A citizen of Niger Republic has slammed the country’s military leader, President Abdourahmane Tchiani, for neglecting critical issues facing the country and resorting to spreading what he termed as baseless rumours and accusations against Nigeria and other countries.

The Nigerien citizen who was reacting to allegations raised by President Tchiani’s in an interview with the the country’s state media, Radio-Télévision du Niger where he accused Nigeria of conniving with France to destabilise Niger Republic, said Tchiani neglected his country’s pressing challenges and rather chose to engage in irrelevant things.

In a video posted on X on Friday, the angry Nigerien highlighted the setbacks in the country emanating resulting from the coup led by Tchiani against former President Mohamed Bazoum, which he said had plunged the country into deeper socio-economic, political and insecurity crises.

He noted that President Tchiani’s claims of recruiting 25,000 soldiers and purchasing weapons worth $150 million were false and mere grandstanding.

The citizen also alleged that many of the vehicles and resources claimed by the current government were procured previously by the ally of the President.

He emphasized that Niger Republic has been ruined by the “16 generals” who have failed to stabilize the country and are instead leading it on a drowning train, while President Tchiani is busy “creating enemies both regionally and internationally, sowing seeds of hate and bad blood with Niger’s neighbors and distant nations.”

Addressing the President directly, the citizen urged him to seek verified information rather than relying on false intelligence being fed by advisors with selfish motives.

He also criticized the Tchani’s repeated accusations against France, Nigeria, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which he described as baseless rhetoric.

“You have been in power for 17 months, confined to the villa, and fed with fake information that has clouded your sense of reasoning,” the embittered citizen said.

“When it was announced that you are going to address the nation on December 25, 2024, in Hausa, Zabarma and French, what was being rumored was that there is nothing new that will come from your public address except the normal rhetoric of calling out France, CEDEO, Nigeria and the rest of them as our problem.

“Mr President, some of them even gambled; some offered to give goat, some said they will give some money if you did not mentioned France in your public statement.

“Nigerienes said they are fed up with the same statement coming from you without any progress. What is very annoying is that you proved them right. Some of them had to go and start counting how many times you mentioned France, how many times you mentioned Nigeria, how many times you mentioned CEDAO and saying they are already making efforts to attack our country, Niger.

“You have accused so many countries both within and outside Africa. Some had already concluded that there was a need to reevaluate your psychological endowment.

“You have failed in diplomacy. You insulted many countries and their leaders including those who are very far away from us from different countries. You mentioned at least 20 countries that you accused of sabotaging Niger through France. Some of them we don’t even have any relationship with them.

“You have failed to address the living conditions of Nigeriens, particularly the shortages of fuel and other essential commodities. Contractors have been diverting fuel to other countries, while you accuse these same nations of sabotage.

“The real issues affecting Nigeriens, such as economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, fuel scarcity and the high cost of living, were ignored,” he said. “Instead, we heard the same rhetoric of external threats and baseless claims of terrorist camps being supervised by the French.”

Two Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Zambia, the Transparency International-Zambia (TI-Z) and the Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI), have rated the government of President Hakainde Hichilema’s interventions and reforms as below average while calling on the government to urgently implement the Public Audit Act of 2016 and the State Audit Commission Act of 2016.

TI-Z President, Priscilla Chansa, in an interview with Zambia Monitor, underscored the importance of the laws in ensuring the administrative and financial independence of the Office of the Auditor General, describing it as a cornerstone of public accountability.

Chansa stressed that strengthening the Auditor General’s Office was not just a constitutional requirement but a critical step toward safeguarding public resources and improving governance.

“Several promises of governance reforms made by the UPND administration remain largely unfulfilled, despite repeated commitments at various international and local platforms,” Chansa said.

She pointed out stalled constitutional reforms, which was a key pledge in the 8th National Development Plan, and criticised the lack of transparency surrounding the government’s roadmap, which she said had deepened public skepticism.

“This opacity has left stakeholders in the dark and raises doubts about the sincerity of the government’s commitment to such a critical undertaking,” she stated, while urging the government to provide a clear roadmap for the constitutional reform process and, if deemed a lower priority, engage the Zambian public in an open conversation to dispel speculation.

The TI-Z President also criticised the administration’s failure to implement asset declarations and lifestyle audits, calling it a missed opportunity to enhance transparency and accountability.

“We reiterate our call for the enactment of a comprehensive asset and liability declaration law to address this critical area,” she appealed.

Also speaking in a separate interview, the CLRI Executive Director, Mundia Hakoola, called attention to unresolved governance issues in Zambia, warning that delays and inefficiencies continue to undermine efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency, and inclusivity.

Hakoola warned that the absence of a clear and inclusive roadmap for the process risks eroding public trust.

“CLRI urges the government to prioritize this issue, ensuring the process is consultative, transparent, and reflective of the will of the Zambian people,” he said.

He also criticised the delay in appointing the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Board, noting that it undermines Zambia’s anti-corruption efforts and economic stability.

“Corruption erodes public trust, hampers development, and exacerbates inequality. The government must expedite the appointment of a competent and independent board to strengthen the fight against corruption,” Hakoola added.

Addressing youth and women’s underrepresentation in decision-making, Hakoola emphasized the need for deliberate measures to boost inclusivity.

“A governance system reflecting Zambia’s diversity requires active participation from youth and women in public office and policymaking,” he said.

The CLRI also expressed alarm over restrictions on fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, assembly, and the press.

“A democratic society thrives when these rights are protected. The government must ensure that citizens can participate freely in governance without fear of repression,” Hakoola stated.