many citizens and led to violent riots in June and July that claimed over 60 lives.

Shortly after the national legislature ratified this year’s version of the finance law, Ruto was obliged to withdraw it due to the disturbance, which also caused a delay in the approval of a fresh funding tranche from the International Monetary Fund.

Ruto has maintained that the tax hikes are required to pay off a significant amount of public debt and support development initiatives in Kenya, the largest economy in East Africa.

After Kenya met the goals established by the Fund in a review of its loan program, the executive board of the IMF is scheduled to convene on Wednesday to approve the new payout. The 2023 finance law was ruled unconstitutional by Kenya’s Court of Appeal in July, but the top court stayed the decision until it considered a government appeal.

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President Masisi seeks 2nd- term as Diamond-rich Botswana set to vote

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On Wednesday, Botswana, a diamond-rich southern African state, will hold a general election in which President Mokgweetsi Masisi will face three opponents for a second term.

Although a divided opposition offers the advantage to Masisi’s Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which has governed the nation of 2.3 million people since its independence from Britain in 1966, commentators predict the poll might be competitive.

Botswana has seen stability and relative prosperity thanks to its small population, which receives free healthcare and education, and its income from diamonds. On the basis of gem value, it is the world’s leading producer.

However, the government has struggled to diversify its economy in recent years due to a decline in the diamond market, which has squeezed income. Critics claim the BDP has been in power for too long and accuse it of corruption and poor economic management, both of which it disputes.

“Our diamonds have not been selling since April so yes, our revenues are down but the economic fundamentals remain intact,” said Masisi at a presidential debate last week.
“We are going to continue with the projects and policies we have come up with that are aimed at putting more money and wealth into the hands of the citizens of this country,” he said.

Negotiating a new deal with diamond tycoon De Beers that will increase Botswana’s portion of its rough diamonds was one of his first term’s accomplishments.

In order to support farmers, he also reinstated a ban on the import of certain product goods and lifted the ban on elephant hunting, which he claims aids rural areas.

Duma Boko of the opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) is his principal opponent.

Supported by former President Ian Khama, who left the BDP following a dispute with Masisi over the removal of the hunting prohibition and other matters, the other contenders are Mephato Reatile of the Botswana Patriotic Front and Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party.

Masisi’s economic record has come under fire from critics, who point to the country’s rising unemployment rate of about 28%.

“It is not acceptable that a country such as ours which is the fifth richest per capita in Africa still has so many people living in poverty,” said Boko at the debate.

Among sub-Saharan African nations, Botswana actually has the fourth-highest GDP per capita, according to World Bank data.

In order to raise social subsidies and more than double the minimum wage, Boko has promised to cut back on unnecessary spending.

Although the BDP’s popularity has been waning, it still holds a sizable majority in parliament after winning 38 of the 57 seats up for grabs in 2019. UDC took home 15 seats. In Botswana, the president is chosen by legislators, who are chosen by voters.

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