According to reports, judges were prevented from doing their jobs as there were no court staff to attend to them.
As the strike progressed, the state chairman of JUSUN, Olarenwaju Ajiboye, said that the workers were compelled to embark on strike because the state government refused to meet their demands.
Ajiboye said the union initiated the strike after the 21-day ultimatum given to the state government had been extended.
“After the warning strike, if the Ogun State government fails to do the needful, the union will proceed on indefinite strike come March 18 2024.
“In August 2023, the state government commenced the payment of non-peculiar allowance to the core civil servants. Immediately we became aware of this, we informed our national body, who wrote three letters – one to the Head of Service and two to the governor directly on the matter.
He said the Head of Service had convened a meeting with the union and other relevant parties to consider the next steps but that the union did not find the justifications offered to them for the government’s inability to pay the money to be credible.
The ICIR reported a similar strike by judiciary workers in Osun State, on Monday, November 20, 2023, over the non-payment of their wardrobe allowance since 2021.
A claim that women in Lagos state are protesting naked over current economic hardship in Nigeria has been circulating on X.
The claim was accompanied by 30-second footage which was posted by an X user: @ejykmykel1.
In the footage, about five women were seen staging a protest naked with other people standing by while holding Nigerian flag alongside other banners in demonstration.
Screenshot of the Claim; Insert, Misleading Verdict
CLAIM
Video shows Lagos women protesting naked over economic hardship in Nigeria.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub revealed that the claim is MISLEADING!
A keyword search on the words ‘naked women protest’ on Google, provided results of different reports from November 2023.
From the search results displayed, an X post by The Nation Newspaper on November 22 2023, shows a photo of the banner held in the footage from the scene of the protest.
The caption on the post read:
Women protest naked against alleged killings, corruption in Anambra.
The same footage posted on X (formerly Twitter) could be seen here.
Further checks revealed that the video was from a protest in Anambra over cult killings in the state as reported by media platforms, including The Nation newspaper.
The Nation had reported that the protest took place on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 with over 1,000 indigenes of 20 villages in Awka community, Awka South local government area in Anambra state protesting against the incessant killings and attacks by cultists.
Few days after the protest, Daily Trust and Punch newspapers reported that the sponsor of the nude protest, Ozo Nweke, had been arrested as another group from the community accused Nweke, of land grabbing, intimidation, harassment, and rape.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the video shows Lagos women protesting naked over economic hardship in Nigeria is MISLEADING; the video was from a protest in Anambra State held in November 2023.
SOME members of different Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have taken to the streets of Lagos, Edo and Osun states to protest against the worsening economic crises in the country.
The protesters who held placards with different inscriptions bemoaned the daily increase in prices of goods and the cost of living.
In Lagos, the protesters under the umbrella of a human rights group, ‘Take It Back Movement’, were seen under the Ojuelegba Bridge of the state to air their plights and call for prompt interventions by tiers of government in the country.
The protest was held despite the warning issued by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade.
A statement by the Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, on Sunday, February 25, quoted Fayoade as warning intending protesters against actions capable of grounding commercial activities and obstructing the free flow of traffic.
Fayoade further stated that anyone found infringing on the rights of other Nigerians would be dealt with by the law.
Similarly, civil society organisations in Edo State protested against the prevailing hardship in the nation.
A video shared by Channels TV showed how the protesters in their numbers marched from Kings Square to Akpakpava Road in Benin City.
They also carried placards with different inscriptions such as “End Economic Hardship” “FG End the Hunger in Nigeria Now,” and “Tinubu End the Suffering and Hunger in Nigeria.”
Also, members of the Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) were on a peaceful protest at Nelson Mandela Park in Osogbo, Osun State.
The protesters joined other Nigerians across the other two states to call on the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu to end the precarious economic situation in the country.
The protest in Osun came about two weeks after The ICIR reported that youths in the state staged a peaceful protest in Osogbo, condemning the rising cost of living and calling for immediate intervention by the government.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions that read ‘Change the unfavourable policies,’ ‘Nigerians are suffering, and ‘We can’t cope again.’
The protest across the three states came on the heels of preparation for the organised labour protest scheduled to start on Tuesday, February 27.
