🗞️ Do they know it's a democracy at all?
Hi!
This edition was written by Hope Ibiale, and edited by Adetomiwa. That News News is an independent self-funded project by me (Adetomiwa). If you find it useful, you can support by sharing, donating or sending us sweet treats.
In this edition:
Wash your hands, cholera is everywhere.
Democracy dey?
FG vs Labour Congress season 100
New policies might shake everywhere
This newsletter is 2,290 words. About 8-minute read
PSA: Cholera outbreak in Nigeria
The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has alerted Nigerians about the country's widespread cholera outbreak.
According to reports, 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed cases of cholera with 30 deaths have been reported from 96 LGAs in 30 states between the 1st of January and 11th of June 2024
90% of the cholera cases are from Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa and Lagos.
The NCDC has partnered with the Federal Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to curb the outbreak.
Democracy Day - current state of things
25 years of uninterrupted democracy and Nigeria is still struggling with the concept of freedom of expression: the Nigerian Police arrested June 12 protesters in Ibadan.
12 Nigerians representing the “Take It Back Movement” were arrested during a peaceful protest in Ibadan.
The protest was held to speak out against hardship in the country, insecurity, police brutality and kidnapping, electricity tariff hike, among other things.
Meanwhile, ENDSARS protesters are still in detention
The former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, admonished the president of Nigeria to release EndSARS protesters who were arrested in 2020 and are still in prison.
During his Democracy day speech, Sani stated that the release of the protesters will be symbolic to the goal of Democracy.
Sani compared the imprisoned protesters to people who were arrested during the military regime.
As of October 2023, 15 identified protesters were still imprisoned in Lagos and detained without trial.
Is Russia forcing migrants to join the military?
The Russian government says Bloomberg’s allegations that they’re sending thousands of migrants and foreign students to fight alongside its troops in the war against Ukraine in exchange for visa renewal is fake - DW
Bloomberg claims that Moscow is threatening students in the country with deportation if they don’t join the military.
The Russian government and the Russian Embassy in Nigeria also debunked the news that the country is coercing Nigerians to join the fight against Ukraine.
The Nigerian Foreign Ministry has also denied the news stating that it was an attempt to undermine the friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and Russia.
However, the Indian government affirms that they intercepted an attempt by Russia to coarse Indian nationals into joining the Russian military
The European Union is profiting off crushed japa dreams
The European Union collected €3,435,200 from rejected Schengen visa applications from Nigeria in 2023. The EU governments globally garnered €130 million from such rejections, with African and Asian countries bearing 90% of the costs, as reported by EUobserver.
Schengen visas allow entry into most European countries. If you are approved for a visa into one EU country, the visa allows you entry into others as well.
Many African citizens must wait over 200 days to obtain an employment visa. Even those being honoured with prestigious awards are denied visas due to fears they will “overstay and become illegal migrants.”
In contrast, many citizens from the global north do not need visas to enter these countries.
Countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal have the highest rejection rates.
Europe rejected nearly 50% of Nigerian applications in 2023. If your japa dreams fail, there is no refund o.
Europe is expected to profit even more this year as rejection rates are predicted to increase, and they are increasing visa application fees by 12%.
UK varsity offers expelled Nigerian students flight assistance
The Nigerian students who have been expelled from Teesside University in the United Kingdom over the failure to pay tuition fees have been offered an initiative that will cover travel costs.
In a bid to protest their expulsion from the University, 60 Nigerian students held a protest to express their displeasure over the university’s lack of empathy.
Following the protest and the intervention of the Nigerian federal government, some of the students have been re-enrolled, while others have been offered a relief fund that will cater to unexpected travel costs.
The university has also offered some students the option of studying remotely or returning to the UK at a later date.
Dangote’s refinery chronicles
The Dangote refinery has said its plan to release premium Motor Spirit into the market this month will no longer be possible. The new date for PMS to be introduced to the market has been moved to July 10-15, 2024. - Punch
Money
The new ballers in Nigeria are judicial officers
Judicial officers in Nigeria are about to get their money up because the Senate has approved a 300% increase in salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits.
