Welcome to the first week of July and the second half of the year! My mid-year resolution is to look at the bright side of all things moving forward; therefore, I won’t be a harbinger of bad news in this edition of Game Votes. Instead, we’ll look at some positive events across Nigeria this week.
We had two days of public holidays:
Last Wednesday and Thursday were the Eid-al-Adha celebrations that gave many of us a much-needed break from capitalism. And one thing that makes this last Salah break special is that it’s the last one we’ll have in a while, as the next national break is in October. So hopefully, you were able to make the most of the Salah break.
Seven victims of kidnapping were rescued:
Sadly, many Nigerians have become desensitised to news like this, but for the families of the victims, this brings an end to their nightmare. On June 27, 2023, the Enugu State Police Command paraded 3 kidnappers notorious for terrorising the area. The police commissioner, represented by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, also revealed that 12 additional suspects responsible for the kidnapping, rape, and murder had also been apprehended. The police command acted on a series of distress calls and tip-offs and rescued seven kidnapped victims. They also recovered 7 firearms, two motor vehicles, one motorcycle, one dagger, and a cash sum of ₦701,000.
The electricity tariff hike might not be happening:
The recent news of a 40% hike in the price of electricity tariffs effective July 1 threw many Nigerians into panic mode, and rightly so. However, on Wednesday, June 28, Mike Faloseyi, a spokesperson for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), confirmed that they have yet to make such a statement. The Abuja and Ikeja Electricity Distribution Companies also recently announced to their customers that the news should be regarded as fake as no approval for an increment was given.
17 women were rescued from a baby-making factory:
On June 25, 2023, some Nigerian Army troops raided a baby-making factory along Adamawa state’s Nigerian/Cameroon border. The soldiers were able to arrest seven operators of this factory, two babies, and 17 women between the ages of 19-21. These women were recruited as minors without the knowledge of their families and used for prostitution and the delivery of babies for sale for the past 3 years. Hopefully, these women will be able to get the help they need, and the perpetrators will be duly punished.
What Else Happened This Week?
Implementation of Proof of Vehicle Ownership to Kick Off in July
I’m going to say what everyone’s thinking—as a country, we might have jumped from frying pan to fire, but I’m sure there’s a bright side to this new development if we look hard enough.
On June 27, 2023, the Federal Government Joint Tax Board introduced a Proof of Ownership Certificate (PoC) verification fee of ₦1000 to be paid annually by all motorists. According to Abdulhafiz Toriola, the Permanent Secretary for the Lagos state Ministry of Transportation, the PoC will contain information such as the licence plate number, model and year of manufacture, and the owner’s details. It’ll also show that a vehicle legally belongs to a person or an entity.
Toriola further explained that the PoC will help track the real-time status of vehicles on the National Vehicle and Identification Scheme (NVIS) database and work towards the country’s national security and economic development; implementation is expected to begin in Lagos by July. However, this news hasn’t gone well with many Nigerians, who are still struggling to adjust to our new economic reality. Sadly, it’s starting to look like, once again, we’ve elected a government insensitive to the struggles of the everyday Nigerian.
Video of the week
Question of the week
We’ve recently seen a resurgence of the National Television Authority (NTA) as the government’s mouthpiece. Do you think President Tinubu is responsible for this?
Ehen one more thing…
Whisper it quietly, but the FG has secured a new $500m loan from the World Bank. Who will be the beneficiaries of this loan? Find out here.