The ICIR reported that since President Bola Tinubu announced his administration’s removal of fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, the country has been faced with hardship and difficulties.
The announcement led to an increase in fuel pump prices. Also, it led to an astronomical rise in the cost of transportation on the different routes as commercial cab drivers transfer the astronomical rise in the cost of petrol to passengers.
Although one of the ways to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government was the disbursement of N5 billion in financial support to each state, many Nigerians have not felt the impact.
Battling to save lives in Malikawa and Yan-labi, two agrarian communities in Kiru and Tudun Wada Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kano state, has become a regular occurrence as there is no healthcare facility in the areas.
Findings by this reporter showed that maternal mortality is quite a bit of a problem in these communities due to the non-availability of health centres near the communities.
A register of medical records at Tudun Wada General Hospital indicates that about 763 women between the ages of 20 and 43 were victims of maternal motility between January 2021 and December 2022 in the communities.
Also, between January to December 2023, about 1,176 cases were recorded (with 38 deaths of young girls below the age of 20). The data showed that Yan-labi town had been worst hit with 678 cases, while Malikawa has 498 recorded cases in 2023.
Maternal mortality is now one of the most important issues that determine the quality of health services globally. This is because virtually everybody in the family and community at all levels are at some point directly involved in pregnancy and childbirth.
A 2023 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), issued on May 9, ranked Nigeria as the second country with the highest number of maternal mortality in the world. The report revealed that progress in improving mothers and babies’ survival has stagnated since 2015, with around 290,000 maternal deaths occurring yearly.
According to the report, themed, “Improving maternal and newborn health and survival and reducing stillbirth’’, 1.9 million stillbirths occur and 2.3 million newborn die annually in Nigeria.
To reduce the rate of maternal mortality and improve maternal health, the Nigerian government adopted and introduced global recommended strategies, including free antenatal care for all pregnant women, skilled care delivery and postpartum family planning information and services.
Other efforts include training of community midwives to cover rural communities nation-wide, the premise being that Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), can bridge health inequality and provide ‘health for all’ by being an accessible first line of treatment for most.
Moreover, Nigeria is among the many countries to have committed to the 2018 Declaration of Astana, which called for investment in strengthening primary healthcare services.
Yet, many rural communities, like Yan-labi and Malikawa in Kano State, still suffer from absence of primary healthcare center.
The immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, in January 2017 pledged to revitalise 10,000 PHCs across the country. The promise was to build new primary healthcare centres in all the political wards of the federation with functioning equipment, human resources and equitable service provision for every patient. But after eight years in office and eight months into the new APC administration, communities like Yan-labi with eight surrounding villages and Malikawa with four still lack PHCs.
A female resident of Yanlabi community, in Tudun Wada LGA, Hannatu Zubairu, 37, said people have to travel for about nine kilometres to Wuna town or, sometimes, about 12 kilometres to the main Tudun Wada town to access healthcare, including delivery of pregnancies.
Hannatu Zubairu – Female resident of Yan-labi Community
“Due to the absence of a nearby medical facility, many women in our community resigned to traditional births practices where local birth herbalists attend to them during delivery with uncertainty of life,” she said.
Hannatu added that “a lot of women died in the cold hands of the traditional birth attendants particularly when it comes with complications.”
Corroborating her words, a medical doctor at Wuna clinic, Imam Ibrahim, 47, said ‘’the dire situation (of healthcare delivery) paints a grim picture of despair in the Yanlabi town and other communities within the corridor.”
The communities he referred to include Dumbulawa, Alhazawa, Gidan Koli, Hayin Waziri, Digawa, and Unguwar Alhaji Magaji. Others are Gidan Auta town, Goraji, Kafin Dugaji and Bayan Gwarfa.
“The painful journey of many residents coming from outside Wuna town in search of health services has proven to be a serious barrier, with many women in labor arriving too late and in a very critical condition’’.
Records shown to this reporter by Imam, indicated that an average of 536 individuals, predominantly women aged between 16 to 37, sought medical attention at Wuna clinic between January to November 2023.
“The patients coming to the clinic from mostly distance locations were not merely seeking routine medical care but were grappling with severe medical issues, sometimes terminal illness,”
Imam also noted that ‘’the specified aged range of 16 to 37 underscores that the affected demographic comprises young adults, a crucial segment of the Yanlabi and other communities within the corridor’’.