Justices of the Supreme Court are to earn a total package of N4,213,192, while the President of the Court of Appeal is to earn a total monthly package of N4,478,415. Somebody play Stanley Okoro’s “Billionaire”.
Meanwhile, the minimum wage tussle with the Labour Union is still ongoing
The Trade Union Congress are still standing their ground for an increment in the minimum wage as they have rejected the N62,000 offer from the Federal Government.
The FG recently proposed a minimum wage of N62,000 but the TUC has rejected the offer. They are currently demanding an offer of N250,000.
The FG instructed the Minister of Finance to develop a minimum wage cost evaluation and a few days ago, Edu submitted a comprehensive minimum wage report to the president.
According to Edu, the report was created to implement a minimum wage that is affordable and sustainable (the President stressed in his Democracy Day speech that the FG will only pay a minimum wage “the country can afford”)
The FG also wants to make it clear that they did NOT approve or propose N105,000 as the new minimum wage.
According to Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, a new wage will be announced soon.
Nigerian governors want their money back
The governors of Nigeria's states want their money back from their investment in the $10bn National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs). They're asking the federal government to pay them for their share of the project.
The NIPPs were meant to make more electricity for Nigeria. It's owned by different levels of government in the country.
The governors say that since they're now allowed to run their own electricity markets, they should get their investment back from the NIPPs. They've sent a formal request to the Federal Ministry of Power.
Some people, like the former head of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, think that even though states can now have their own power systems, they should still benefit from being part-owners of the NIPPs.
The governors are also upset because they didn't get a fair evaluation of their assets when power companies were sold off to private investors. They want a better deal and a say in how these companies are run.
The FG is trying to sell some of the power plants from the NIPPs to get money, but not everyone agrees on how much these plants should sell for. Some think the sale might not bring in enough cash to make a difference in the country's budget problems.
Heritage Bank employees out of jobs
2,000 Heritage Bank employees have lost their jobs after the bank’s license was revoked. The employees revealed that they heard about the bank’s license revocation in the news, along with the rest of the country.
Since last year, Heritage Bank has been facing some challenges that resulted in the bank’s inability to grant customer withdrawals, some of the bank’s workers lost their pension, while others were demoted.
Now, 2000 employees have been sacked. Other banks have begun to recruit the affected workers.
Guinness is leaving Nigeria, kind of
Diageo, the UK-based majority owner of Guinness Nigeria, has announced that it will be selling its 58.02% stake in the company to Tolaram Group, a Singapore-based conglomerate.
The 58.02% is said to be valued at approximately £53.8 million.
Tolaram will retain ownership of the Guinness brand, which will be licensed to Guinness Nigeria for the long term. So the producer is changing, but the drink remains.
Diageo said they are leaving the country because the economic challenges are affecting business.
Nigeria’s latest on loans
World Bank
The World Bank has voted in favour of a $2.25 billion financial support package for Nigeria that will help boost the country’s economic reforms.
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the presidency to release reports documenting the loan activities of past administrations.
SERAP is currently requesting documents detailing how past Nigerian presidents handled loans.
According to the organisation, this action was inspired by the need to understand why Nigerians are still poor despite multiple loans.
Fraud & Crime
Nasir El-Rufai
Kaduna’s House of Assembly’s ad-hoc committee has urged authorities to investigate former Governor Nasir El-Rufai for allegedly diverting N423 billion.
The ad-hoc committee is accusing El-Rufai of misappropriating funds. They also claim that the ex-governor left Kaduna with a lot of debts.
However, El-Rufai has refuted these claims stating that he is proud of his track record and achievements as the former governor of Kaduna state.
Yahaya Bello
A Federal High Court, Abuja, has adjourned the arraignment of former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, till June 27 because Bello didn’t appear in court
Bello has been MIA since the EFCC declared him missing and the current Kogi State governor Ahmed Usman Ododo attempted to overrule his investigation.
