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Bloc confrontation leads nowhere, mutual benefit and win-win results prevail

Published

4 years ago

February 8, 2023

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

The current U.S. administration has been obsessed with building “small circles” around the world in an attempt to contain China, slow and even hinder China’s development.

The practices, including fueling group politics and provoking bloc confrontation, run against the trend of the times and have aroused wide concerns of the international community.

More and more U.S. allies have realized that blindly following in the footsteps to oppose China will lead them nowhere. Instead, keeping the U.S.’ China policy at arm’s length and strengthening strategic autonomy is in their own interests, and adopting rational and pragmatic policy toward China is the right way.

Insisting on regarding China as its imaginary enemy, the U.S. has identified China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge”.

U.S. politicians have hyped up the so-called “China threat” all over the world and sown discord between China and relevant countries. By taking advantage of allies’ traditional reliance on the U.S., it has taken a carrot-and-stick approach to persuade and even coerce its allies to choose sides.

The U.S. has concocted the so-called “democracy versus authoritarianism” narrative, attempting to create an alliance in a bid to expand its military bloc.

Such practices of the U.S. aimed at provoking bloc confrontation have posed serious challenges to the stability of international order and threatened the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

When it talked about “allies”, “values”, and “international rules”, what the U.S. is truly thinking about are “America’s interests”, “America First”, and “American hegemony”.

The country has taken submarine orders worth tens of billions of U.S. dollars away from France, introduced the Inflation Reduction Act to protect and even expand its manufacturing in a way that has almost bled the European manufacturing dry and recklessly forced its allies into “decoupling” from China.

Facts have proved that the U.S. regards its allies merely as its pawns and takes for granted that the interests of its allies must give way to the selfish interests of American hegemony.

As John Menadue, former Australian Ambassador to Japan, put it bluntly, the U.S. is a “dangerous, erratic and risky ally.”

America has always wanted to maintain a technological edge over other economic powers, and these days, however, it is pursuing that goal in a new way: “We have moved from a ‘run faster’ to a ‘run faster and trip the other guy’ policy,” pointed out an article published on the website of British weekly magazine The Economist.

History has proved time and again that confrontation only brings catastrophic consequences. The U.S.’ attempt to contain and suppress China by copying the old “Cold War playbook” represents its serious misjudgment of the international situation and the trend of the times.

The world is no longer what it used to be. Today, the interests of countries are deeply entwined. As the proverb goes, “One who tries to blow out other’s oil lamp will get his beard on fire.”

Protectionism and unilateralism can protect no one; they ultimately hurt the interests of others as well as one’s own. Even worse are the practices of hegemony and bullying, which run counter to the tide of history.

A stable international order is a global public good that is essential for every country. Deliberately provoking confrontation and creating divisions will only damage the common interests of the international community.

As a major trading partner for more than 140 countries and regions, China has been deeply integrated into the world economy and international systems. Isolating China and limiting cooperation with China serves no one’s interests and will by no means become a reality.

China’s development generates opportunities for world peace and development. The wishful thinking of certain people in the U.S. to contain China can find no support in the international community.

As many far-sighted personages, including former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, pointed out, nearly two-thirds of countries trade more with China than with the U.S. Instead of decoupling or deintegrating, many countries are deepening their trade with China.

Many of the U.S.’ allies have realized that the Cold War mentality is outdated and that following the U.S. in provoking a new Cold War does not conform to their interests.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on China and the U.S. to avoid confrontation and stressed that the China-U.S. power struggle poses a huge risk and challenge.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said China is an important trading partner for Germany and for Europe as a whole, and that Germany firmly supports trade liberalization, supports economic globalization, and opposes decoupling.

Germany stands ready for closer trade and economic cooperation with China, and supports more mutual investment by Chinese and German businesses, he said, noting that a multi-polar world is needed and that Germany opposes bloc confrontation.

China does not pursue expansion, pointed out President of the European Council Charles Michel, noting that China is an important partner for upholding the purposes of the UN Charter and supporting multilateralism.

The EU is ready to become a reliable and predictable cooperation partner for China, Michel said.

Many countries in the Asia-Pacific region have also stayed vigilant to U.S.’ provocation of bloc confrontation.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized that Vietnam will not allow any country to establish a military base in Vietnam, or join any military alliance, or use force against any country, or work with one country to oppose another.

Leaders of the Philippines, Thailand, and other Asia-Pacific countries have also made it clear that they will not choose sides between China and the U.S.

