Nigeria wins bid to overturn $11 bln damages for collapsed gas deal

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By Sam Tobin

Nigeria on Monday hailed a landmark victory after it won its bid to overturn an $11 billion damages bill for a collapsed gas project, in a case a judge at London's High Court said exemplified the ravages of greed and corruption.

Africa's most populous country had previously been ordered to pay the sum – representing around a third of its foreign exchange reserves – to Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID), a company based in the British Virgin Islands.

But Judge Robin Knowles found that P&ID had paid bribes to a Nigerian oil ministry official in connection with the gas contract signed in 2010, and had failed to disclose this when it later took Nigeria to arbitration over the collapse of the deal.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu described the judgment as a blow against economic malpractice and the exploitation of Africa.

"Nation states will no longer be held hostage by economic conspiracies between private firms and solitarily corrupt officials," he said in a statement.

The ruling is a major boost for Africa's biggest economy, which is saddled with mounting debt, high inflation and unemployment.

"The economic prospects of an entire country have been held hostage by a tainted arbitral award that was built on bribes and lies," said campaign group Spotlight on Corruption.

In 2017, an arbitration tribunal had awarded P&ID $6.6 billion for lost profit after its 20-year contract to construct and operate a gas processing plant in southern Nigeria had fallen apart.

The sum had since swelled with interest to over $11 billion, representing 10 times the country's 2019 health budget.

"DRIVEN BY GREED"

However, Nigeria's lawyers went to court to overturn the award, saying P&ID had bribed senior officials to obtain the contract and corrupted the country's lawyers to obtain confidential documents during the arbitration. P&ID denied this and accused Nigeria of institutional incompetence.

But Knowles allowed Nigeria's challenge, writing that the case showed what some people would do for money, "driven by greed and prepared to use corruption; giving no thought to what their enrichment would mean in terms of harm for others".

The judge said a further hearing would take place to decide whether to send the case back to arbitration or ditch the $11 billion award without further delay.

Lawyers representing P&ID said the firm was disappointed and considering steps available to it.

In a rare rebuke, the judge said two British lawyers who stood to receive astronomical sums had Nigeria been forced to pay the $11 billion-plus bill had misconducted themselves out of greed.

Trevor Burke, an eminent criminal barrister and a nephew of P&ID's co-founder, would have received $850 million while Seamus Andrew, who represented P&ID during the arbitration, would have received up to $3 billion.

Both received confidential Nigerian documents during the arbitration that they knew they were not entitled to see, the judge found. Their decision to say nothing and not to return the documents was "indefensible", he wrote.

They did so "because of the money they hoped to make" and gave untruthful evidence about it, Knowles added, referring his ruling to legal standards regulators.

Burke and Andrew said in separate statements they did not accept the judge's criticisms and believed they would be exonerated by the regulators. 

REUTERS 

Ancient Egyptians, not Greeks, were true fathers of medicine

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Scientists examining documents dating back 3,500 years say they have found proof that the origins of modern medicine lie in ancient Egypt and not with Hippocrates and the Greeks.

The research team from the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at The University of Manchester discovered the evidence in medical papyri written in 1,500BC - 1,000 years before Hippocrates was born.

"Classical scholars have always considered the ancient Greeks, particularly Hippocrates, as being the fathers of medicine but our findings suggest that the ancient Egyptians were practising a credible form of pharmacy and medicine much earlier," said Dr Jackie Campbell.

"When we compared the ancient remedies against modern pharmaceutical protocols and standards, we found the prescriptions in the ancient documents not only compared with pharmaceutical preparations of today but that many of the remedies had therapeutic merit."

The medical documents, which were first discovered in the mid-19th century, showed that ancient Egyptian physicians treated wounds with honey, resins and metals known to be antimicrobial.

The team also discovered prescriptions for laxatives of castor oil and colocynth and bulk laxatives of figs and bran. Other references show that colic was treated with hyoscyamus, which is still used today, and that cumin and coriander were used as intestinal carminatives.

Further evidence showed that musculo-skeletal disorders were treated with rubefacients to stimulate blood flow and poultices to warm and soothe. They used celery and saffron for rheumatism, which are currently topics of pharmaceutical research, and pomegranate was used to eradicate tapeworms, a remedy that remained in clinical use until 50 years ago.

"Many of the ancient remedies we discovered survived into the 20th century and, indeed, some remain in use today, albeit that the active component is now produced synthetically," said Dr Campbell.

"Other ingredients endure and acacia is still used in cough remedies while aloes forms a basis to soothe and heal skin conditions."

Fellow researcher Dr Ryan Metcalfe is now developing genetic techniques to investigate the medicinal plants of ancient Egypt. He has designed his research to determine which modern species the ancient botanical samples are most related to.