The implication of this, according to him may extend beyond demographic focus and individual’s health “to broader community well-being, including potential impacts on sustainable health system in the localities”.
The absence of a medical facility in Yanlabi has brough tragedy to many families, including that of Musa Ilya, 54, who lost his 38-year-old wife, 38 during labour. Aisha was a farmer who provided sustenance for her family, according to her husband.
‘’Tragedy struck on a fateful day when my wife went into labor around 1:30am, leaving us with no choice than to embark on a painful journey of about 12 kilometres to Tudun Wada town for medical assistance,’’ Musa recalled.
Continuing, he recalled, ‘’my wife succumbed to the unforgiving travails of childbirths on the road and her life was cut short before reaching the hospital’’.T
The Village Head of Yanlabi, Abubakar Idris, could not contain his anger at the dire situation unfolding at regular intervals in his community when he spoke to our reporter.
Malam Abubakar Idris – Village Head of Yan-labi
Expressing his profound disappointment, Abubakar said the Yanlabi community was abandoned to its fate and continued to suffer in silence.
However, things appeared set to change four years ago when the then member representing Tudun wada in the Kano State House of Assembly, Iliyasu Abdullahi Yaryasa, facilitated the construction of a C2 type health center in the community. Sadly, to the disappointment of residents, the project has since been abandoned.
Abubakar said had the project been completed, it would have ameliorated the suffering of residents of Yanlabi and its environs.
A visit to the project site at Yanlabi community showed that the project bears the insignia of abandonment at lintel level and the place is now a decrepit structure, which now serves as home to deadly reptiles, thereby posing a serious threat to the communities and denying them essential medical services.
The sorry tale of malikawa residents
This worrisome situation has spread to other towns in Kano rural communities. In Malikawa, a satellite village of Kiru LGA, that stretches along Zaria Road, residents have been significantly affected by absence of a health center.
A year ago, Nazifi Dahiru was enjoying a happy life with his mother and wife. Today, the cruel reality of the non-availability of health centre has left him bearing the heavy burden of grief after losing both his mother and wife sometime in February 2022.
Nazifi Dahiru of Malikawa who lose his wife and mother as a result of non-availability of medical facility at Malikawa Village.
“Life took a tragic turn when my mother, Halima Dahiru, 54, lost her life last year due to a bloody injury sustained in the farm which we failed to stop the bleeding and there was no health center or pharmaceutical store in our town to give her first aid assistance’’.
‘’We drove on motorcycle through a narrow road to Badafi clinic, about 13 kilometers from Malikawa. Upon reaching the clinic, she was quickly admitted but the doctors could not save her from the hands of death. Just three months after, I lost my wife, Rabia Nazifi, 24, after a brief illness’’. A case he also attributed to the absence of health center in the community.
Another resident, Sadiya Danladi, 34, had a close shave with death when sometime in November 2023, she went into labor.
“I was in labour for about four hours and could not deliver at home. My husband took me on his motorcycle to a clinic at Kwanan Dangora’’.
‘’By the time we reached the hospital, the child had died in my womb. I was operated upon to remove the child’’. This, according to her, occurred because of there was no health facility in the area.
Unlike Sadiya, who escaped death, Salisu Labaran, 56, a resident of Malikawa, could barely hold tears of sorrow while narrating his agonizing experience of how he lost his daughter, Hauwa Salisu, 12, sometime in 2022, on their way to a distant health facility.
Salisu said ‘’my daughter, Hauwa, had fallen critically ill, she laid in pain, her fevered body trembled. Fear of death filled our minds because the health facility was miles away from Malikawa and there’s no swift means of transportation’’.
He said that the young Hauwa gave up the ghost few hours after the illness started despite concerted effort to get her to the health center at Badafi town using a bicycle.
The Yanlabi C2 health Centre project
In 2019, the Kano state government, through the state Ministry of Works and Housing, awarded a contract for the construction of C2 Health Centre at Yan-labi community of Tudun Wada LGA with a completion period of 12 Months to Iyaka Mai Nasara Nigeria Limited.
Iyaka Mainasara Nigeria Ltd, a non-existent company, as shown through a public search on the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C), received N11,271 million as contract fee.