The U.S. should let go of its obsession with the Cold War. It should understand that the American hegemony can find no support, bloc confrontation would only lead to a dead end, building “a small yard with high fences” would result in isolation and retrogression, and “decoupling” would hurt others without benefiting itself.

It should adopt a calm, rational, and realistic attitude toward its relations with China and stop containing and suppressing China. In particular, it should truly put into practice its promise that the U.S. side has no intention to seek “de-coupling” from China, to halt China’s economic development, or to contain China.

As a major country in the world, the U.S. ought to shoulder its due responsibilities for the peaceful development of the world.

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Bank Cannot Freeze Customer’s Account Without Valid Court Order — Zarewa

Published

2 hours ago

October 7, 2026

Our Reporter

A legal practitioner, Mr M. D. Zarewa, has said that a bank cannot freeze or restrict a customer’s account without a valid court order.
Zarewa said it was prevalent in the society for law enforcement agencies to give directives to banks to freeze customers’ accounts whenever there was a pending case before them, adding that banks often complied with such directives.
He, however, said such practice was alien to Nigeria’s jurisprudence, stressing that banks were enjoined not to interfere with or restrict the activities of any customer’s account without a valid court order.
According to him, it is trite law and settled beyond argument that a bank cannot freeze a customer’s account without a valid court order.
He said the position was entrenched in the case of GTB Plc v. Olachi & Anor (2025) LPELR-81833(CA), where the Court of Appeal held that “whether frozen or restricted, neither can be done without the valid order of a Court of Law.”
Zarewa further cited GTBank v. Adedamola (2019) 5 NWLR (Pt. 1664) 30 at 43, Paras. E-F, where the court held:
“Before freezing customer’s account or placing any form of restraint on any account, the bank must be satisfied that there is an Order of Court.
“By the provisions of Section 34 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has no power to give direct instructions to banks to freeze the account of a customer without an Order of Court. So doing, constitutes a flagrant disregard and violation of the rights of a customer.”
The lawyer said any customer whose account had been frozen or restricted without a valid court order could institute a suit against the bank for grossly violating his or her rights.
He said such a customer could particularly seek redress for the violation of the right to own movable and immovable property and seek compensation from the court.
Furthermore, Zarewa said the law was trite that where there was a wrong, there was a remedy, as captured in the Latin maxim, Ubi jus ibi remedium.

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Gov AbdulRazaq Inaugurates 464-Unit Housing Estate In Kwara

Published

2 hours ago

October 7, 2026

Our Reporter

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

‌‌‌‍‍‍⁠⁠‍⁠⁠Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has inaugurated the ‘AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Morire Housing Estate’ in Ijagbo, Oyun Local Government Area of the State.

Speaking at the groundbreaking of the housing estates, which included 210 units of two-bedroom terrace apartments, 200 units of three-bedroom units and 54 units of four-bedroom terrace duplexes, the
Governor, noted that housing should not be seen or regarded as a luxury, but rather as a fundamental human requirement and cornerstone of dignity, security, and family stability, lamenting the daunting challenge of addressing housing deficits across the country.

He said: “Dear Kwarans, housing is not a luxury. Basic housing is a
fundamental human need and a cornerstone of dignity, security,
and family stability. Yet, across Nigeria and indeed in Kwara State,
the challenge of addressing housing deficit is daunting.

“This administration believes that inadequacy of proper shelter
for Nigerians is not merely a problem of not building enough
houses. Indeed, several studies have attributed the housing deficit in Nigeria to a complex mix of causes, key among them being high costs and rising costs of building materials, weak finance, difficult land systems, infrastructure gaps, institutional limitations, among others.

“On behalf of the people of Kwara, I thank the management of ISHI
Homes Limited for this partnership and for choosing Kwara State
as the location for this important development.”

Represented by the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr Segun Ogunsola, the Governor applauded the developer for recognising his administration’s contributions to mass housing development in the State.

“The administration has consistently placed housing development high on its agenda. The government recognises access to decent and affordable housing as essential to the wellbeing of the people.

“The State Government has also been in active collaboration with
institutional partners including the Federal Ministry of Housing
with a view to increasing housing stock in the State.

“Recently, we acquired a housing estate with over 130 flats at
Ogbondoroko in Asa LGA of the State. Government has approved
that the estate be onboarded onto the administration’s social
support scheme,” he disclosed.