"This may allow us to determine a likely point of origin for the plant while providing additional evidence for the trade routes, purposeful cultivation, trade centres or places of treatment," said Dr Metcalfe.

"The work is inextricably linked to state-of-the-art chemical analyses used by my colleague Judith Seath, who specialises in the essential oils and resins used by the ancient Egyptians."

Professor Rosalie David, Director of the KNH Centre, said: "These results are very significant and show that the ancient Egyptians were practising a credible form of pharmacy long before the Greeks.

"Our research is continuing on a genetic, chemical and comparative basis to compare the medicinal plants of ancient Egypt with modern species and to investigate similarities between the traditional remedies of North Africa with the remedies used by their ancestors of 1,500 BC."

The research is being funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

The University of Manchester

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“He’s disconnected from reality’ — APC tackles Babachir Lawal for claiming Obi won presidential poll

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By Dyepkazah Shibayan

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Babachir Lawal, a former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), needs “counselling” because he is “disconnected from reality”.

The ruling party was reacting to a statement by Lawal where he claimed that Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), won the presidential poll.

He said President Bola Tinubu, who was declared as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), came “a distant third”.

In a statement on Tuesday, Felix Morka, APC spokesperson, said the former SGF is peddling “gibberish” because Obi lost the election.

“Clearly, the defeat of his principal, Peter Obi, at the poll has done incalculable damage to Mr. Lawal’s psyche and his capacity for rational thought as evident in his analysis based entirely on the figment of his warped imagination rather than on hard facts and figures,” he said.

“A clear sign of his disconnect from reality was his reference to the election held in May 2023, rather than February.

“We challenge Babachir Lawal to give a detailed breakdown of his so-called ‘aggregated facts sourced from independent sources,’ which he claimed proved that Obi won the election or forever remain mute.

“That he did not provide these facts to help Obi prove his case before the Presidential Elections Petitions Court is a massive disservice if not betrayal of his political principal.

“Babachir Lawal ought to have known that running a jaundiced commentary on a matter before the Supreme Court is the height of irresponsibility.

“But he is still nursing bitterness and vindictiveness over his failed dream of running on a joint ticket with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Morka described Lawal as a “lightweight” individual who has failed as a politician in Adamawa.

“Despite his legendary failure as a politician, former President Muhammadu Buhari in deference to diversity appointed him to the high office of SGF where he was unceremoniously sacked on account of very poor performance and dishonorable conduct,” he said.

“A man like Babachir Lawal is in no position to offer an opinion on the competence of President Tinubu’s appointees.”

The APC spokesperson said Lawal should mind his farm “and stop constituting himself into a needless distraction”.

THE CABLE.NG

Peter Obi won 2023 presidential election – Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal

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By Deji Komolafe

The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal on Tuesday claimed that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, won the February 25 presidential election.

According to Lawal, the election was not won by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu who was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He further stated that available factual data as aggregated from several independent sources indicated that Obi got the majority votes while the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar came second in the election.

Lawal noted that President Tinubu came a distant third in the number of votes scored.

The former SGF in a statement released on Tuesday said, “I have resisted the temptation to engage in the contemporary political discourse since the May 2023 election faux pas.

“I did this for two reasons; the first being that as an active player in the drama, I needed time to analyze and digest the data that led to the outcome(s) so I could arrive at an informed decision; the second, being that the rainy season had just set in and it was necessary that I focused my attention on my farms which are the mainstay of my livelihood.

“The current topical issues for political discourse and inquiry are whether or not Bola Tinubu won the presidential election and/or that he was apriori, qualified to participate in the election given his murky biodata as is now being publicly unveiled daily in an avalanche.

“My answer to the first inquiry is that regardless of whatever INEC or Appeal Court said or did, Bola did not win the election.

“Right from the start of the campaigns, Bola knew he was not going to win the election in a free and fair contest so he decided to go by all means.

“Available factual data as aggregated from several independent sources indicate that Obi got the majority votes while Atiku came second. Bola came a distant third in the number of votes scored.

“My answer to the second inquiry is that given the now unfolding deluge of uncomplimentary information about who or what he actually is, ordinarily, sound ethics and morality should have convinced him to voluntarily excuse himself from participation in the election.

“ But this, notwithstanding, I believe he still has time and opportunity to save himself this public humiliation and embarrassment to his person, both locally and internationally by resigning so that he can give more attention to his health.

“After all, no one knows about the truism of these severely embarrassing and humiliating exposures about his person than the man himself.

“Leadership is all about integrity; sound pedigree, trustworthiness and the ability to unite and instil hope and confidence in the people one seeks to lead. In these qualities, most Nigerians are in total agreement that Bola has them in very very short supply indeed.