How Company and Allied Matters Act, 2020 violated In the award of contract to companies
The award of contract to Iyaka Mainasara Nigeria Limited contravened the Company and Allied Matters Act 2020. Section 863 of CAMA 2020 specifically provides as follows:
(1) A person or association of persons shall not carry on business in Nigeria as a company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership or under a business name without being registered under this Act.
(2) If an individual, corporation or association of persons required under this Act to be registered carries on business without registration or under a name registration of which has been refused or cancelled under this Act, the individual, corporation or every partner in the firm commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine prescribed in the Commission’s regulations from time to time, of ₦200.00 for every day during which the default continues, and the Court shall order a statement of the required particulars for the registration of the business to be furnished to the Commission for registration within such time as may be specified in the order.
However, the law gives room for other types of businesses which can operate without registration. This category of business are those in which the business name is the true name or surname of the individual or partners. Section 814 (1) of CAMA 2020 provides as follows:
(1) Every individual, firm or Corporation having a place of business in Nigeria and carrying on business under a business name shall be registered in the manner provided in this Part if — (a) in the case of a firm, the name does not consist of the true surname of all partners without any addition other than the true forenames of the individual partners or the initials of such forenames; (b) in the case of an individual, the name does not consist of his true surname without any addition other than his true forenames or the initials thereof; or (c) in the case of a company, whether or not registered under this Act, the name does not consist of its corporate name without any addition.
These provisions make it compulsory to register a business name only when the name does not fall within any of the categories in subsection 1 (a) – (c). Section 16 (6) (b) of the Procurement Act provides:
All bidders in addition to requirements contained in any solicitation documents shall possess the legal capacity to enter into the procurement contract.
How contractor relocated project to another community
In the same 2019, N7.55 million contract was awarded to Aba Ahmed BBJ Nigeria Ltd to construct C2 type of Health centre at Malikawa community in Kiru LGA of Kano State.
The village head of Malikawa, Haladu Abdu, 56, was shocked to learn that despite the dire health challenges in his community, a contract was awarded for the construction of health centre but did not witness a sign of government project for over a decade.
Village Head of Malikawa, Malam Haladu Abdu
According to him, the only government project in Malikawa is a single block of classroom constructed over a decade ago.
Contractor reacts
Reacting to this development, the Chief Executive Officer of Aba Ahmed BBJ Nigeria Limited Aba Ahmed, told this reporter in a telephone interview that he has done the project in Gurarraji community since 2019.
When this reporter visited Gurarraji community in Kiru town, he discovered that the C2 health centre was constructed as indicated by the contractor. However, the community was sparse with muddy houses and not as populated as Malikawa, the official beneficiary of the project.
The contractor refused further comment on how and who influenced the change in the project location from where it’s in dire need to the low densely populated community.
The companies not listed or indicate inactive on the website of Corporate Affairs Commission are not eligible for contracts from governments.
Ministry flouts access to information law
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Kano State Ministry of Works and Housing on November 30, 2023, to specifically provide information on the contracts, including description, approved threshold, advert date in media, procurement method, date of bid opening and date of contract awards. Other details requested included contract execution period, contract Value, approved budgetary provision, the amount paid, the level of project completion and remarks on the project.
The ministry has not responded to the request nearly a month after it was made, in violation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011, which stipulates a seven – day period for responses to FOIA requests.
However, an anonymous source within the ministry told this reporter that it is common practice to negotiate and arrange for change in contract location between the contractors and members of House of Assembly who influenced the award of the project due to personal interests.
According to him, ‘’several akin cases were recorded where intended location of a certain project was negotiated and shifted to other community as in the case of Malikawa’’.
In a telephone interview, a developmental worker with Ashrah Foundation, Bashir Aliyu, said it is not coincidence that Kano rural communities were facing a lot of health challenges.
According to him, ‘’most of the data collected on health particularly, Malaria, Maternal mortality rates, Vesino-virginal fistula (VVF), and other forms of infectious diseases were more prevalent in the rural communities’’.
He charged Kano state government on the dire need to construct health centers where they’re not available and strengthen the available ones to ensure that all communities have access to affordable and quality health system.
This commitment, according to him, will create an enabling environment for safer life to the residents.
