The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: France

  • Tinubu Extends European Vacation, to Return This Weekend

    Tinubu Extends European Vacation, to Return This Weekend

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    President Bola Tinubu has extended his working vacation in Europe by a few days and is expected to return to Nigeria this weekend, the Presidency has announced.

    Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week working vacation, initially travelling to London before moving to Paris, France, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.

    The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the extension in a statement on Monday.

    According to him, Tinubu has remained in contact with officials at home and continued to direct government affairs while abroad.

    The Presidency said the President had, among other directives, ordered an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died after being detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.

    “President Tinubu will return to Nigeria at the weekend, following the extension of his working vacation by a few days,” the statement said.

    During Tinubu’s absence, Vice President Kashim Shettima has represented him at several official engagements.

    Shettima, however, departed Abuja on September 20 for New York to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to deliver the country’s national statement.

    The Presidency said Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, would continue representing the President at official functions while Shettima is in the United States.

    ### Atiku raises constitutional questions

    The extension of Tinubu’s stay abroad has drawn criticism from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who questioned the constitutional arrangements for the exercise of presidential powers.

    Atiku, in a statement posted on his verified X account on Monday, asked who was exercising presidential authority with both Tinubu and Shettima currently outside the country.

    He referred to Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for the President to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation or otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office.

    Atiku said Nigerians had not been shown any such declaration transferring presidential functions to Shettima and called on the Presidency to make the document public if it exists.

    The former vice president also argued that Section 145(2) provides for the National Assembly to mandate the Vice President to perform the functions of President as Acting President if the required declaration is not transmitted within 21 days.

    The constitutional provision and its application to presidential vacations have previously attracted differing interpretations from constitutional lawyers. Premium Times reported earlier this month that Section 145(1) expressly requires a written declaration when the President proceeds on vacation, while Section 145(2) provides a mechanism involving the National Assembly where such a declaration is not transmitted within 21 days.

    Atiku described the matter as one of constitutional procedure rather than political convenience and questioned the continued exercise of presidential functions while Tinubu remains abroad.

    ### Presidency rejects criticism

    The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu remains in charge of government despite his physical absence from Nigeria.

    Presidential adviser Daniel Bwala said the President’s constitutional powers were not restricted by his geographical location and that Tinubu could continue to direct government affairs from abroad.

    The Presidency also dismissed Atiku’s concerns over Tinubu’s absence from the UN General Assembly, describing the criticism as baseless.

    Meanwhile, Shettima is representing Nigeria at the UN General Assembly and is scheduled to present the country’s national statement.

    Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend following the extension of his working vacation.

  • Macron Hosts Tinubu to Private Dinner at Élysée Palace

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday hosted President Bola Tinubu to a private dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris as both countries seek to deepen bilateral relations.

    The meeting was disclosed on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his verified X account.

    Onanuga said the dinner reflected the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and France and the two countries’ interest in expanding cooperation.

    “French President Emmanuel Macron received President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a private dinner Thursday night at the Élysée Palace, reflecting the enduring relationship between Nigeria and France and their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation,” he said.

    The engagement comes during Tinubu’s second leg of his three-week annual leave in Europe. The President arrived in Paris on September 13 after spending the first part of his holiday in London.

    Tinubu had departed Abuja on August 30 for the break, with the Presidency saying he would return to Nigeria at the end of the vacation to resume official duties and participate in preparations for the 2027 general election.

    The dinner adds to a series of high-level engagements between Tinubu and Macron since the Nigerian President assumed office in May 2023.

    Tinubu visited Paris in June 2023 to attend the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, where he met with Macron.

    The French government also hosted Tinubu for a state visit on November 28 and 29, 2024. During the visit, both countries signed declarations of intent covering economic cooperation, sustainable investment, critical minerals, banking, and the creative and cultural industries.

    Nigeria and France have also expanded cooperation in areas including trade, investment, security, energy, innovation and culture.

