Everyone, say thanks to Buhari
Buhari said his administration had delivered on its campaign promises made to Nigerians in 2015
Hi!
Yes, this is a day late. Today is Sunday and tomorrow is Monday.
Wordcount: 1,230 words (approx. 5 min read)
The first round of the elections is on Saturday!
INEC has advised eligible voters in the upcoming general election to visit its online portal to know their polling units. Read how to confirm your location here.
Cash woes
Cash confusion = protests and unrest
The chaos brought on by the Naira redesign is still with us. Now, Nigerians are so frustrated with the state of the country that people have destroyed ATMs and set fire to banks to express their frustration.
In Ogun, Ondo, Abuja, Edo, Lagos and other parts of the country, protests have erupted in banks, at state CBN branches, and on the street.
In Benin City, the capital of Edo, security agents shut at protesters who were demonstrating in front of the CBN office and killed three people.
Okay, so what’s legal and what isn't?
Two weeks ago, the FG said they would obey the supreme court’s ruling, but last week, Buhari announced during a (rare) national broadcast that aired on national stations that old ₦500 and ₦1000 notes are no longer legal tender in Nigeria. He made this announcement.
However, the old ₦200 notes are still legal for the next 2 months. Buhari directed the CBN to release old ₦200 notes into circulation as legal tender until the 10th of April.
He also ordered banks to resume accepting old ₦500 and ₦1000 notes (of ₦500,000 or less) until told otherwise (if you go to the bank and they say they won’t collect it, show them this newsletter).
Buhari and the CBN decided to turn back to banks collecting notes after flocks of citizens flooded the CBN offices across the country following instructions for old note holders to exchange their cash directly at the CBN. As with everything, they were not prepared for the number of people who showed up.
President Buhari also apologised to Nigerians for the difficulties with the implementation of the naira redesign policy.
All of this is after the supreme court ordered the FG to pause implementing this new policy until the court makes a decision.
Many say that Buhari’s decision overrides the Supreme court’s judgement, which makes him dictator-like.
Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, said “Buhari’s broadcast to overruled the Supreme Court, in a manner only a military tyrant could ever contemplate”.
State governments on the new money policy
Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor says we should ignore Buhari and listen to the supreme court — the old notes are still legal, Sanwo-Olu said, and anyone caught not accepting it will be prosecuted (show this newsletter to the supermarket if they refuse to take your cash).
Sanwo-Olu Tweeted this a day before Buhari’s broadcast, though. Not sure what his position is now.
However, the notes are for sure still legal tender in Jigawa. Hours after ₦500 and ₦1000 notes Buhari’s broadcast, the Jigawa state government threatened to arrest anyone not collecting the old notes.
Lagos and Jigawa are part of the 11 governors who filed the lawsuit against the new notes policy at the supreme court.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has adjourned the suit on Naira Swap policy to February 22.
Assault
Muhammad and Aisha Buhari: the Bonnie and Clyde of awful people
While her husband is turning the country on its head, Aisha Buhari’s awfulness is more micro.
Zainab Kassim a former assistant to the President's wife, is suing Aisha Buhari, the Inspector General of Police, and the Department of State Services for violating her human rights.
Kassim says that DSS officers, acting on Aisha Buhari's orders, took her to the Presidential Villa, where they beat her, abused and dehumanized her for supposedly deleting social media posts from Mrs. Buhari’s account after she was fired.
Zainab said Mrs Buhari joined in the beating and, thinking she was pregnant, hit her on the stomach multiple times
Zainab is asking for N100m in damages and for the court to declare her detention as unlawful. She is also asking for an order to restrain the police and DSS from arresting, detaining, torturing or threatening her.
The case has not yet been assigned to a judge.
Foundation For Investigative Journalism spoke to Zainab and wrote a detailed documentation of her assault here.
Chrisland
Whitney Adeniran was a student at Chrisland High School's Opebi branch in Lagos who died on school premises.
Her father, Michael Adeniran, took to social media to express his grief and demand justice for his daughter.
He said that Whitney was in good health and had no underlying health conditions before leaving for the competition. But by 1 p.m. on the day of her death, Michael received a call from his wife informing him that Whitney had collapsed at the event and had been rushed to the clinic.
When he arrived, he found his daughter dead and the school authorities unable to explain what had happened.
Michael asked the Lagos State Government to intervene, and urged the pathology department of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital to be transparent in their autopsy report.
He also blamed the school for holding the competition without adequate preparations for health emergencies, such as not having a fully equipped ambulance or medical personnel present.
The Lagos State Ministry of Education has ordered a temporary closure of Chrisland, pending an investigation into the matter.
Human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana has volunteered to take on Whitney’s family’s case against Chrisland.
TW: Rape
The Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has sentenced a part-time teacher at Mind builders school, Chukwu Ndubuisi, to life imprisonment for raping a six-year-old in 2016. - Punch.
New oil spill
A new oil spill has occurred in Ebubu, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident took place on Saturday, February 12, 2023, at the Shell Petroleum Development Company's Ebubu and Oghale Manifold 12" pipeline.
Shell has confirmed the oil spill and is working with industry regulators to “contain the discharge”. This is shell’s almost 2000th oil leak in Rivers since 2011.
The government-led joint investigation team will investigate the cause and impact of the spill. The Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, Fineface Dumnamene, has called on industry stakeholders to investigate the incident to determine the real cause of the spill.
The group is also urging Shell and its joint venture partners to replace the old Trans-Niger Delta pipeline in the Ogoni area, which is causing environmental destruction.
Other news
A group of people from Odua People’s Congress (OPC), Lagos State Parks and Garages Management (LSPGM), and some community youths have set up multiple illegal tolling points along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. They’re charging motorists N400/N500 to get through - Guardian NG
Zamfara State Government has ordered all NGOs to leave the state over alleged illegal activities fuelling insecurity - Guardian NG
Buhari signs Nigeria’s first business facilitation bill into law - Business Day
Lagos State Government has banned trucks from using the Dorman Long and Ojuelegba bridges - Nairametrics