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2021 FORUM ON CHINA AFRICA COOPERATION (FOCAC): BUILDING THE PHILOSOPHY OF A SHARED FUTURE FOR HUMANITY
2021 FORUM ON CHINA AFRICA COOPERATION (FOCAC): BUILDING THE PHILOSOPHY OF A SHARED FUTURE FOR HUMANITY
By Oboshi Agyeno (PhD)
Institute for peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja
In a few days to come, particularly on the 29th and 30th November 2021, Senegal will be in the league of other African countries like Ethiopia and South Africa to host the all-important Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The FOCAC is a high level tri-annual indaba of China and African countries with diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). All the countries in Africa except for Eswatini that has no diplomatic relations with the PRC, gather every three years to participate in discussions on how to design, consolidate and inject new energy on the way forward for a collective development of China and Africa. Since its conception and inception in 2000 and 2003 and the official launch of FOCAC in the year 2006, the Forum is traditionally hosted either in China or any African country interchangeably. This year, Senegal will host the 8th edition of FOCAC with the theme to ‘Deepen China Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to Build a China Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era’.
The FOCAC was primarily a strategy put forward by China to engage with Africa. This relationship has since grown in leaps and bounds. In 2006, China’s financial commitment to Africa was $5 billion and by 2015 and 2018, such commitment rose to $60 billion. In between this development cooperation, China Africa partnership has progressed from resource trade to infrastructure development of monumental proportion, and shifted into a more focused political and strategic cooperation. In recent times, analysts, think tanks and scholars from Africa have continued to promote and influence the government of Africa to show more innovation, commitment and interest in China Africa cooperation due to the benefit that has come to be evident in such relationships.
The FOCAC has enjoyed tremendous good will and partnership in various facets of investment, trade, health, infrastructure, food security, climate change and other areas of human development. This edition will follow the same pattern with previous FOCAC, but will be unique in many aspects. The 2021 FOCAC is the first summit since the Covid-19 pandemic crippled economic activities and businesses on a global scale, destroying livelihoods and threatening multilateralism as we know it. It is also the first FOCAC that just proceeded the 100 years anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and 50 years of Diplomatic Relations between China and Africa, reviewing the joint China Africa response to Covid19, and for the first time expected to reel out a ‘China Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership’ specifically for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa.
There is no doubt that the history of the FOCAC and its derivatives has been a blessing for both China and Africa. This is especially true in the areas of infrastructure development, business opportunities, national and regional security cooperation, cultural diplomacy and people to people exchanges. Indeed, China Africa cooperation has transformed the physical infrastructural environment of both China and Africa, and has proven based on the many hardware projects across Africa that this partnership is unprecedented. It is however pertinent for this year’s FOCAC in Senegal to ensure what Hannah Ryder* refers to as ‘a more organized and collective approach to engagement on the part of African leaders at this year’s FOCAC’. There is a need for African and Chinese leadership, think tanks and scholars to inject some novelty in building a philosophical, cultural and ideological component of China Africa cooperation. In order to improve the quality and efficiency of the FOCAC in general, the 8th edition of the Forum must endeavour to create a hybrid dimension to China Africa cooperation that can activate an innovative path to sustainable development based on a software approach to cooperation and development.
Senegal is one of the ideological, theoretical and cultural hubs of Africa. To project a philosophical angle to the aspirations for building livelihoods and shared humanity that China Africa relations have come to represent, shall be remarkable in this FOCAC. China Africa cooperation has spanned politics, economy, health, technology, etc. The 2021 FOCAC provides the prospect to pay closer attention on building the mind-set, attitude, philosophy and ideological direction for China and Africa towards a better future of communities, opportunities and humanity. The FOCAC should be a platform to build the significance of character traits like diligence, hard work, respect for culture and tradition, patriotism, knowledge, communal sense of purpose, prudence, the synergy between man and nature and cooperation as enablers for development. If embedded in African culture and traditions are qualities that can point the people towards sustainable development using their traditional alternatives, then FOCAC should concentrate on building those qualities. There are different paths to development than a single prescription and the Chinese experience has proven that.