“But now, six months down the line, the chicken has come home to roost as Nigerians have come to the realization that we have not got what we deserve politically.

“Confusion and despondency are now all over the nation as no one trusts the government to do what it says it will do. No one trusts the leader, and no one trusts appointees who are appointed as rewards for their roles in the election or who had in the past helped him in his life.

“ Bola the President and his group are now in government and are in full control of Nigeria’s vast resources and opportunities. They are enjoying their offices while Nigerians languish in insecurity, poverty and hopelessness.

“During the campaign, Bola mouthed some platitudes about competence; but we are so far yet to see it reflected in his political appointments. It seems more like he is rewarding people who supported him to get the Presidency at all costs.

“This band of appointees that Bola is assembling into his government don’t care about Nigeria at all.

“Fuel prices will continue to gallop upwards until only they can afford it; the Naira will continue to race downhill in a free-fall until only they can afford anything in the market; insecurity will continue its escalation until every community in the nation is consumed by it.

“Just to mention a few of these appointees: take insecurity for example, what do you expect an accountant to do as Minister of Defense?

“ Was he not that one who was governor while Bello Turji et al freely terrorized Zamfara State? What about his CBN Governor with a CV; a one-time Chairman of a little-known bank employing 300 people in less than 12 branches clustered in the South-South and South East regions?

“Is there any doubt left as to his lack of qualification and experience for the job than that his first policy statement was to remove foreign exchange restrictions for the importation of 43 agricultural and related products?

“Certainly, Nigerians are in for a short thrift. The people running the government do not care a hoot about the Nigerian people; their cronies are the petroleum industry players while some are the banking system players so a free fall of the Naira and an unregulated upward movement of oil prices both work for more profits for them.

“By the way, has anyone noticed the intolerance for free speech and dictatorship that is creeping upon us? Has anyone noticed the actions of the National Broadcasting Commission of late?”

NELSON MANDELA ON THE ISRAEL - PALESTINE ISSUE

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Experts say Hamas and Israel are committing war crimes in their fight

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By Mike Corder and Julia Frankel

The deadly attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians and the devastating Israeli airstrikes and blockade of Gaza have raised accusations among international legal experts that both sides were violating international law.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry said it has been “collecting and preserving evidence of war crimes committed by all sides” since the violence started last week. That evidence could be added to an investigation by the International Criminal Court into possible war crimes committed by Israel and Hamas in past conflicts. 

“Intentional targeting of civilians and civilian objects without a military necessary reason to do so is a war crime, period,” said David Crane, an American international law expert and the founding chief prosecutor of the United Nations’ Special Court for Sierra Leone. “And that’s a standard that both sides are held to under international law.”

Even Israel’s staunchest ally has sounded a note of caution.

U.S. President Joe Biden, at a meeting with Jewish leaders Wednesday, said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “that it is really important that Israel, with all the anger and frustration and just — I don’t know how to explain it — that exists is that they operate by the rules of war — the rules of war. And there are rules of war.”

DID HAMAS COMMIT WAR CRIMES?

After breaking through Israel’s security barrier early Saturday morning, Hamas militants gunned down entire families, including women and young children, in border communities around the Gaza Strip. Israel’s health service said it extricated the bodies of over a hundred community members from Kibbutz Be’eri. Militants attacked the Tribe of Nova music festival, gunning down people as they desperately sought refuge.

The attacks killed more than 1,300 people in Israel, including 247 soldiers — a toll unseen in Israel for decades.

Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director of Human Rights Watch, pointed to Hamas “shooting civilians en masse, taking hostages, including women and children — undeniably grave abuses of international law, for which there’s no justification.”

In an analysis published on the international law website Opinio Juris, Cornell Law School professor Jens David Ohlin wrote that the Hamas attacks amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity under the International Criminal Court’s founding Rome Statute.

Rights group Amnesty International called for accountability.

“Massacring civilians is a war crime and there can be no justification for these reprehensible attacks,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary-general.

“These crimes must be investigated as part of the International Criminal Court’s ongoing investigation into crimes committed by all parties in the current conflict,” Callamard said.

IS ISRAEL’S MILITARY RESPONSE LEGAL?

The Israeli military has pulverized large parts of the Hamas -ruled Gaza Strip with airstrikes and blocked deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity ahead of a possible ground invasion. The bombardment already has killed about 1,800 people in Gaza, including U.N. workers, paramedics and journalists.

Experts say the blockade, which is hitting the territory’s more than 2 million residents, violates international law. “Collective punishment is a war crime. Israel is doing that by cutting electricity, water, food, blocking aid from entering the Gaza Strip,” Shakir said.

