U.S Consul-General hails Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute for leadership legacy

The Consul-General of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Joellen Gorg, has described the Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute (OOLI) as a beacon of transformational leadership and ethical governance. Gorg said that the institute was a great legacy of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. This is contained in a statement issued by Prof. Elvis Otobo, the Media Consultant to the institute, on Friday. The consul-general made the commendation during a high-level engagement with representatives and stakeholders of the institute. She expressed delight at the institute’s mission of nurturing leaders capable of addressing complex global challenges while upholding Africa’s rich heritage and intellectual legacy. “OOLI represents a forward-thinking platform that not only champions ethical leadership in Africa but also cultivates dialogue and collaboration across borders. “I fully embrace the vision behind its founding and welcome future partnerships to broaden its international reach,” Gorg said. According to her, discussions are being made to explore joint initiatives that will expand the institute’s influence and incorporate global best practices. In his response, Deputy Chief Executive of OOLI, Prof. Adedeji Daramola, expressed gratitude for the consul-general’s commendation. He reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to raising a new generation of servant-leaders grounded in integrity, innovation and resilience. “As OOLI continues its rise as a continental force in leadership education, this international acknowledgment sets the tone for deeper engagement and transformative partnerships that reflect Africa’s strategic role in global affairs. “The institute’s growing recognition further strengthens its place as a catalyst for change in leadership across the continent,” Daramola said. 

Biden’s Blunder Fuels Criticism from Russian Officials

In a recent interview with MSNBC, US President Joe Biden stumbled over his words, mistakenly conflating Ukraine with the Middle East while discussing international affairs.  Former Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev seized on the blunder, claiming it reflects Biden’s deteriorating mental state. During the interview, Biden discussed the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, stating, “We shouldn’t have gone into Ukraine.” He quickly corrected himself, referring to the US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This confusion is not isolated, as Biden has faced criticism for similar slips in the past. Medvedev, currently serving as deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, posted a clip of the gaffe on social media, accompanied by a scathing remark, labeling Biden a “rare kind of idiot.” Some Russian officials suggest Biden’s mistake was Freudian, implying underlying sentiments about US involvement in Ukraine. The conflict in Ukraine is viewed by Moscow as a US-led proxy war against Russia. In the interview, Biden also criticized former President Donald Trump’s skepticism towards NATO, highlighting the organization’s importance for national defense. However, Moscow perceives NATO’s expansion in Europe as a contributing factor to tensions with Ukraine. The incident adds fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding Biden’s mental acuity and his ability to effectively navigate international relations.

Crude Oil: US shores up reserves with additional 3 million barrels

The Energy Department of the United States has said it plans to purchase 3 million more barrels of crude oil for its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. According to a statement from the department, previous solicitation for about 3 MMbbl resulted in contracts awarded to five companies at an average price of about $73 per bbl. The move marks the agency’s attempts to begin replenishing the emergency reserve after it released more than 200 MMbbl last year, in part to curb high energy prices. The DOE further said that it would accept bids for the new solicitation of sour crude oil through June 20 and contracts would be awarded by June 30 for deliveries in September. The previous awards are due for delivery in August.

US sets to rejoin UNESCO after 12 years

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has announced that the United States has decided to rejoin the organisation in July. The U.S. will rejoin the UN cultural agency after having stopped all funding in 2011 and announced its complete withdrawal from the agency. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay told Member States that the decision was “a strong act of confidence in UNESCO and in multilateralism”. He added that it was also an expression of confidence in the way that the agency was implementing its mandate on culture, education, science and information. UNESCO said that in a letter sent to Azoulay, the U.S. State Department “welcomed the way in which UNESCO had addressed in recent years emerging challenges, modernised its management, and reduced political tensions”. The country stopped funding UNESCO in 2011 after the organisation extended membership to Palestine. At the time, U.S. funding made up 22 percent of the agency’s budget. The United States is a founding member of UNESCO and had also withdrawn from the organisation in 1984, then rejoined in 2003. The full return of the U.S. as a UNESCO Member State was made possible by an agreement reached by Congress in December 2022. The agreement was part of the $1.7 trillion Omnibus Appropriations Bill, authorising the resumption of financial contributions to the organisation. The suspension of contributions in 2011 took place after a large majority of other UNESCO countries accepted Palestine as a Member State. This made the U.S. trigger a 1990 law passed on Capitol Hill forbidding funding for any international body that admitted Palestine. However, the legislation last December, granted a waiver to the 33-year-old law. The formal withdrawal from UNESCO by the U.S. occurred on January 1, 2019, with Israel following suit. As of December 2020, the U.S. reportedly owed UNESCO around $616 million in unpaid membership dues. According to news reports, U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, had spoke in Washington in favour of rejoining UNESCO. He reportedly told lawmakers in April 2022, that it was important to be a member to help shape its norms and standards, and contribute to its critical work in education and artificial intelligence. In its press release announcing the U.S. decision, UNESCO said new initiatives have been launched empowering the organisation “to fully tackle contemporary challenges”. It said the challenges include issues such as the ethics of artificial intelligence or the protection of the ocean, “while emblematic new field campaigns, including the reconstruction of the old city of Mosul Iraq. It said these “have allowed the organisation to reconnect with its historical ambitions.” A new “financing plan” linked to the U.S. returning to the fold, will now be submitted to UNESCO’s General Conference, for Member States’ approval. 

Russia blames Ukraine for drone attacks on Moscow

Russia has blamed Ukraine for drone attacks on Moscow, calling it an “act of terrorism.” “This morning, the Kiev regime carried out an act of terrorism with unmanned aerial vehicles on objects in the city of Moscow,’’ the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. A total of eight drones were used, all of which had since been destroyed, the ministry said. Three had been diverted from their original flight path and the remaining five had been shot down by Russian air defences, it added. Moscow did not provide any evidence for the accusations against Kiev. There was initially no reaction from Ukraine. Earlier, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that his city had been attacked by drones in the early hours of the morning. Some residential buildings were slightly damaged and two people were slightly injured, he wrote.