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  • Will Tinubu’s Failure to Secure 25% in FCT Cost Him the Presidency?

    Will Tinubu’s Failure to Secure 25% in FCT Cost Him the Presidency?

    President Bola Tinubu has found himself in hot water over statements made by his legal team at the ongoing Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT). 

    In case you’ve been living under a rock, Tinubu has been fighting on multiple fronts since he assumed office. Following his declaration as president by the Independent and National Electoral Commission (INEC), his opponents have dragged him and INEC to court over controversies and irregularities surrounding the February 25 presidential election. 

    His adversaries in the boxing ring are the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s (LP) Peter Obi. Tinubu had 8,794,726 votes, with Abubakar and Obi getting 6,984,520 votes and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.

    They’re contesting that Tinubu shouldn’t have been declared the winner, having failed to meet electoral requirements. In an earlier article, we did an explainer highlighting the suits brought against Tinubu’s presidency. The one which has stirred reaction the most is the 25% criterion in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Only the LP met this threshold. 

    Tinubu’s legal team is led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN). The team filed a final written address dated July 14. This was in response to the petitions brought against them by the LP and the PDP. 

    What was in Tinubu’s lawyers’ final address?

    According to ThisDay, Tinubu’s lawyers argued that nullifying the election results because Tinubu failed to meet 25% in the FCT could “lead to absurdity, chaos, anarchy and alteration of the very intention of the legislature.” 

    The address noted: “May we draw the attention of the court to the fact that there is no punctuation (comma) in the entire section 134(2)(b) of the Constitution, particularly immediately after the ‘States’ and the succeeding ‘and’ connecting the Federal Capital Territory with the States. In essence, the reading of the subsection has to be conjunctive and not disjunctive, as the Constitution clearly makes it so. 

    Pressed further by this constitutional imperative, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is taken ‘as if’ it is the 37th State, under and by virtue of section 299 of the Constitution. 

    With much respect, any other interpretation different from this will lead to absurdity, chaos, anarchy and alteration of the very intention of the legislature.”

    Tinubu’s team also wants the court to bar Obi from contesting should the election be nullified. According to The Cable, Olanipekun argued that Obi’s claim lacked merit. They say he wasn’t on the LP’s membership register when he contested the presidency. He added:

    “Obi is constitutionally barred from participating in any election, in the very unlikely event that the election of 25th February 2023 is voided, as the only candidates constitutionally prescribed to contest any subsequent election shall be Tinubu and the candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar who came second, by scoring the next majority of votes in the highest number of States (19 States), to the 1st petitioner’s 16 States, and also coming second by plurality of votes, having scored 6,984,520, far and above 1st petitioner’s 6,101,533 votes.”

    Download the Citizen Election Report: Navigating Nigeria’s Political Journey

    What have the reactions been like?

    The Chief Spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, described the statement as “threatening the whole country”.

    Demola Rewaju, a Special Assistant on Digital Media Strategy to Atiku Abubakar, tweeted: “As long as the Constitution swore in Bola Tinubu, he can be removed by the Constitution. It’s as simple as that. The resort to blackmail and threats of anarchy will amount to nothing once a judgement is delivered.”

    However, Dada Olusegun, the Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communications, has described the reports as “fake”. He tweeted, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s counsel didn’t argue nullifying the election would lead to anarchy. They argued that Abuja is the 37th state for electoral purposes, and any other interpretation would lead to anarchy. But as usual, the fake news machines are desperate to twist it.”

    IPC Justice, which investigates corruption in politics and the judiciary, issued a statement to security agencies. It urged them to “resist any directive that undermines the fundamental rights guaranteed under our shared social contract.”

    What else should you know?

    It’s not clear when a ruling will be made on this matter by the PEPT. Regardless, it’s expected that whatever judgement the tribunal passes will be contested all the way to the Supreme Court. This could be several months away. We will keep you up to date with any updates as the case progresses.

    Stephen Agwaibor

    , , ,

  • Navigating Nigeria: What Would You Do if You Lost Your Money to Ponzi Schemes Twice?

    Navigating Nigeria: What Would You Do if You Lost Your Money to Ponzi Schemes Twice?