As the saying goes, Africa is the next frontier of development and this aspiration is very likely to be achieved through China Africa cooperation. It is expected that the 2021 FOCAC will address Africa’s place within the BRI, which is potentially the most audacious economic blueprint of global connectivity in trade, investment and pragmatic access to financing for development. One of the ways Africa could benefit from this initiative is to imbibe the values and inculcate the principles of putting the people at the centre of development, promoting togetherness and projecting our unique socialist nature embedded in African and Asian oriental civilization. China and Africa have so much in common and the sooner a deliberate effort is applied to zoom our shared values into the international frontline, the better for humanity. This can be done by injecting our unique value in the domestic and foreign policy of both China and Africa.
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This year’s FOCAC provides the platform for Africa and China to reiterate their belief in a multilateral system which President Xi Jinping of China says ‘falls upon us to follow the trend of history, and choose cooperation over confrontation, openness over seclusion, and mutual benefit over zero sum games*. While contemporary issues like the green economy and climate change, technology transfer, peace and security and post Covid-19 recovery will dominate discussions at this year’s FOCAC, there is also the need to present the philosophical energy that can consolidate on the successes recorded in China Africa cooperation over the years. This could involve understanding and deploying those software features that have enabled China’s peaceful rise, inclusive growth and development in politics, economy and technology. Understanding the principles of Chinese development could be used to unlock the ingenuity of Africans from within, prioritize citizen’s interest in collective development and position Africa’s quest to inclusive and sustainable development as a process rather than a narrative or a big bang theory.
Philosophical vocabulary and direction is important to China Africa cooperation because it will give substance to the framework, content and nature of the overall partnership between both climes. It is therefore instructive that on the side-lines of this year’s FOCAC summit and subsequent meetings in the future, there should be podiums that promote cultural education of Africa and Asian oriental civilization in leadership, governance, relationships, values and development. The number of Chinese cultural institutes in Africa is growing and Africa should take advantage of such presence to collaborate in the areas of language and other exchanges that could promote intellectual understanding of China Africa cooperation, upgrade China Africa oriental civilization, engender new models and paths to development, and ensure a holistic development that is en-sync with the culture, tradition, emotion, beliefs and orientation of the people.
Long live China Africa cooperation.
2021 FORUM ON CHINA AFRICA COOPERATION (FOCAC): BUILDING THE PHILOSOPHY OF A SHARED FUTURE FOR HUMANITY
Security: Parents in Damaturu Advised to Supervise their Wards
By Michael Mike
Parents and guardians in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital have been advised to improve supervision on the movements of their Children.
Some Elders in Damaturu gave the advice while speaking to journalists on Monday.
They said the increasing breach of security in Damaturu has been a major source of concern to many law abiding citizens especially in the recent past days.
They said they could not but raise their voices for quick arrest of the ugly situation.
Some of the elders who spoke to journalists, charged the parents to redouble efforts towards moulding the character of their Children.
According to them, the level at which criminal activities increase, need rapid response from concerned authorities, parents and all other Stakeholders.
It could be recalled that within the last few weeks, there were series of reports on cases of killings in Damaturu and environs.
Security: Parents in Damaturu Advised to Supervise their Wards
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Corporate Affairs Commission places First Bank record on caveat as board crisis worsens
Corporate Affairs Commission places First Bank record on caveat as board crisis worsens
. As ex-AMCON chair accuses bank of promoting illegality and disobedience to court orders
By: Michael Mike
The Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, has placed the record of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Holdings on caveat pending the resolution of the current crisis rocking the board of the bank as a result of multiple court cases filed by aggrieved directors.
The current crisis rocking the bank stems from protests by shareholders who are kicking against the bank’s internal governance and shareholding structure, as a result of which some of them have taken their grievances to the court. One of such is the case of Olusegun Samuel Onagoruwa v. FBN Holdings Plc in Suit No. FHC/L/CP/1271/2022), which is challenging the capacity of the Board of Directors of FBN to appoint new persons to fill vacant slots.
Onagoruwa in his suit is seeking “an order setting aside, nullifying, annulling and/or quashing the appointments and approvals of Mr. Olusola Adeeyo, Mr. Viswanathan Shankar, Mrs. Remilekun Adetola, Mr. Anil Dua and Mrs. Fatima Ibrahim as Non-Executive Directors of First Bank of Nigeria Limited made on the 20th day of March, 2024, by FBN Holdings Plc during the pendency of this action and in defiance of the subsisting order of this Honourable Court made on the 15th day of July, 2022.”
