Author: Sir Bartholomew White Ebe

The judgment of the Court of Appeal restricting the functions of the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) strikes at the heart of one of Nigeria’s most persistent traffic regulation crises. The real lesson is the need to ensure that traffic regulators, in whatever guise, do not overstep their bounds while enforcing traffic laws. In particular, officers charged with enforcing road safety practices should not constitute themselves as roadside oppressors. Besides, the court decision calls for reform of traffic regulations to streamline the functions of agencies and prevent duplication of roles.  The Appeal Court, in its judgment, barred the VIO from stopping motorists on the road, impounding or confiscating vehicles, and imposing fines on citizens. In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel ...

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, January 8, accused the United States of “breaking free from international rules” and warned that Washington is “gradually turning away” from some of its allies, in remarks underscoring growing tensions between Europe and the U.S. Entertainment center Macron delivered the comments at the Élysée Palace during his annual address to French ambassadors, as European powers debate how to respond to what they consider an increasingly assertive U.S. foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere. “The United States is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently,” Macron said. “Multilateral institutions are functioning less and less...

US President Donald Trump, has invited his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, to the White House, just days after issuing threats of military action over alleged drug trafficking.  The invitation followed the first phone conversation between both leaders since Trump took office in January. Speaking on Wednesday night, Trump said he was arranging to meet Petro “in the near future.”  “President Petro called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future at the White House.”  The move comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Bogotá after Trump last week warned Petro to “watch his ass” follo...

Russia has restated its long-standing position that any Western military forces deployed in Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets,” days after the United Kingdom and France pledged to send troops as part of a potential peace agreement.  The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that the deployment of military units, facilities, warehouses, or other infrastructure belonging to Western countries on Ukrainian territory would be regarded as foreign intervention.  The statement followed a declaration of intent signed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron at a recent meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, where both leaders agreed to deploy a multinational force to help guarantee Ukraine’s security.  Russia said it has ...