Category: Local

Jerusalem — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly pushing for the full occupation of Gaza, despite opposition from the public, senior military officers, and the international community. Israeli media quoted an aide as saying: “The die is cast – we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” even if it risks the lives of remaining Israeli captives held there since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack. After nearly two years of war — killing more than 60,000 Palestinians and pushing Gaza to the brink of famine — critics say Netanyahu’s move is aimed at prolonging the conflict to maintain his political coalition and delay his ongoing corruption trial. Military and Public Resistance Analysts warn the Israeli army is overstretched, with troop shortages of over 100,000, widespread PTSD, and growing refusals to serve. Several senior officers, including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, reportedly oppose further escalation. More than 600 former Israeli security officials signed an open letter urging US President Donald Trump to push for an end to the war, arguing Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat. “From the military point of view, Hamas is destroyed. But as an ideology, it’s growing stronger,” said Ami Ayalon, ex-head of Shin Bet. Political Gamble Public frustration is rising over Netanyahu’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire that could secure the captives’ release. A May poll found most Israelis believe he prioritises staying in power over winning the war. “This is madness,” said Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House. “Any decent leader would have resigned long ago. Everything with Netanyahu is about political survival.Netanyahu wants to ‘occupy Gaza’, what do Israeli people, military think?

Protest is a constitutional right — powerful when purpose-driven, goal-focused, and well-coordinated. But when agitation becomes a theatre of personal drama, it risks losing its soul and inviting cynicism. That appeared to be the case on July 21, 2025, when a demonstration purportedly staged in support of retired police officers took a strange turn under the spotlight of Omoyele Sowore. Multiple video footages from the protest show moments that raised more questions than they answered. In one widely circulated clip, Sowore and a group of co-protesters are seen physically shoving uniformed officers while chanting “Pay Police!” — a curious scene of protesters demanding the police pay… the police. In another video, Sowore is caught on camera pushing a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to the ground during a heated attempt to breach the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja — a secured facility that is neither responsible for pensions nor gratuities. The confrontation hardly fits the definition of a peaceful protest. Then came the twist. In the middle of his forceful advance, Sowore reportedly lost his eyeglasses. Suddenly, the core issue — pension justice for ageing officers — took a back seat as his post-protest commentary focused on the missing glasses rather than the plight of the retirees. Clips from that day also reveal a pattern in Sowore’s approach: confrontations with officers marked by disdain and public humiliation, even when the officers attempted civil engagement. For many observers, his sudden solidarity with police retirees rang hollow, given his longstanding antagonism towards the institution. This is not without precedent. Sowore has faced similar criticism in the past, particularly after the EndSARS protests, where he was accused by some activists of turning youth-driven struggles into personal platforms — earning the satirical moniker “cashtivist.” The choice of protest location deepens the suspicion. The Force Headquarters has no jurisdiction over pensions; that lies with other government bodies. But the headquarters is home to the current Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun — a figure Sowore has publicly insulted on multiple occasions. Was this protest a genuine call for reform, or a calculated bid to provoke a direct clash with the IGP for viral effect? If there were legitimate gains from the demonstration, they were drowned out by the spectacle — the pushing, the grappling, the grandstanding, and the glasses. The retirees deserve better representation. Better will not come through chaotic chants, forceful incursions into secure premises, or the theatrics of personalities who place themselves at the centre of the story. Given the documented footage of Sowore physically assaulting a uniformed officer and attempting to force entry into a secured national facility, it is fair to ask: should this not warrant an official review or questioning? If such conduct is left unchecked, where is the line to be drawn?

Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has dismissed claims that the South-East has been excluded from major road and infrastructure projects under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing such reports as “misleading and deceptive.” Reacting to a viral social media post titled “The Politics of Asphalt: Why is the South-East missing from the map?” by Mr. Linus Anagboso, Umahi accused some individuals of deliberately twisting facts to incite the public. He said the Tinubu administration has fairly distributed projects across the six geopolitical zones, with the South-East prominently captured in the third Legacy Project — the Cross River–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja highway, covering 465km x 2, of which 231.64km x 2 and 231.64km x 1 fall within the South-East at a cost of ₦445.8 billion. According to Umahi, ₦108 billion has already been paid for the project, which was reviewed at the July 31, 2025 Federal Executive Council meeting to extend coverage from 118km to 231.64km. “Under President Tinubu, 90% of abandoned projects, some dating back to 2013, have been revived and are now ongoing. The South-East is receiving the same fair treatment as other regions,” Umahi stated. He listed other ongoing projects in the region, including: Umahi urged South-East residents to support President Tinubu and the zone’s governors, stressing that unity, rather than “politics of hate and misinformation,” will help the region achieve the presidency in the future.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed that Nigeria’s economic growth and poverty reduction goals cannot be achieved without the rapid development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which he described as the backbone of the nation’s economy. Speaking at the 7th Expanded National MSME Clinic (Ondo 2025) held at the International Culture and Event Centre, Akure, Shettima noted that MSMEs account for 90% of jobs in Nigeria and are central to achieving inclusive growth. He revealed that 65 Ondo-based MSMEs have already benefited from the Federal Government’s ₦75 billion intervention fund, designed to provide affordable financing to entrepreneurs. Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa hailed the clinic as a “revolutionary step” toward unlocking Nigeria’s economic potential, highlighting his administration’s OUR EASE Agenda in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He called for federal support to establish a Fashion Hub Shared Facility and an Oil Palm Processing Plant in the state. Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji stressed the importance of patronising locally made goods, while the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, urged stronger public-private partnerships to empower young entrepreneurs. The MSME Clinic recognised several Ondo-based businesses, including Denki Wire and Cables Ltd and Kay Classic Fashion, winners of the National MSME Awards for Excellence in Manufacturing and Fashion, respectively.