    Once bitten is twice shy, but not so for today’s subject of Navigating Nigeria. In two separate instances, she lost money to investments that promised quick returns. As she shares her experience about losing her hard-earned money, she’s also learned a few lessons from it all, the most important of which is the need to be financially literate. 

    Editorial Note: Navigating Nigeria is a platform for Nigerians to passionately discuss the Nigerian experience with little interference from individual opinions. While our editorial standards emphasise the truth and endeavour to fact-check claims and allegations, we are not responsible for allegations made about other people based on half-truths.

    Walk us through your experience

    My experience goes back to 2020. I’ve never been one to fall for Ponzi schemes, so when MMM came out and all those other platforms promising to double your money, I never engaged. 

    The first investment I lost money to happened via one of my mum’s ex-students who contacted me. He told me his friend ran a business related to forex trading. He told me I’d get my return on investment (ROI), which was 25%, after 25 working days. It didn’t sound too bad, so I said OK.

    I put some money into it without telling anyone. After 25 days, I got my investment with interest. I told a friend about it, and he told me he wasn’t convinced and warned me to be careful. I then informed my partner at the time, and he was very upset with me. That didn’t deter me anyway, and I continued putting in money and collecting interest.

    You wouldn’t believe this, but this guy kept sending me a memorandum of understanding (MoU), making the whole thing appear legally binding. That made it look legit in my eyes. That was enough to convince my partner, who later came on board. His was even worse because he wasn’t collecting his ROI. He had this weird plan of gathering everything till it became bulky enough and then cashing out large.

    Chai

    What hurt me, however, was that I’d taken a massive chunk of money I’d been saving for my son for some time and put it into the forex investment. Looking back, these guys changed their names at some point. They also claimed they were into not just forex but real estate and other stuff.

    Everything appeared legit, and I told some friends to invest. Gawd. I convinced people to pool their money into this thing. I’m so glad that none of them got mad at me when everything disappeared. They knew that I didn’t intentionally set them up to lose money.

    Download the Citizen Election Report: Navigating Nigeria’s Political Journey

    How did the crash happen?

    December 2020 was the last time I cashed out. I wanted to travel to Jos and needed funds to get around, so I took some money out. 

    About a week after, my friends who had also invested and wanted to cash out started getting messages that there would be some delay and were panicking. I told them that couldn’t be as I’d cashed out money only a week before. 

    One of my friends I’d introduced to the investment kept calling, and I was initially reassuring her that she’d get her money as it was a minor glitch. I contacted my mum’s ex-student, who reassured me that things would be resolved. I’d later find out that he wasn’t even the owner of the business but a third-party trader. The real owner was one popular guy, and I learned they dragged him on Instagram after the whole thing crashed. 

    I still had over ₦500k in there, and I began to wish I’d taken every dime out. When January came, I had hopes that they’d resolve the issue. Then February followed. Then March. And then it dawned on me that my money was gone. It became very real to me there and then that my money wasn’t coming back.

    With this experience, you’d think I’d be wiser and not make such investments again, right? Wrong.

    Ah

    This time around, it was my best friend that wooed me into this agritech scheme, Titan Farms. She told me her mum, her sister, and even herself had invested so much money and reaped good returns. This one guaranteed returns after three months; it sounded reasonable. I don’t know what makes me put so much money into these things, but I did. 

    I withdrew my money from Piggyvest and funded the app. The reason I did this one was because I’d previously invested in Thrive Agric, which had an 18-month maturity period with 19% ROI. I didn’t like it because my money waited so long with little interest. 

    Anyway, I invested in them. Three months passed, and then I started receiving apologies that payment was coming late.

    Wahala

    They had a website. I tried to log in, but a prompt appeared saying that the website didn’t exist. They basically shut down, and I didn’t get my money back. Despite following up with them and sending multiple emails, nothing came out of it. They claimed to have paid investors, but it was all a lie—fraudulent people.

    I’m sorry this had to happen to you twice. What is your takeaway from it all?

    I’ve been twice bitten. If anybody comes to talk to me about investment, I’ll beat them up. However, I’ll admit that I wasn’t educated about how to invest money. Recently, I attended a finance seminar, and the person who spoke to us hammered on the point that before investing in anything, make sure you’re literate about finance. 

