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G7 a hegemonic clique undermining international order, trampling on equity, justice

Published

3 years ago

May 29, 2023

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
The Group of Seven (G7) Hiroshima Summit ended amid protests on May 21.
Despite its vows to build a “peaceful, stable and prosperous world” and uphold “international order based on the rule of law,” the summit did nothing to tackle global challenges. On the contrary, it arbitrarily interfered in other countries’ domestic affairs and provoked divide and confrontation.
A joint statement was released after the meeting, which hyped a series of China-related topics, slandered and attacked China, grossly violated China’s domestic affairs and blatantly challenged the post-war international order.
This seriously violated the basic norms governing international relations and fully proved that the G7 has become a tool that protects the hegemony of the United States. The Western clique is growing into a source of risks against world peace and stability, and a saboteur of the international order.
The erroneous remarks made by the G7 on the Taiwan question provided evidence of the group challenging post-war international order.
Taiwan is China’s Taiwan. Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese, a matter that must be resolved by the Chinese. The one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The G7 always stresses the importance of respecting other countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity when speaking of the Ukraine crisis. However, it says nothing about the need to oppose “Taiwan independence” though it keeps emphasizing cross-Strait peace. Such double standards in effect constitute connivance and support for “Taiwan independence” forces, and will never lead the group to good results.
Over the recent years, the United States has followed the salami tactics on the Taiwan question, distorting, manipulating, fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle. Some high-ranking U.S. officials even claimed that the Taiwan question is not China’s domestic affair.
The G7 Hiroshima Summit propagated that the Taiwan question exerts important impacts on the security and prosperity of the world, which fully proves that the G7 is reduced to an accomplice of the United States to “contain China with Taiwan,” and standing on the opposite side of the post-war international order.
The G7 talks like a parrot when it comes to issues related to the East China Sea, the South China Sea, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, spreading lies fabricated by the United States and trying to smear China with the so-called “economic coercion.” Its ultimate goal is to tarnish China’s image and peddle the “China threat” theory.
Despite the chaotic governance and poor human rights records of its own members, the G7 is always interfering in China’s domestic affairs, such as issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, in the name of “democracy” and “human rights.” This only reveals the group’s hypocrisy and hegemony.
The East China Sea and the South China Sea have remained overall stable. The G7, using maritime issues to drive a wedge between regional countries, is indeed posing risks for the stability in the region. The United States, which resorts to illegal unilateral sanctions, long-arm jurisdiction, decoupling, breakage of supply and industrial chains, and politicizing and weaponizing economic and trade ties, is indeed the origin and expert of “economic coercion.” The G7 is completely doing the United States’ bidding as an accomplice of “economic coercion.”
U.S. hegemony is seen in every word in the joint statement released after the G7 Hiroshima Summit. The summit, which was a political farce, indicated that the United States is trying to turn its tactic of denigrating and containing China into a consensus of the G7.
Protectors of justice around the world are highly alert to hegemonic countries doubling down efforts to provoke bloc confrontation, sabotage the international order and undermine peace and stability with their cliques. The international community will not accept the “Western rules” dominated by the G7 and drawing ideological and value lines, nor will it tolerate the West’s lecturing.
Some said the G7 has become a “political group” that is manipulated by the United States and cannot represent the whole world, and the decisions made by the group are totally politics-oriented and aimed at seeking political and economic interests for the United States at the expense of other countries’ interests. Some said such a political group that hinders the development of other countries should be eliminated by history. These voices of justice exactly mirror the true attitude of most countries in the world toward the G7, a group that goes against the trend of history.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined a press conference in Hiroshima on the day the G7 concluded, which attracted high attention. He listed the moral, power-related and practical injustices faced by developing countries.
“In our multipolar world, as geopolitical divisions grow, no country or group of countries can stand by as billions of people struggle with the basics of food, water, education, healthcare, and jobs,” he said, adding that “Here in Hiroshima, it’s time to demonstrate global leadership and global solidarity.”
His remarks represented the requests raised by the developing world for the G7, the “rich country club.” However, the G7 turned a deaf ear to the remarks though it was trying to rope in developing countries. On the contrary, it kept undermining international order and trampling on equity and justice, which disappointed developing countries.
American political scientist Parag Khanna believes that the G7 is no longer qualified for coordinating global issues and its summit was meaningless.
Gone are the days when a handful of Western countries can just willfully meddle in other countries’ internal affairs and manipulate global affairs. When the international community, especially the developing world, is gaining an increasing awareness for strategic independence, the G7 will only be further isolated if it continues assisting the United States to pursue hegemony.
The G7 needs to reflect on its behavior, rather than continuing its wanton act. Only by stopping forming closed and exclusive small circles, stopping containing and oppressing other countries, stopping provoking bloc confrontation and returning to the right track of dialogue and cooperation, can the group avoid becoming a stumbling block for world peace, stability and development and avoid being eliminated by the trend of the times.

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

Published

6 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

6 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

8 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.