Early Friday, Israel’s military directed the evacuation of some 1 million civilians living in the northern Gaza Strip ahead of a feared Israel ground offensive. Hamas called on residents to remain in their homes.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the order to leave along with the siege “are not compatible with international humanitarian law.”

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, also called the order illegal. It is “not an evacuation opportunity, it’s an order to relocate. Under humanitarian law, it’s called forcible transfer of populations, and it’s a war crime,” he said.

Israel has also faced criticism for its widespread airstrikes razing large areas of Gaza since the Hamas attacks.

But Crane said that Hamas’ base in the densely populated area makes any Israeli military action extremely difficult.

“They’re almost in an impossible situation. Every time they fire an artillery piece, an aircraft fires missiles and stuff at a legitimate target, they’re going to collaterally kill civilians,” he said.

The Israeli military has “this challenge where you have one of the most densely populated places on Earth where you have a combatant hiding behind and firing from those positions, using the civilians as human shields,” Crane said.

Many in Israel’s defense establishment have pledged to fight until every trace of militancy is gone from the territory — even if it means wreaking mass havoc on the besieged strip’s civilian population.

But Israel’s relentless airstrikes could come under scrutiny, both because of the heavy civilian death toll and heavy damage to civilian infrastructure. 

“We’re seeing reports of entire neighborhoods, blocks that are reduced to rubble. Certainly that would appear to be, you know, war crimes as well,” Shakir said. “We’ve seen attacks that have affected hospitals and other areas that are entitled to protection.”

The Israeli army says it follows international legal norms and strikes only legitimate military targets.

“The most pleasant way not to cause any harm to anyone is not to do anything,” said retired Israeli general Giora Eiland. “But Israel has to fight. And how do you fight? You have to bomb them. Or you do nothing. If civilians decide to stay on the streets of Gaza, there will be much more civilian casualties.”

CAN THE ICC GET INVOLVED?

While Israel is not one of the court’s 123 member states, ICC judges have ruled that the Palestinians are and that the court has jurisdiction over territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

The ICC prosecution office’s ongoing investigation — spurred by the last major conflict in Gaza — can analyze war crimes allegations from the latest war.

But Israel does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and the ICC does not have a police force to execute arrest warrants.

Frankel reported from Jerusalem.

Stephen A. Smith says Jada Pinkett Smith has “exceeded cruelty” with public remarks about marriage to Will Smith

CC™ Entertainment 

ByAngelina Velasquez

Jada Pinkett Smith sent the media and fans into a dizzying tailspin when she revealed that she and Will Smith have been separated since 2016 despite appearing as husband and wife in public.

The actress, who is promoting her upcoming memoir, “Worthy,” has also dished on the infamous Oscars slap, her “soulmate” connection to the late Tupac Shakur, and more in revealing interviews with NBC News and People. Responses to her revelations have reignited vitriol for Pinkett Smith, especially among those who believe her tell-alls have further damaged the box office star’s reputation and his public perception. One of the critics is Stephen A. Smith.

On the Friday (Oct. 13) episode of his eponymous YouTube show, he unleashed on the 52-year-old. The “First Take” host began, “Let me tell y’all what Will Smith does not deserve: He does not deserve what Jada Pinkett Smith has done to him.”

He continued, “Now I know people very, very close to Jada Pinkett Smith, and I am not going to utter a disrespectful word about her. That’s not where I’m going. It’s deeper than that. There are a few questions that Jada Pinkett Smith deserves to be asked to her. Where’s your compassion? Where’s your decency? Where is your respect for a man you still acknowledge as your husband? Where is the respect for a man you walked down the aisle with and pledged your life to in 1997 for better or worse, for rich or [for] poorer, in sickness and in health, ’til death do you part?”

Stephen, who has never wed, implied that Pinkett Smith has fallen short of honoring her wedding vows with some of her remarks — e.g., speaking on her entanglement with August Alsina and stating that she was shocked that Will referred to her as his wifeafter slapping Chris Rock for joking about her shaved head. For the latter, the Emancipationactor has taken a public pummeling.

“Somebody gotta say it to Jada plain and simple: Go to the Torah, go to the Bible, go to the holy Quran, pick whatever you want. Let’s talk about the role of a wife, at least from the perspective of just sparing him,” added Stephen. “I’m not getting in the right or wrong; it’s none of my business… I know it is uncomfortable and grotesquely unfair to emasculate your husband publicly! Publicly. He’s Will Smith. How much smaller do you want to make him? How could you do this? It’s exceeded cruelty.”

REVOLT

Watch Stephen’s Full Comments Below…..

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