World leaders pay tribute to Alexei Navalny

The 47-year-old outspoken critic of President Putin has been in a Russian jail since 2021 on charges widely viewed as politically motivated.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has praised the Kremlin critic’s “extraordinary courage” in standing up “for basic freedoms, for democracy”, and says his death is a “tragedy”.

While Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says he was “shocked” upon hearing of Navalny’s death, saying it “illustrates the unprecedented brutality of the Russian regime”.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that in Russia “free spirits are sent to the Gulag and condemned to death” as he shared his “anger and indignation” in a post on X.

“I pay tribute to the memory of Alexei Navalny, his dedi…
Nigeria’s President Tinubu picks son-in-law to run housing agency

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has appointed his son-in-law as the head of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), sparking concerns about nepotism.

Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo is married to Mr Tinubu’s eldest daughter, Folashade.

This is the first time President Tinubu has selected a relative for a position in the federal government.

Announcing his appointment, the presidency said Mr Ojo had “over a decade of work experience in the housing and hospitality industries”.

He is also a former member of the House of Representatives.

But there has been a strong reaction on social media with some arguing that there were more qualified and deserving candidates than Mr Ojo.

“Blatant nepotism is a leadership weakness. It’s unfortunate Nigerian leaders don’t see it as a form of ethical failure,” one person posted on X.

Some have come out to defend the naming of Mr Ojo for the role, saying his relationship with the president should not bar him from government jobs.

His appointment was part of the president’s move to overhaul the management of the housing ministry.

The FHA, which falls under the ministry, is supposed to help deliver affordable homes across Nigeria.

The government did not immediately comment on the criticisms raised about the appointment.

SOURCE BBC NEWS