TERRORIST have once again vandalised towers T377, and T378 along the Gombe – Damaturu 330kV transmission line, resulting in a load loss of approximately five Megawatts.
The TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah who disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday, February 25, 2024, said, the two transmission towers were destroyed by insurgents.
Mbah narrated that “at approximately 9:35 pm yesterday, the Gombe – Damaturu 330kV transmission line experienced a trip. Following initial checks, TCN engineers from the Bauchi regional office attempted the restoration of the line but it tripped again, prompting the dispatch of TCN’s linesmen and security operatives to trace the fault. The team, then discovered the two collapsed towers, T377 and T378”.
She said, that in the interim, TCN has arranged to temporarily supply electricity to Damaturu from the Potiskum Transmission Substation. Meanwhile, arrangements are underway to mobilise contractors that will re-erect the vandalised transmission towers and restart the 330kV line affected by the incident.
She said, “TCN condemns this act of sabotage and is again calling on relevant authorities to intensify efforts in the protection of power infrastructures.
“We are committed to working diligently to expedite the restoration process and minimise the impact of this unfortunate incident on the power supply to the affected areas”, she said in the statement.
Recall, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has expressed worry over the incessant vandalisation of power assets in the country, noting that the government will confront the vandals.
“Something is happening that never happens anywhere in the world. Which is the deliberate destruction of our collective assets. Since I resumed, I have witnessed nothing less than eight deliberate destructions of our transmission power assets.
“People will decide to bring down transmission towers, bring down transmission lines. If you go back to fix it, before you leave, they will bring it down. Just yesterday it happened in Nasarawa and Yobe States. About five days ago it happened in Bauchi. Before the end of the year, it happened in Yobe,” he added.
He expressed his commitment to work in collaboration with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other security agencies to stem the tide of vandalisation of power installations.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Sunday, February 25, said his administration is planning an economic marshal plan as he inaugurated an Economic Advisory Committee made up of key players in the economic sector, including Aliko Dangote, and Tony Elumelu, among others.
The committee was set up to help Tinubu’s administration tackle the myriad of economic challenges faced by the federal government and was charged by the President to come up with a policy framework that would help his administration bring life back to the economy.
The committee was made up of top players in the manufacturing and banking sectors.
Speaking at the inauguration of the committee, the President said:” As I said, many times, the people of this country are only the people who we have to please. And we are very much concerned from students to mothers and fathers, farmers, the traders, and realising that every one of us will have to fetch water from the same well.
We’re looking for additional efforts that might help the downtrodden Nigerians and we will provide hope and reassurance that economic recovery is on its way.
”We are not saying that we have all the answers. But we will not be blamed for not trying. We assure Nigerians that we will do our best to get a marshall plan in place and fashion out the best economic future for this country, “he said.
Aliko Dangote, who spoke to State House journalists after the meeting said the Committee had a very good meeting.
”What we discussed is generally about the economy, food security, and security of the nation. We discussed everything in detail. And there is the economic presidential advisory committee which has been set up and I think this will look at all the issues and address them, coming from job creation, food security, coming from also reflected the economy.
“So, all these things have been discussed in detail. I can’t give you all the details right now, but we are hopeful and we’re a great nation. We have what it takes to turn around the economy and we’re going to do that.
He described the meeting as ”open, frank and exhaustive” adding” And some of the issues we discussed for example, like the foreign exchange rate, which we know has always been the problem for the past two or three months.
”We discussed how to bring the foreign exchange rate down because we all know that what is happening as regards the foreign exchange is artificial, it is manipulative and thank God the CBN is doing quite a lot. Now, the exchange rate has come down from N1800 to maybe 1600 and N1500, and as you all know, everything in Nigeria is indexed to the foreign exchange, especially when it comes to stuff that we import into the country.
Also speaking, Tony Elumelu, said he was” leaving the meeting with lets of enthusiasm, excitement, and optimism about the future of our country”
” I believe that implementing the decisions we arrived at today will propel our economy and help alleviate the poverty in the land, help create employment, and help put food on the table”.
The Governor of Anambra state, Charles Soludo at the inauguration said the tripartite meeting was designed to put heads together and think together.