    When investing, I didn’t have complete information and wasn’t aware of the risk attached to the things I was putting my money in. So my biggest takeaway was being financially sound about investing. Even with legitimate businesses, there are risks involved. One has to know how much is too much so it doesn’t backfire horribly. I’ve not dabbled in any investments since then. For now, I’m focused on gaining more financial literacy. Maybe I can have another go when that is in place.

    Stephen Agwaibor

    ,

  • How to Get Your Money Back from Debtors

    How to Get Your Money Back from Debtors

    On July 13, 2023, over 5,000 people witnessed a debt recovery process on Twitter. Microfinance banks might need to learn one or two things here. 

    It’s common knowledge that debt collection can be a very tedious situation. But to help with this, we’ve put together a guide on how to get your money back using legal means and other alternate methods.

    But first, here’s something you should know

    According to Section 18 of the Limitation of Statute Law, an action for debt recovery cannot be brought after six years. Section 20 (1) a of the same Law states, “An action on a simple contract for recovery of debt must be brought to court within six years from the date the cause of action accrued”. 

    This means that after six years, if you’ve still been unable to recover the money owed you, you no longer have the right to take action against the debtor under the Law, especially if no part of the money was paid within that time.

    Download the Citizen Election Report: Navigating Nigeria’s Political Journey

    So to avoid being in this situation, here’s the lawful process for debt recovery in Nigeria:

    Mediation: 

    In Nigeria, it’s expected that before filing a lawsuit for debt recovery, both parties have tried to settle amicably or through arbitration. 

    Consultation:

    If the process of mediation fails, then a lawyer should be consulted. During the consultation process, necessary documents such as invoices, emails, written notes, memos, letters, or written agreements should be presented for evaluation.

    A Letter of Demand:

    If there’s no written agreement between you and the debtor, then a Letter of Demand must be presented that clearly states:

    • The name and address of the debtor
    • The amount owed and the interest accumulated (if any)
    • A timeline for expected payment (which should be at least seven days)
    • The steps that will be taken if payment isn’t received

     This letter generally shows your commitment to getting your money back and hints at the possibility of a court case. 

    Lawsuit: 

    If the debt still isn’t paid by the end of the timeline indicated in the Letter of Demand, then a suit can be filed through your lawyer. Courts in Abuja, Lagos, and some other states allow for fast-tracking debt recovery cases. Also, under the new Lagos rule, as seen in Order 56 High Court of Lagos State Civil Procedure Rules 2012, debt recovery cases must be concluded in a short time, i.e., nine months. 

    Surprisingly, debt collection under Nigerian Law seems relatively straightforward, but if you’re open to using more unconventional methods, you can try these out:

    Publish your debtor’s name in newspapers

    One lesson we’ve learned from the Bird app is that public shaming works.

    And not surprisingly, this method is quite popular and effective, as people, by default, tend to protect their social image. So, going this route may actually get you your money as soon as possible.

    Involve area boys

    Sometimes debtors need a little encouragement, and the best way to achieve this might be with your local thugs. Don’t let area boys harm the debtor o; just lirru threat here and there. Fear might help them vomit the money. 

    Take the matter to your village people

    If all methods fail, maybe it’s time to use spiritual means, and who better to help than them? 

    The point is that you should go above and beyond in holding them accountable; don’t be shy or feel embarrassed about being cheated. Speak up and ask for help.

    Tolu Omotesho

    ,

  • The Return of the Diaspora: What’s Driving Nigerians Back Home? | Abroad Life

    The Return of the Diaspora: What’s Driving Nigerians Back Home? | Abroad Life

    The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.

    Today, we are doing things a little bit differently. Instead of discussing the Japa experience for Nigerians in other countries, we will touch more deeply on why some Nigerians moved back home from abroad and why anyone in the diaspora might consider returning to Nigeria. 

    Just think of it like the usual “Japa” move,

    The inspiration for this article came from a viral tweet that one of my editors spotted and tagged me on. 

    A marriage therapist, Shamseddin Giwa, shared the story of his previous life abroad and how he and his wife could barely make a sustainable income. This forced the couple to return to Nigeria.

    Many Nigerians received the story with lots of scepticism and speculation that they left due to “illegal migration.” It was unbelievable for many people. How could anyone make such a decision with Nigeria’s economy crumbling day and night?