AbdulRazaq said the commitment was reflected in the development of the Kwara Smart City and other mass housing initiatives across the State.

The Governor disclosed that his reforms in land administration have reduced the processing time for Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from 180 days to 35 days.

AbdulRazaq said the improved turnaround time demonstrated the administration’s commitment to making land administration more transparent, efficient and investor-friendly.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ISHI Homes, Dr Olayinka Ilufoye, said the project was intended to democratise home ownership and make decent and affordable housing accessible to the people of Kwara South senatorial district.

Ilufoye said the estate was meant for civil servants, traders and other Nigerians who can access it through the National Housing Fund (NHF).

“The name AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Morire, which translates to ‘I have seen goodness’, is a deliberate expression of our faith, hope and expectation.

“We believe this estate will become a testimony of prosperity, progress and abundance in Kwara South,” he said.

Ilufoye pledged that the company would remain committed to transparency, accountability, quality construction and timely delivery.

The Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KWGIS), Alhaji Sulyman Abdulkareem said the state government has consistently placed housing development high on its development agenda.

He commended the state government for ensuring access to land, facilitating the prompt issuance of titles and certificate of occupancy.

Abdulkareem pointed out that by providing timely approval for mortgage transactions, the Governor is creating the conditions necessary for housing development to thrive in Kwara State.

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Scholars Hail Late Sheik Kamalu-deen’s Legacies iN Education, Leadership

Published

4 hours ago

October 7, 2026

Our Reporter

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Nigeria, and the world at large, are in dire need of exemplary leaders like the late Founder of the Ansarul Islam Society of Nigeria, Sheik Muhammad Kamalu-deen al- Adabbiy.

This was the submission of various scholars at a media briefing in ilorin, the Kwara State capital, to usher in the Society’s week-long activities to commemorate the 100 years of the establishment of the Az-Zumratul Adabiyatul Kamaliyyah School of Arabic and Islamic Studies, in Okekere, Ilorin.

The school was fouded by the late Sheik Kamalu-deen in 1942.

Born in 1905, the late Sheik Kamalu-deen was one of Nigeria’s foremost Islamic scholars and educational piooneers who transformed deep Islamic religoius learning into education and also advocated the acquisition of western education .

He also served as a Councillor and Member of the Ilorin Native Authority Transition Committee between 1958 and 1961and was appointed as the first grand mufti of Ilorin by the Emir of Ilorin.

The late Kamalu-deen al- Adabbiy died in 2005 at the aged of 100 years, leaving behind impactful legacies in the propagation of Islamic religion, scholarship, education and leadership.

Addressing journalists at the ancient hall of the Az-Zumratul Adabiyatul Kamaliyyah School of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Okekere, Ilorin, the spokesperson, Prof Kamil Kamaldeen, said the late sheikh was “non discriminatory” in all his policies, a virtue he said was lacking in most leaders today.

“We are here to celebrate the legacies of the late Sheikh Muhammad Kamalu-deen al-Adabbiy not to tell his history, at a time when the world continues to need what he stood for. We are in a world today that we are looking for leaders who will serve without puting themselves first, no matter where we come from,” he said

The Registrar was flanked by the Vice Chancellor of the Muhammad Kamalu-deen University, Prof AbdulRasheed Jimoh, General Overseer of the Az-Zumratul school, Sheik Mustapha Kamalu-deen al- Adabby, Grand Khadi of the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Abdulateef Kamaldeen, National Missioner of Ansarul Islam Society of Nigeria, Sheik Abdulmumini Ayara, retired Grand Khadi of the Kwara state Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Idris Haroon and a foremost islamic Scholar, Sheik Sharafadeen Ajara .

Others included the President of Az-Zumratul alumni association, Ustaz Abdullahi Oni-Tolotolo, and the Principal of the School.

They noted that the late Sheikh Kamalu-deen had through his preachings, established educational structures and selfless leadership qualities, produced worthy ambassadors in all spheres of disciplines, urging leaders at all levels to invest heavily in education .

“No society loses from investing in education, it can only gain, no society loses when you build skills, you can only gain,” they added.

The Scholars also charged leaders to take a cue from the late Sheikh Kamalu-deen whom they said was always willing to collaborate with scholars and leaders of like minds in a bid to bring advancement and progress to his community, citing his link with Al-Ahhar University, Cairo, as beneficial in advancement of higher Islamic studies in Ilorin.