Hey, Brother Benard
President Tinubu promises that his reforms will stabilise Nigeria’s economic fall soon
Good morning, Big Brains. Forgive the messy newsletter title, I just borrowed a page from Atiku’s messy tweet. Somebody should tell Shonda Rhimes that we are still hooked on yesterday’s drama, we don’t need Bridgerton Part II anymore. Anyways, tea report!
- Margaret
Word count: ~1,200
Reading time ~4 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
Tinubu promises economic stability through ongoing reforms
Nigeria’s foreign minister demands investigation into sexual harassment by permanent secretary
Biden says he will respect jury’s ruling in son’s gun charges
The Big Deal
Tinubu promises economic stability through ongoing reforms
The National Bureau of Statistics just revealed that Nigeria’s inflation rate has increased again and is currently at 33.9%. But President Tinubu isn’t bothered about the economic fall (you’re messy if you think the pun was intended). He is still confident that his reforms are going to start paying off sooner than we think.
During his Democracy Day speech yesterday, the president mentioned that these reforms were strategically implemented to strengthen the economy and relieve the pain that Nigerians currently feel.
“There is no doubt the reforms have occasioned hardship. Yet, they are necessary repairs required to fix the economy over the long run so that everyone has access to economic opportunity, fair pay and compensation for his endeavour and labour. As we continue to reform the economy, I shall always listen to the people and will never turn my back on you,” the President promised.
He also added that these reforms should have happened a long time ago because Nigeria’s overreliance on oil is responsible for most of its problems today.
Why is this a big deal?
The promise of a better future has been re-echoed by the Tinubu-led administration for a year now yet things seem to be getting worse. Speaking to The Big Daily yesterday, Aanu, a 36-year-old stay-at-home mom said, “A year ago, my husband and I started saving towards our children’s secondary school education. They are still in primary school but we thought it would be smart to start saving now. We’ve gone to withdraw the money now because it doesn’t make sense to be saving for their future education when we can barely afford to buy the food they will eat today. If I don’t laugh about how everything got so bad so quickly, I’ll cry about it.”
The average Nigerian has a similar story to tell and that makes one wonder when these reforms are supposed to start “fixing” the economy. The inflation rate in Nigeria increased to 33.69% in April 2024, slightly higher than the 33.20% it was in March 2024. This means it went up by 0.49 percentage points in just one month. Compared to April 2023, when the inflation rate was 22.22%, the current rate is about 11% higher than it was a year ago.
Nigeria’s foreign minister demands investigation into sexual harassment by permanent secretary
TW - Sexual abuse. For what may seem like the first time, a Nigerian man in power is publicly supporting a victim of sexual abuse and calling for her abuser’s punishment. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has taken action against the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa, after he was accused of sexually abusing a staff member.
He made his stance known after Falana and Falana’s Chambers, a legal firm, sent a petition on behalf of their client, Mrs Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, who works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They accused the secretary of continuous sexual harassment even after he was confronted, and assured Ajayi, who is a married woman and a mother, that his predatory behaviour would stop.
The petition, dated May 29, 2024, described different times when Lamuwa allegedly harassed Mrs. Ajayi, making inappropriate comments and continually asking for “tight hugs” and unwanted visits. The petition narrated a particular incident where Lamuwa asked Ajayi to join him in his hotel room during a work retreat, and another where he tried to hug her against her will in his office.
In response to the petition, the Minister wrote to the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, asking for a thorough investigation into the matter. He also said that he’s aware of the seriousness of the allegations and attached a copy of the complaint for review.
Ambassador Tuggar assured the legal firm and Mrs Ajayi that he’s willing to assist in the investigation and also added that there’s a need for proper action to protect female staff from similar incidents in the future. The Minister’s spokesperson, Alkasim Abdulkadir, confirmed that the issue is being looked into by the relevant authorities but chose not to give further comments.
Biden says he will respect jury’s ruling in son’s gun charges
President Joe Biden may not be in a celebratory mood for this year’s Father’s Day. For the first time in the history of the United States of America, the child of a sitting president is facing jail time and the 12-person jury in charge of the case just pulled the “I no send your papa” card.
On Tuesday, Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, was convicted on federal gun charges. The 54-year-old was found guilty on three felony counts for buying a handgun in 2018 while he was addicted to drugs. Testimonies from Hunter’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, and former girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, revealed a period of heavy drug use that strained his relationships. The court also examined text messages and photos showing his addiction.
His father, who is campaigning for reelection, ironically had a speech about gun violence scheduled in Washington.
Although President Joe Biden wasn’t at the trial, Hunter Biden’s wife, sister, and uncle attended to support him. After the verdict, President Biden travelled to Wilmington, Delaware, where he hugged his son on the tarmac. In a statement, President Biden said, “I am the president, but I am also a dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.” He also mentioned that despite being the president, he would “accept the outcome of this case and continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”
As expected, the case has triggered some political reactions, especially from Republicans who are not big fans of Hunter Biden. James Comer, a Republican chair of the House oversight committee, called it a “step toward accountability” and urged further investigation into the whole family. The Trump campaign also described the trial as a distraction from what they called the “real crimes of the Biden Crime Family”, a language they usually use to criticise the Biden family.
President Biden’s aides have said that the trial has been emotionally difficult for him. Hunter Biden will be sentenced within the next 120 days, but the judge hasn’t scheduled a hearing yet. He faces up to 25 years in prison but some experts have predicted that he should get a lighter sentence since he is a first-time, non-violent offender.
But even if Hunter Biden gets out of this trial with a light sentence, he still has other legal issues to face. There’s another trial set for September in California over charges of not paying $1.4 million in income taxes. If convicted, he could face up to 17 years in prison. These ongoing legal challenges are expected to continue throughout his father’s election campaign and probably ruin his chance of being re-elected.
The Big Picks
He Is Human, Not Superman, Presidency Defends Tinubu’s Slip: President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy has defended the president’s fall, reminding the public that he is “human like all of us.”
NASS To Get New Minimum Wage Bill Soon, Tinubu Assures Nigerians: President Bola Tinubu has assured Organized Labour that an executive bill proposing a new national minimum wage for workers will soon be submitted to the National Assembly for approval.
If you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter, don’t forget to subscribe and share. You can also leave feedback for us in the comments or by filling out this form.