    On this table, amidst the ongoing debates on social media, illegal migration isn’t always the sole reason for anyone to return to their homeland, Nigeria. There are myriad reasons behind such decisions. To gain a better sense of this decision, six Nigerians who previously lived abroad but have now chosen to reside in Nigeria share their motivations for relocating.

    “I had issues with European culture and racism”

    Bayo*, an entrepreneur, didn’t experience the stress of European culture and racism while seeking a Master’s degree as a student in Italy. His once cordial relationship with white people changed after graduation due to his lifestyle upgrade through internships. 

    “After I started to make money from my internships and look nice, I started experiencing racism. My neighbours harassed me and, at one point, even involved the police in minor incidents. For the average Nigerian, every day as an immigrant is stressful,” he shares.

    Bayo moved back to Nigeria in 2020, and he has never regretted his choice. He has made “five times the income” he made in Italy, has gained more job opportunities, and describes his lifestyle as “feeling like a king in my own country.”

    “My mother’s ill health drove me back to Nigeria”

    Even though Dele and Dante relocated to Nigeria from the UK in 2011 and 2018, respectively, they have one thing in common about their relocation stories—their mothers. Dante’s mom fell ill, and Dele’s mom passed on.

    But the one difference they have, however, is their feelings about relocation. Dante, a software engineer, hates that he moved, while Dele, a business development expert, has never regretted it because he is doing “way better financially” than the friends he left behind.

    “I would still have been in the UK if not for my mother’s health. Life there was cool, and there were no worries. I miss the job opportunities and friends I’ve left behind,” Dante shares. 

    Dele is also of the opinion that Japa is only for “economic survival” and that most Nigerians only travel to “gain exposure and enhance their skillset”, not to reside there permanently.

    “I came back to Nigeria because of the conflict in Sudan”

    In April 2023, John* was among the many Nigerian students in Sudan who had to be immediately evacuated due to the conflict in the nation’s capital, Khartoum, and the Darfur region. 

    But even though he is grateful for life, John hates that his education has come to an unprecedented halt since he arrived. “I’m doing nothing at home and haven’t finished my studies yet. And I’m currently finding it difficult to get admission as a transfer student,” he complains.

    “My dreams of becoming a diplomat can be fulfilled here in Nigeria”

    For many Nigerians, they see the Abroad Life as a means of fulfilling their dreams. But not for a recent graduate, Osione. Moving to Nigeria after living in the UK, Switzerland, and Australia is one step towards her long-term goal of becoming a UN Ambassador or diplomat.

    She sees this move as important because of “the connection one needs to have with his or her home country” before becoming a diplomat.

    Does she regret relocating? Not in any way. She is determined to stay.

    According to Osione, “Nigeria can be a hard country to live in and find job opportunities in, but nothing will deter me from my long-term goal of an international diplomacy career. If I want to achieve this, I have to stay.”

    “I left Ireland because of COVID”

    Peter* was halfway through the final year of his undergraduate degree in Ireland when the pandemic struck. As a result, he had to leave Ireland in March 2020 and only go back to school a few months later to finish his degree.

    After graduating in 2021, he never returned to Ireland, and he doesn’t see the need to.

    “I didn’t plan to work or live there,” Peter shares. “I have more family in Nigeria, and I am more comfortable here with my enterprises and accounting career. In Nigeria, if you find the opportunity to be who you want, it’s not as difficult to live here, unlike living an immigrant life abroad.”

    Chiamaka Dike

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    , , , ,

  • QUIZ: What Type of Japa Plan Are You?

    QUIZ: What Type of Japa Plan Are You?

    You say you’re ready to japa, but do you even know the type of immigration plan suited for you? Well, Citizen is here to give you the answer.

    P.S: You can gain more insight by reading this article on UK student visas.


    Chiamaka Dike

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    , ,

  • How Can You Make A Difference During Youth Day of Service?

    How Can You Make A Difference During Youth Day of Service?

    Every year, LEAP Africa organises a week-long Pan-African youth social impact campaign in August called the Youth Day of Service (YDOS). The YDOS, which coincides with the United Nations International Youth Day, emphasises the importance of youths contributing towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, mainly through volunteerism.

    What has the YDOS achieved so far?

    The YDOS started in 2020 and has impacted over 24 countries and 6 million people, engaged 7,000 volunteers with a 4% participation rate of persons with disabilities, and commissioned 600 SDG projects. 