” We have one national economy, and it’s the responsibility of the 225 million Nigerians to work together to make it great we have all the potential and we have all that it takes to make Nigeria ride through these turbulent times and put the economy back on a sustainable keel.
” I think there is the unity of purpose, determination, the sense of patriotism and determination by all to make it happen, and by the special grace of God, it’s now the execution, execution. And this is a standing committee that will be meeting from time to time to evaluate how things are going and make recommendations to Mr. President and the nation as well,” Soludo said.
The Director – General of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, at the event also assured that the private sector will be looking forward to the implementation of most of the decisions that we have made with the president.
According to him,” Manufacturers are looking forward to an environment that is conducive to business. And so the issues surrounding foreign exchange, insecurity, and the general operating environment were discussed and we received assurances from Mr. President that very soon we are going to start to see some major changes.
” I think the advisory committee that has been formed, the private sector will play a very significant role, and Nigerians, going forward should be hopeful that we are having solutions to the challenges that we have.” he said.
He noted that the fire had started at about 9:45 am, but said officers of the Service arrived at the scene some minutes after they had received a running call after responders had tried to reach the Federal Fire Service.
“The fire was discovered a few minutes to ten, maybe around 9:45 am. We received a running call around thirteen minutes after ten, so we followed the person who came to call us to the fire scene,” Adebayo explained.
“All of them were on the ground floor. They did not discover the fire on time, and they didn’t call the Fire Service. It was a running call that came to us. From our findings, they say they called the Federal Fire Service, but they didn’t respond on time, that’s when the running call came to our office.
“On reaching there, we saw that the first floor, the upper floor was completely engulfed in fire. So what we could do is just to prevent the fire from spreading to the ground floor, and the adjacent structures. No lives lost”, he said.
The cause of the fire is yet to be clarified by the authorities as of the time of filing this report.
THE Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, has warned protesters joining the proposed Labour unions’ nationwide strike not to ground commercial activities in the state.
The Commissioner warned on Sunday, February 25, urging protesters not to violate the rights of others while carrying out their protest.
The ICIR had reported that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had scheduled a nationwide strike for February 27 and 28 to protest against the current hardship in the country.
Pockets of protests had greeted the country lately following the surging prices of goods and services arising from the fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification, inflicting acute pains on the masses.
In a statement issued by the Lagos State Police Spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, the Commissioner warned that protesters found infringing on the rights of others would be dealt with lawfully.
He also warned against obstructing the free flow of traffic in the state.
“Police will live up to the mandate of ensuring that no person or group of persons is allowed to infringe on the fundamental rights of others.
“Police enjoin all peace-loving residents of Lagos State to go about their lawful duties without fear of harassment or intimidation.
Fayoade, however, assures that adequate security would be deployed to ensure the safety and security of the people.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, had warned the members of the NLC and TUC against the proposed nationwide protest, describing it as in “contempt of court.”
In a statement dated February 23 and addressed to the counsel for the labour unions, Femi Falana, the AGF said the purpose of the planned two-day protest announced on February 16 and fixed for February 27, and 28 was premised on alleged non-implementation of the 16-point agreement reached with the federal government on October 2, 2023.
According to the AGF, the protest centred on issues around the fuel price hike and consequential matters of palliatives, workers’ welfare, and associated government policies.
He said the preceding issues or objectives are at the core of the pending case before the National Industrial Court.
“Upon the submission of grievances to the court, parties in the suit cannot resort to public protests over the same issues, as such conduct amounts to gross contempt and an insult to the institution of our courts of law.
“Therefore, the proposed nationwide protest action in all ramifications is in clear violation of the pending interim injunctive order granted in suit no: NICN/ABJ/158/2023 Federal Government of Nigeria & Anor V. Nigeria Labour Congress & Anor on 5th June 2023 restraining both NLC and TUC from embarking on any industrial action or strike of any nature,” the AGF said.
But the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, had said the union would proceed with the planned protest, saying, “Our protest is a peaceful one against the unpardonable cost of living.”
THE Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to peg the customs duty exchange rate at N1000/$1 to ease the current hardship in the country.
The CPPE Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Muda Yusuf, said in a statement on Sunday, February 25, welcoming CBN’s decision to approve using the exchange rate reflected on the import documentation (Form M) at the onset of the import transaction.