EFCC officials say they suspect that some EFCC higher-ups and political leaders are hiding Yahaya Bello. No shit
The accused Binance execs are still under arrest
The Federal Inland Revenue Service has dropped the tax charges against Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla who escaped detention. While Binance will still face trial on June 20 for separate charges, Gambaryan will remain in Kuje prison - Guardian NG
More arrests
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command arrested six suspects who specialise in registering SIM cards with other innocent citizens’ identities and selling them to criminals. 1,100 registered SIM cards, three registration machines, two fingerprint machines, and a mobile phone were recovered from the suspects.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs reports sexual assault
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has written a complaint letter to the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, over allegations of sexual harassment of a married staff member, Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa.
Minister Tuggar has called for the investigation of Nigeria’s Permanent Secretary, Ibragim Adamu Lamuwa, over sexual harassment allegations.
These sexual harassment allegations raised by Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi Lamuwa have prompted a thorough investigation.
Ayaji is currently being represented by Femi Falana.
Insecurity
Kidnapping in:
Nasarawa
About 20 travellers, including some students of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa were abducted along the Abuja-Nasarawa Highway. The Nigerian Police have reportedly rescued three abductees and are currently searching for the others - Punch
Lagos
The Managing Director of Fouani company (LG and Hisense) and three Lebanese men were kidnapped around Falomo Bridge while travelling from Apapa to Victoria Island by boat. The kidnappers have asked for a ransom of $1.5 million - Punch
Bloodbath in Katsina
Terrorists have killed at least 41 people and injured scores of others in a barrage of attacks on several communities in Safana Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State. Other communities they attacked: Sheme, Kantara, Marabar Kantara, Dan Mai Daki, Dan Nakwabo, Gidan Boka village, and Kurmeji village. Premium Times
PCRC, hunters and vigilantes in Kogi state are collaborating to combat crime
Mogaji Ibrahim-Olaniyan, the National Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), says the committee will partner with local hunters and vigilante groups to rid Kogi of criminals. Ibrahim-Olaniyan further stated that the collaboration will effectively secure lives and properties in Kogi state - Guardian NG
EFCC operatives are doing too much
In Ondo
The Ondo State chapter of the Lounge and Club Owners Association has called on the state and federal government to investigate the raid by the EFCC operatives on a nightclub and a hotel in Akure.
An association of club owners in Akure have accused EFCC operatives of assaulting their guests.
The EFCC had conducted a raid on two nightclubs over the weekend, arresting 127 people on suspicion of fraud.
A representative of the association said EFCC operatives destroyed their properties and made unlawful arrests. The association is planning to take legal action against the operatives.
In Nasarawa
Another set of EFCC operatives also invaded several students’ lodges in Nasarawa and three arrests were made. Witnesses claim the officers broke into their hostels without a warrant and searched their phones.
Policy
Six-year term for the presidency?
35 members of the House of Representatives have proposed a Bill for a single-six-year term for the presidency. They also want the seat of executive powers to rotate among the six geopolitical zones. This is the 5th time the house members are trying to get this bill passed.
They are also proposing a bill that will allow the election of two vice presidents from the southern and northern parts of Nigeria.
According to the reps supporting the bill, the law will “ensure a reduction in government spending and wastage, efficiency in governance, and national stability”.
Is there trouble in APC’s paradise?
Malam Salihu Lukman has resigned his membership of APC over alleged bad governance under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.
In a press statement, Lukman gave several reasons for his exit. One of these reasons he claims is the economic policies implemented by Tinubu which are “anti-people”.
Additionally, he claimed that Tinubu's administration has forced top party members not to speak the truth.
Other news
The Federal Government has to go after the management of any hospital that refused to attend to patients rushed into their facilities in an emergency - Punch
The result of the autopsy conducted on the body of late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba (MohBad) reveals the cause of death might have been a drug reaction - Punch.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal has fined prominent Pay-TV operator Multichoice Nigeria, owners of DStv and GOtv, ₦150 million for disputing the court’s jurisdiction and ordered the company to provide Nigerians with a one-month free subscription - Channels.
The price of ram in Nigeria has increased by over 180% between 2023 and 2024 - Nairametrics.
The Lagos State Government has unveiled plans to install CCTVs at transport hubs and bus stops - Tribune.
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I am saying thank you very much for putting this together !
9JA …..
what more can I say atp?