    Download the Citizen Election Report: Navigating Nigeria’s Political Journey

    In the 2022 edition of YDOS, due to the hard work of many youth volunteers, projects cutting across the 17 SDG goals were implemented in 24 countries. Some of these projects include:

    SDG 1: No poverty:

    Acquisition sessions were conducted to empower people to earn incomes, and about 200 individuals benefited.  

    SD2 2: No hunger:

    290 households and 650 individuals received food aid through food distribution services conducted in Lagos and Johannesburg, South Africa. 

    SDG 3: Good health and well-being:

    Volunteers organised over 20 sensitisation programmes and donated healthcare products to patients and hospitals. 

    SDG 4: Quality education:

    A record 300 students were reached through school outreach, and learning materials were distributed to the schools. 

    SDG 5: Gender equality :

    The projects set up to achieve this goal involved skill acquisition sessions for girls and women and activities targeted at gender-based violence. 

    SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation:

    Many youths volunteered towards this sustainable goal as there were more than 30 community clean-ups across Africa, and a water tank was constructed in Cameroon. 

    SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

    This sustainable goal ensures everyone can access affordable and modern energy sources. Therefore, to this effect, training on producing cheap and affordable energy was held in Nigeria and Zambia with more than 10 community sensitisation programmes. 

    You can find more information on the SDG projects for YDOS 2022 here. 

    When does YDOS 2023 start?

    This year, YDOS will be held across Africa from August 12 to 31, and it’s open to all African youths between the ages of 15-35.

    How can I help with YDOS this year?

    The YDOS theme for this year is “Youth and Useful”, and the official hashtag: #YDOS2023. Participation in this campaign is free, and if you’re interested in volunteering or donating to this cause, you can do so here.  

    Tolu Omotesho

    , ,

  • Wait First: Is Osun State’s Ademola Adeleke Guilty of Nepotism?

    Wait First: Is Osun State’s Ademola Adeleke Guilty of Nepotism?

    On July 7, multiple reports claimed that Osun state governor, Ademola Adeleke, nominated two of his family members to commissioner positions. The reposts claimed that Adeleke nominated his daughter, Adenike Adeleke, and his uncle, Moruf Adeleke.

    On Wait First, we sort claims into three categories. If it’s true, it gets a fresh banana rating from us. A false claim is burnt dodo, and a misleading claim is cold zobo.

    So, is this claim valid? Did Adeleke nominate his daughter and uncle as commissioners?

    [Ademola Adeleke / Daily Post]

    Background

    On July 7, the Osun State House of Assembly confirmed the list of 25 commissioner-nominees forwarded to the House for screening and confirmation by Governor Adeleke. 

    Among the names that made the list were Adenike Adeleke and Moruf Adeleke. The two share the same surname as the governor. Following the announcement, there were reactions on social media criticising the governor for presumably appointing his relatives into government. Some online news platforms also ran with this news.

    Our partners, FactCheckElections, noted that “social media users reacting to the claim viewed the purported appointment as a ‘double standard/nepotism’ and inappropriate in government.”

    Verification

    FactCheckElections looked into the claim. Here’s what they found:

    “The spokesperson to the state governor, Olawale Rasheed, has debunked the viral claim that his principal nominated his daughter and uncle for commissioner. 

    Contrary to the narratives making the rounds that two of the commissioner-nominees are Adeleke’s daughter and uncle, Rasheed told the media that the nominees are not the governor’s family. 

    They are ‘bonafide indigenes of Osogbo Land’, he said. 

    He added: Prof Adeleke was born in Ilesa and hails from Osogbo, the state capital. Mrs Adeleke is the daughter of Chief Omidiran of Osogbo Land and wife of the late Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Isiaka Adeleke.”

    FactCheckElections reports that the governor is from the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State.

    Verdict

    The claim that Governor Ademola Adeleke nominated his relatives to commissioner positions is misleading and, therefore, cold zobo.

    The confusion stems from the fact that they share the same surname. However, it has now been confirmed that they are not from the same bloodline as the governor. 