“This was a laudable response to the grievances of investors in the economy. This would reduce the current uncertainty around imports and related transactions in the economy,” Yusuf said.
He pointed out, however, that the CBN intervention did not address the more significant and more troubling issue of the current prohibitive cost of cargo clearance at the ports, which had risen by over 40 per cent in the last two months.
“The high exchange rate for import duty assessment is fueling the already high inflation, increasing production and operating costs for manufacturers and other businesses, worsening the cost-of-living crisis, and putting thousands of maritime sector jobs at risk,” he said.
The CPPE boss also noted the added risk of cargo diversion to neighbouring countries and heightened smuggling, which he said could jeopardise the realisation of the customs revenue target.
“In the light of this, the CPPE strongly appeals to the CBN to peg the customs duty exchange rate at N1000/$ for the rest of the year in line with the federal government’s commitment to ease the current hardships on the citizens and the burden on businesses.
“The current customs duty exchange rate of N1488.9/$ is still too high in the context of the current galloping inflation and difficulties facing businesses and the citizens.”
He said instances of abandoned cargo were increasing due to escalating trade costs and that moves were not good outcomes for an economy seeking to ensure recovery, drive growth, promote inclusion, and guarantee social stability.
He noted that businesses were currently grappling with multiple macroeconomic and structural headwinds that negatively impact profitability, competitiveness, job creation, retention of existing jobs, and business sustainability.
According to the CPPE boss, pegging the customs duty exchange rate resonates with the present intervention measures to mitigate the current hardships in the country.
He explained that his proposition is independent of the present administration’s economic reform agenda.
“If anything, it would complement the economic transformation measures because of the expected positive impact on competitiveness, productivity, cost reduction, deceleration of inflation, and employment generation,” Yusuf submitted.
The apex bank had recently reviewed the formula for fixing foreign exchange (FX) rates for Customs duty on importation following public outcry at the rising commodity cost, The ICIRreported.
Customs duty has risen six times since President Bola Tinubu came into office, with the collection currently above N1,400 to the dollar, as cargo is now stuck at various Nigerian ports.
FRUSTRATED by the rampant dissemination of pornographic materials on the X platform, a growing number of users have launched a social media campaign urging the Chief Executive Officer of X, Elon Musk to take action to curb the spread of adult content on the platform.
The ICIR observed that the users trended the term “Ban Pornography on X” yesterday – February 24 – to pressure Musk into addressing the issue and implementing stricter measures to prevent the promotion of pornographic content.
Despite X’s policies explicitly prohibiting the sharing of unsolicited pornographic content, the platform has become a hub for the organised distribution of explicit material.
The promoters of these contents utilise various tactics, including posting ads disguised as regular content to redirect users to pornographic websites and X accounts.
They also use influencers such as this account and this account who both have 1 million followers to promote pornography on the platform.
X’s sensitive media policy prohibits sharing adult nudity and sexual behavior, which it defines as media “that is pornographic or intended to cause sexual arousal.”
The policy applies to full or partial nudity, simulated sex acts and sexual acts depicted by “cartoons, hentai, or anime involving humans or depictions of animals with human-like features.”
The guideline discouraged dissemination of unsolicited images or videos that contain Graphic Content, Adult Nudity, and Sexual Behaviour.
The policy however provides that disseminators of these contents should flag their accounts or media containing nudity as sensitive.
“Using this feature means that people who don’t want to see sensitive media can avoid it, or make an informed decision before they choose to view it,” the policy reads. However, some of the disseminators of these content do not adhere by the guidelines.
While X has attempted to enforce its guidelines through community notes and sensitive media flags, the lax enforcement has allowed the proliferation of adult content on the platform.
One of the users at the frontline of the campaign, @FirstDoctor noted that dissemination of adult content on the platform without restriction may expose underage users to porn asking Musk ban the practice to reduce the negative societal attitudes towards sex and relationships.
“Ban porn on X to shield underage users.
Ban porn on X to protect the community.
Ban porn on X to encourage healthier online interactions.
Ban porn on X to reduce the negative societal attitudes towards sex and relationships.
“Now you can’t even read comments on posts without stumbling upon explicit content even when you have turned off the “Display media that may contain sensitive content” button off. This is getting totally out of hands,” he lamented.