The motion also seeks an order restraining the above-named non-executive directors from acting or taking any steps as non-executive directors of the bank. The current court case follows similar four other cases pending at the Federal High Court in Lagos and Abuja challenging the internal governance of FBN Limited, in addition to existing court injunctions restraining the bank from holding the last two Annual General Meetings which the bank went ahead to hold.
In a new twist to the crisis, the Corporate Affairs Commission in a letter titled
“RE: NOTIFICATION OF PENDENCY OF SUIT NO. FHC/L/CP/1575/23 AGAINST FBN HOLDINGS PLC, AND SUBSISTING INTERIM ORDERS OF THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT MADE ON THE 9TH DAY OF AUGUST 2023 RESTRAINING FBN HOLDINGS PLC FROM HOLDING OR PROCEEDING WITH ITS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING PURPORTEDLY HELD ON THE 13TH DAY OF AUGUST 2023”, weighed in on litigations threatening to tear the old generation bank apart.
Signed on behalf of the Registrar General of CAC by Chidimma Maureen Nwite, the Commission in a letter to lawyers to some of the parties in court against FBN Holdings said
“This is to inform you that the record of FBN Holdings PLC RC: 916455 has been placed on caveat pending the determination of Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1575/2023.
Please be guided accordingly.”
Speaking on the multiple crises rocking the foundation of First Bank, a former Chairman of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Muiz Banire accused the first generation financial institution of promoting illegality and flagrant disobedience of court orders, a development shareholders fear poses major threat to the bid by the bank to strengthen its capital base in line with the recent directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria to all banks operating in the country to recapitalize.
Banire who is involved in one of the court cases said “the Bank seems to now have a reputation of defying court orders. What I just read is similar to the case Iam handling also. The Bank appears to be building a reputation of lawlessness and by the time it boomerangs, the bank and by extension the shareholders will bear the brunt. I am sure the plaintiffs will not allow them to get away with the illegality. The case of the bank is becoming a bubble.”
He further said “I also believe the CBN is aiding and abetting the Board of Directors the apex bank imposed. Everything the Board is doing is beyond their mandate. The Apex Bank needs to dissolve the Board and allow the shareholders to choose their Directors. It is one illegality after another.”
According to one of the workers union leaders in the bank, “as the tenure of the imposed directors is expiring, the same illegitimate Management of FBN, whose legitimacy is being challenged, has gone further, during the pendency of the cases challenging their competence to lead the bank, to arbitrarily appoint further five independent directors. Where they derived the power from remains a mystery.
“Mismanagement and manipulation of shares are also being alleged in some of the cases pending against the bank while the legality of the AGMs and the imposed board of directors remain a challenge.” The union leader expressed the fear that the spate of litigations and board squabbles currently rocking the bank may bring a quick collapse of the over 100-year- old bank.
Also speaking on the development, a shareholder, Mr. Olalekan Babalola, said “it is imperative for the authorities to find a solution to this lingering crisis as Nigeria cannot afford another major bank’s collapse at this critical time when President Bola Tinubu is working hard to revamp the nation’s crumbling economy. This is because the current crisis will definitely impede the bank from getting the new Central Bank’s capitilisation threshold.”
He called for urgent resolution of all court cases in the overall interest of depositors, shareholders and other stakeholders of the bank before further damage is done to the oldest Nigerian bank.
Corporate Affairs Commission places First Bank record on caveat as board crisis worsens
Terrorists Seize Humanitarian Aid Vehicle in Niger!
Suspected ISWAP terrorists launched a daring attack, seizing a Toyota Land Cruiser belonging to CADEV, an NGO affiliated with CRS (Catholic Relief Services) on Friday. The NGO, dedicated to humanitarian aid and feeding refugees in Niger Republic, was ambushed between Gargada and Gagamari, along Diffa-Maine Soroa road.
Tragically, the terrorists unleashed gunfire during the assault, resulting in the death of the driver. Another official sustained gunshot wounds but remains in stable condition.
The vehicle’s tracking data uncovered its location across the border in Yobe State, Nigeria. Intelligence sources revealed to Phantom Eye that the area serves as a stronghold for ISWAP.
This incident vividly highlights the dangers faced by humanitarian organizations in conflict zones. The loss of the vehicle disrupts critical aid delivery efforts, especially for vulnerable populations, predominantly Nigerian refugees in Niger Republic.
Terrorists Seize Humanitarian Aid Vehicle in Niger!
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