    Download the Citizen Election Report: Navigating Nigeria’s Political Journey

    Stephen Agwaibor

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  • How to Sue A Nigerian Company

    How to Sue A Nigerian Company

    Have you ever received a bad product or service that was NOT what you ordered? Or sustained a physical injury/illness due to company negligence? Or worse, you signed a contract deal with a company as a freelancer or entrepreneur, and they didn’t keep their end of the bargain?

    If you have, I’m pleased to announce that there is GOOD NEWS! You have the option to pursue legal action against the company by filing a lawsuit and seeking justice! 

    Now, how can we sue the company?

    Before you get started on this path of justice, it’s important to note that an enterprise that has been fully incorporated under the law has the capacity to sue and be sued. If the company isn’t registered, you can still sue the owner, but just as a person, not a company.

    This means the company can also enforce a lawsuit against someone and defend their rights when it receives a lawsuit.

    With that being said, let’s get into the steps you need to take in executing a lawsuit:

    Have a valid legal complaint or cause of action

    Whatever complaint you bring to court can’t be based on your emotions. It has to fall within the range of company negligence, breach of contract, employee discrimination, etc. A good lawyer should be able to determine or evaluate the weight of the complaint before filing a lawsuit in court.

    Also Read: How to Sue Nigerian Companies for Negligence

    Send a written demand notice to the company

    Before a lawsuit goes to court, you need to get a lawyer skilled in civil litigation who will send a written demand notice to the company. This notice explains the nature of the complaint and the type or amount of compensation the plaintiff (i.e., you) is willing to collect as a settlement. 

    The notice is also used as a warning or a threat to the company that the plaintiff will take the matter to court if his/her demands are not met.

    Basically, the plaintiff is saying to the company:

    If a demand notice doesn’t work, start filing processes

    These processes include a statement of claim (a plea document containing the allegations made against the company and the type of relief or settlement needed), a list of witnesses, witness statements on oath, and necessary documents. 

    When these processes are completed, you can serve them to the company. One can do this by delivering them to their office address or serving the directors or key executives in the company.

    After an action is filed in court, a suit number and court will be assigned to the matter. It will then be listed on the court’s cause list.

    When can I NOT sue a company?

    As much as you can sue a company, you may also be ineligible to sue them. This is when the limitation period or maximum time period for initiating a lawsuit has elapsed, according to the statute of limitations. Limitation periods differ depending on the nature of the complaint and the time the lawsuit was filed.

    For instance, actions for damages resulting from negligence must commence within three years of their occurrence; actions for breach of contract must commence within six years of their occurrence. Learn more about the respective limitation periods here.

    What if the company agrees to avoid being sued?

    As much as the plaintiff wants justice, the reality is that the matter can be resolved outside of court. Most companies would rather avoid the spotlight and use the alternative dispute resolution process (ADR). 

    ADR is simply the different ways people can resolve disputes without a trial. 

    These can include negotiation, mediation, reconciliation, and arbitration—using a third party that both parties agree upon to resolve the conflict.

    Chiamaka Dike

    ,

  • Tinubu Wants to Tax Pepper Sellers

    Tinubu Wants to Tax Pepper Sellers

    The one thing we might need to get used to quickly with this new administration is the endless billing. 

    Last week, we discussed the newly introduced annual vehicle ownership verification fee, set at ₦1,000. For today, we’ll be looking into the recent partnership between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Market Traders Association of Nigeria (MATAN) to collect Value Added Tax (VAT) from traders. 

    On July 3, 2023, the FIRS announced the VAT Direct Initiative to facilitate collecting and remittance taxes from this informal sector using unified systems technology, and traders will also be given identity cards to track their turnover. Nigeria currently has one of the lowest tax collection rates in the world at 10.8%; according to MATAN, there are about 40 million traders across the country, and this tax collection would help improve our tax base. Traders will also benefit from this, as the FIRS plans to work with security agencies to stop the illegal collection of taxes in the markets by thugs and self-appointed tax collectors. 

    Lagos thugs when they hear this

    This is all part of President Bola “T-Baby” Tinubu’s plan to improve our revenue generation and fund more infrastructural and social projects. However, we all know that Nigeria is cursed with a corruption problem. So, once again, it looks like citizens struggling to make ends meet are being asked to make sacrifices with little to no assurance of tangible rewards. 

    What else happened this week?