    France’s development agency, Agence Française de Développement, has invested more than €3 billion in Nigeria since 2010, according to the French government, with projects implemented across 26 states.

    The latest meeting also comes ahead of an expected visit to Nigeria by Macron.

    French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, said in July that the French President was expected to visit Nigeria in the autumn.

    According to the ambassador, the visit would provide an opportunity for both leaders to assess progress under the existing bilateral roadmap and identify additional areas of cooperation.

    The Tinubu-Macron engagement therefore provides another opportunity for Nigeria and France to sustain discussions on their economic, diplomatic and strategic partnership.

  • World Cup: Spain Beat France 2-0 to Reach Final

     

    Spain booked their place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating France 2-0 in the first semi-final at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday.

    Luis de la Fuente’s side controlled much of the contest and took the lead in the first half after Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. Mikel Oyarzabal converted the resulting spot-kick, sending goalkeeper Mike Maignan the wrong way to give La Roja the advantage.

    France’s problems deepened before the break when defender William Saliba was forced off with an injury and replaced by Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix in the 30th minute.

    Spain doubled their lead in the second half as Pedro Porro combined with Dani Olmo before finishing calmly past Maignan to put the match beyond France.

    Yamal appeared to have added a third goal, but the effort was ruled out after a VAR review found him to be offside.

    The victory sends Spain into Sunday’s World Cup final, where they will face the winners of the second semi-final between England and Argentina.

  • Alleged unfair practices: FCCPC seals France, Belgium, Italy visa centres

    Alleged unfair practices: FCCPC seals France, Belgium, Italy visa centres

    The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has raided the Abuja office of Contact Tele-performance Company (TLC), a visa support outfit, and sealed the premises following alleged consumer rights violations as well as assault on security officers by agents of the centre.

    The Director of Surveillance and Investigations, Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka, who led the enforcement team to the business premises, explained that the commission was left with no option but to seal the business premises as a result of these infractions.

    She also alleged that FCCPC enforcement agents were assaulted by persons acting on the company’s behalf.

    Adeyinka further explained that the investigation into TLS—a private company offering visa support services to Nigerians—began in March 2025, following complaints from consumers over the non-provision of services they had paid for.

    On March 25, the FCCPC served TLS a letter in line with its normal complaint resolution process. Instead of addressing the complaint, their officers assaulted FCCPC operatives carrying out their lawful duty of enforcing consumer rights.

    She further noted that the situation took a turn for the worse when TLS officials not only refused to collect a letter of summons to appear before the Commission, but also assaulted police officers who were providing lawful security for FCCPC operations.

    The FCCPC officer further said, “In line with Section 18(1)(f) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Tunji Bello directed the sealing of the premises.”

    She emphasized that the Commission had reasonable grounds to believe that certain services rendered by TLS were “inimical to consumer welfare,” and as such, its operations were suspended pending further investigation.

    According to her, senior officers of TLS, including the country manager and centre manager, have been summoned to appear before the Commission on or before 2:00 pm on Friday, June 20, 2025, to explain their conduct and defend the company’s actions.

    Adeyinka cautioned the management of the company against refusing to honour the latest summons, noting that dire consequences await those who choose to do so.

    She said, “Section 33(3) of the FCCPC Act stipulates that failure to comply with a summons, without sufficient cause, is an offense punishable by up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to ₦20m, or both.”

    “Section 33(4) goes further to state that any person who willfully obstructs or interrupts proceedings of the Commission is liable to the same penalties. TLS’s actions clearly fall under these violations.”

    She reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to protecting consumers within the confines of the Act establishing it.

    In response to a question about the nature of the original complaint, Adeyinka explained that it involved “non-provision of paid visa processing services” by TLS, a core issue affecting many Nigerians who rely on such centres for travel documentation.

    The FCCPC urged affected consumers to come forward with evidence of service failure as investigations continue.

    She said the sealing of TLS’s office serves as a stern warning to service providers across the country that the Commission will not hesitate to act decisively in defence of consumer rights. Vanguard