Everybody is angry at the government [ISSUE 3. S3]
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The devil is working, but the Ondo State Government is doing nothing.
Everybody is angry at the government
In a fascinating turn of events, patients in University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, staged a protest at the hospital on Thursday. According to the news, the patients, all enrolled in the National Health Insurance Scheme, were dissatisfied with the services, shut down the clinic and locked the staff out of the premises.
So, according to a spokesperson-- a patient, naturally-- the NHIS and the hospital staff have been moving mad for over a year and they got tired of it. The rep said the hospital has not been providing medicine, and doctors are often unavailable for long stretches. It’s like an extreme case of the usual Nigerian incompetency, and these guys are over it.
Interestingly, last month, medical staff from the same hospital protested and marched over non-payment for over six months. The staff threatened to strike, the patients have striked, everybody is angry at the government.
Our daddy in the lord said “Change the game”, and the game was changed.
You know how, in schools, even though the teacher did the barest minimum, they’d latch onto the best results in class and claim that as their success? Or how teachers sometimes make exams so difficult that everyone would fail?
The Oyo state governor is over it.
The Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, is measuring teacher’s competencies by the average student performance in external examinations. This new policy is the government’s attempt to enhance both educational and legislative policies. Now, they’d know who to promote and why, and can propose the appropriate benefits.
This policy may prompt teachers to pay more attention to students. I’m also hoping the governor’s various reforms will extend to special needs schools and students, because they are here.
The priest who raped his congregation.
A Nigerian prophet in the UK, Michael Oluronbi and his wife Juliana, have been convicted of raping and conspiring to sexually assault members of his church. The report states that for over a decade, Oluronbi has assaulted and raped many children and adults in his church.
As usual, some of the abuse was carried out after he convinced the victims that he could cleanse the evil spirit out of them (it seems the best way to do this is to substitute one evil with another, considering how many spiritual leaders have adopted this technique).
This is only making news because one of the victim’s families leaked a video to the police last year, and he was arrested. The report also said Oluronbi, a trained pharmacist (priest and rapist) took some of his victims to abortion clinics to cover up his devil-orchestrated act.
His wife allegedly helped out. They both await a final sentence.
Meanwhile in Nigeria, the punishment for assault is a pay cut?
In another sex-for-marks scandal, the Nigerian lecturer’s Number One trend, a student at Obafemi Awolowo Univerisity recorded a lecturer, Olabisi Olaleye threatening to fail her for not heeding to his sexual advances. The university responded by slashing Olaleye’s salary into half while investigating.
The recording was prompted by other students who had suffered similar plight and prompted the latest victim to get it on tape. Apparently, another lecturer had tried to intervene for another student in the past, but Olaleye insulted him so he decided to leave the girls to their demons since his honor is more important.
If like us, you think more intense disciplinary actions are necessary, you can send a message to the Vice Chancellor’s office urging them to do more.
Politics and politicking
Word on the street is that Lagos No.1 guy, Sanwo-olu, has reshuffled and fired a couple of commissioners . Life on my street is such that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway is still blocked and it still takes me an hour to drive through the traffic.
The Imo State Governor?
After dragging it out with courts since March 2019, APC’s Hope Uzodinma has been declared the rightful winner of the 2019 gubernatorial elections in Imo state.
See what had happened was:
Uzodinma was not satisfied with the results; he said that 366 of the 380 approved polling stations had been rigged.
He asked the court to summon the deputy commissioner of police, Rabiu Hassaini -- who oversaw the elections and is lawfully entitled to result copies. Hassaini didn’t have his boss’ approval so they were like nope, byeee.
Justice Frederick Oho thought the approval was unnecessary, since the subpoena came from his boss’ boss’ office: the Inspector General of Police.
The case was taken to the supreme court > SC unanimously accepted Uzodinma’s claims > current government [PDP] didn’t have any countering evidence> new guy is victorious.
New Year, New Nigeria
Buhari would like to end child marriage by 2021, from his vacation home apparently. In 2017, 43% of Nigerian girls under 18 were forced into marriage. Buhari says it is being handled.
Finance Bill
President Buhari signed the 2019 Finance Act into law. The act is to be the foundation on which the 2020 budget will be set-- they’re creating a more stable environment for businesses. This act introduces an important change: VAT up from 5 to 7%, and amends stamp duties, custom duties, capital gains tax, personal income tax and company tax.
Details please?
Now, everyone- old and new- bank account holders need to provide a Tax Identification Number
Company Income tax (CIT) does not apply for small businesses [that earn less than N 25million annually and have less than 50 people on their payroll]
Medium businesses [>25 and <500 million naira earnings] pay 20% of CIT and larger businesses provide their Tax Identification Number
Alright, what does it all mean?
The VAT on goods will increase their prices and potentially reduce consumption of luxury goods
But the exception of basic goods from the VAT and small companies from CIT means that there will be less burden on certain goods and consumption of locally produced goods might increase.
Reduction of CIT on medium sized companies will encourage business development.
Question, however, is that with these reforms, will people be more willing to pay taxes? Or will it be easier for the tax man to do his job? Let’s discuss this in our telegram group.
Here’s stuff we think you should check out:
About lesbians getting targeted and abused in Nigeria through social media. A victim tells her story.
Adetomiwa for Global Voices about 2020 hopefully being the year of the Nigerian girl and woman.
Oluwatosin for the Mail & Guardian and The Pulitzer Centre about the dwindling population of native French speakers in Lagos.
There is an opinion piece about the UBA layoffs & subsequent PR stunt and the Dangote refinery by David Hundeyin.
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