    Diphtheria Outbreak in Abuja

    On July 3, 2023, Sadiq Abdulrahman, the director of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Public Health Department, confirmed in a press briefing that the outbreak of diphtheria has already claimed the life of a four-year-old boy. 

    Diphtheria is a deadly bacterial infection that affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. It can lead to breathing difficulties, health rhythm problems, heart, kidney, and nervous system damage, and death, especially in children. 

    The recent outbreak in Abuja is said to have spread from Niger state, and so far, there have been eight reported cases. To combat the spread of this bacterial infection, residents are advised to take personal hygiene very seriously and to get vaccinated at any of the 400 vaccine outlets around the FCT. Also, the Public Health Department has started collaborating with states to prevent the further spread of this disease. 

    Video of the week

    Question of the week

    With Elon Musk channelling his inner Lex Luthor, our days on Twitter might be numbered. Is it time for Nigeria’s tech space to create an alternative social media platform? 

    Ehen one more thing…

    The initial six months of 2023 are done and dusted. What should we expect as we step into the second half? Find out here

    To ensure you don’t miss out on the next edition of Game of Votes, subscribe to the newsletter here.

    Tolu Omotesho

    , , ,

  • Why Nigerian Women Should Keep Their Family Names

    Why Nigerian Women Should Keep Their Family Names

    Have you seen this tweet?

    A few days ago, a conversation started on Twitter about mothers giving children their maiden names, particularly if they’ve been estranged from the child’s father. 

    This, of course, is to primarily make life easier for said mothers, particularly in situations where the approval of both parents would be needed for certain processes like specialised medical procedures and visa or passport applications for a minor.

    This discourse led to debates on gender equality and women’s rights. Some people also claim it’s not unusual for women to retain their maiden names in certain Nigerian cultures, like the Igbo culture. 

    But where does the Nigerian Law stand on this?

    According to the Marriage Act and other legal frameworks in Nigeria, no Law requires or demands a woman to take up her husband’s last name. The issue of name-changing is solely based on traditional and customary practices in Nigeria. 

    Also, the Nigerian Law makes provisions for the rights to personal dignity and freedom of thought and expression; as such, every woman has the freedom to decide whether or not she wants to keep her maiden name. 

    Zikoko Citizen reached out to some women, and they shared their thoughts.

    Here’s what they said:

    Precious believes keeping your maiden name is the best option for any woman. According to her, having your husband’s last name is a “colonial influence,” which creates lots of stress with documentation updates and is “extremely stressful and unnecessary”.

    On the other hand, Zainab has no issues with taking up her husband’s last name. For her, even though she’s fine with keeping her maiden name, her spouse’s feelings are a priority in making such a decision. “If he’s cool with it, I’d replace my middle name with my present last name; if he’s not, I’d gladly replace my last name with his,” she says.

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    Bisola also shares this sentiment, saying that although she hasn’t given it much thought, she doesn’t mind giving up her maiden name. 

    But Bisola understands it might be difficult for women who have already established themselves using their maiden names, she says, “Couples should compromise to have a hyphenated last name to pass on to their children.”

    A hyphenated last name is the combined name of two spouses, for instance, “Ojo-Hassan”. She also adds that this would give women a chance to carry on their father’s legacy, “Some families only have female children; imagine if they all went on to take on their husband’s last name? That would mean that if their father dies, the family name dies with him.” 

    Also in support of hyphenation is Lisa; she thinks this would make the lives of women already successful in various fields easier, particularly in academia, where research papers have been published using their maiden names. 

    Chioma, who’s a queer woman, also encourages hyphenated last names. She says, “Although my partner and I have agreed to keep our maiden names, we’ll be giving our children a hyphenated last name as we want them to have both our names”. For them, it allows and empowers them to build a “new” family unit.

    Clearly, many Nigerian women think it’s time for everyone to let go of their beliefs about taking up or compulsorily giving children their partner’s last name. A significant amount of support is also needed from the government to make life easier for women who choose to do so. Women-centred NGOs like the Wevvo Foundation and Fatima Balaraba Foundation have started a petition to the Nigerian Immigration Service to implement its policy on accepting consent letters from mothers to process passports for minors. With this, we are optimistic about the level of choice everyone gets to enjoy with names, naming, and being named. 

    You have the opportunity to add your voice to this fight by signing the petition.

    Tolu Omotesho

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