National

By Muhammad Sabiu

Report from Daily Nigerian has alleged that Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is planning to bring an atrocious leader of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Kolo Yusuf, as the state’s police commissioner.

He is said to be deployed to Kano to help the APC rig 2023 elections.

Barrister Audu Bulama Bukarti has affirmed this allegation in his tweet and recalling how Mr Kolo tortured and killed his client.

The Daily Nigerian newspaper went on to claiming that Dr Ganduje and Mr Kolo will meet this weekend to finalize the deal.

Recall that SARS was infamous for rights violations, torture, arbitrary murders, and suspicious incarceration up until its termination in October 2020 following widespread demonstrations, popularly known as the #EndSars protests.

Mr. Yusuf, who currently oversees Special Tactical Command, previously oversaw SARS in Kano, where he was charged with torturing individuals and perpetrating arbitrary deaths and detentions.

Similarly, another source who claimed for anonymity confirmed to journalists that the Kano governor had been assured that all would go well as all indications showed that the IGP had agreed to execute the plan.

In the 2019 election, the APC was alleged to have rigged the governorship election which saw Ganduje come back to power, after controversially defeating Abba Gida-Gida in an lection that would never be forgotten by Kwankwasiyya adherents.

By Muhammed-Bello Buhari

Claim: Atiku, Nigeria’s former Vice President and the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, claimed that 90 per cent of northerners are not on social media while responding to a question in an exclusive pre-recorded interview on Arise TV aired on Friday, July 22.

Atiku made the claim, suggesting that the Labour Party cannot make inroads in northern Nigeria. He played down the possibility of Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, causing an upset to his presidential ambition during the next year’s general elections.

His words:

“It is very difficult to expect a miracle to happen simply because Peter Obi is in the Labour Party. After all, they were saying through social media [that] they had more than one million votes in Osun state.

“But how many voters turned for the Labour Party? And then again, mark you; you’re talking about social media. In the north, 90 per cent of our people are not tuned to social media.”

With this claim, social media was awash with all sorts of counterclaims. Nigerians on Facebook and Twitter knocked the former vice president out for his comment, alleging that such a claim is untrue.

Verification:

According to the Digital Report 2021 by Datareportal—one of the world’s most trusted sources of social media data, insights and trends—the number of social media users in Nigeria was equivalent to 15.8% of the total population (208.8 million) in January 2021. This means there were 33.00 million social media users in Nigeria in January 2021.

This same report recorded the total population of the northern region to be 128.17 million. This is also in line with the National Bureau of Statistics figures on Nigeria’s demographics, using data from the National Population Commission.

So assuming that the divide of the social media users in Nigeria between the south and the north is 50-50. i.e. of the 33 million users, 16.5 million are northerners. This means that of the 128.17 northerners, only 12.9 per cent are on social media, representing 87.1 per cent are not on social media.

And given the apparent disparities in internet usage between the north and south due to market size, urbanization, economic development, income, telephone density and employment, which are the major contributory factors to the divide as reported in the research conducted on the digital divide in Nigeria, there’s at least a 60-40 percentage divide between the south and north in terms of internet and social media usage.

As such, 40 per cent of Nigeria’s 33 million social media users is 13.2 million. This means that of the 128.17 northerners, only 10 per cent are on social media, which also means that 90 per cent are not on social media.

Verdict: Atiku’s claim that 90 per cent of northerners are not on social media is backed up by data. Findings have shown that only 10 per cent of northerners are on social media. Therefore, the claim is valid.

Muhammed-Bello Buhari is a freelance fact-checker based in Kaduna and can be reached via embbuhari@gmail.com.

By Aisar Fagge

Population explosion can be a boost or a doom. If resources are not well managed in a country with rapid population growth, illiteracy, divisive politics, unemployment, hunger, crime, insecurity, poor standard of living will be the topics of discussion.

Dr. Musa Muhammad Bello, a community physician consultant and also a lecturer with Bayero University, Kano, mentioned this during a maiden monthly seminar organized by the Community Health Organization (CHR) in collaboration with Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Disease and Social Vices (YOSPIS), held on Wednesday, 20th July, 2022 at CHR’s conference room, Kano.

In his paper titled: “Rising Population and Demographic Transition: Effect on Health and Sustainable Development” Dr Bello said “If Nigeria’s population continue growing at this pace, by 2050, it will double to over 400 million. Nigeria will become the 4th largest country on Earth.”

“There is a cause for alarm because, population increase or explosion can be a boom or a doom.”

“If the population is rapidly increasing and resources are not well managed then it will greatly affect the availability of these resources across all sectors – health, water, education, security, etc. It will stretch them to the extent that majority of the population will be suffering in misery – there will be poverty, hunger, starvation, malnutrition, there will be unemployment and poor living standard.”

“All sectors of life will suffer. Take for example Kano State government’s decision to ban tricycle movement from 10 pm to 6 am is an effect of population concentration. The rate of crime has increased. Phone snatchers are everywhere. Some of us here are their victims,” The speaker lamented.

Speaking about the preparation for 2023 census in Nigeria, Dr Bello said, “Census is very important. In fact, according to a United Nations Economic Council, the population census should be done in every country every ten years. But unfortunately in Nigeria, the last census we did was in 2006. So we are far behind.”

“Census gives you the exact number of people and ther demographic structure: gender, age, education, income, location, etc. and that will be a very good tool for planning development in the country. Lack of this statistics will negatively affect the government planning.”

“When it comes to health, you first look at it from disease possession. When there is a population explosion, there is increase risk of disease. People will interact with the environment, their daily activities will pollute the environment; air pollution, water pollution and so many other things. So there is likely going to have increase in disease that are transacted through air because of over crowding,” he concluded.

One of the discussants of the paper, Musa Abdullahi Sufi argued that “Nigeria is not over populated because of its available vast resources.” He urged the academics to do more research to engage policy makers. Another discussant, Zainab Nasir Ahmed countered that “Nigeria is over populated because the resources are in the hands of few people” while majority of the population wallow in squalor.

The seminar received both physical and virtual participants ranging from academics, health workers, journalists and members of Civil Society Organizations (CSO).

By Aisar Fagge

Over 2 million people die every year across the globe as a result of zoonotic diseases that people get from food, water and mostly from their contacts with animals such as dogs, cats, cows and the meat they eat.

Dr Muhammad Adamu Abbas, Head of Department, Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Bayero University, Kano stated this during a monthly seminar organized by the Community Health Organization (CHR) in collaboration with Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Disease and Social Vices (YOSPIS), held on Wednesday, 20th July, 2022 at CHR’s conference room, Kano.

The aim of the seminar which was sponsored by Dr Aminu Magashi, the Coordinator of Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) is bring members of the academia, Civil Society Organizations, Non-governmental organizations and media practitioners to interact and proffer solutions to lingering problems around health, population and youth matters.

In his paper titled: Zoonotic Diseases: What are they & their effect on Health and Socio-economic Development,” Dr Abbas said zoonosis is an infectious disease that jumps from animals to humans in the form of virus, fungus, bacteria, parasite or from human environment. Deadly diseases such as Covid-19, Ebola, SARS, Anthrax, bird flu, Lassa fever are all zoonoses family.

Touching infected animals, mosquito bite, eating contaminated food, eggs or meat, polluted air or kissing sick pets such as dogs and cats are all means of transmission.

“Pregnant women, children of 5 years old or younger, people with weakened immune system and people who have regular contacts with animals have high risk of zoonotic diseases.”

According to the speaker, “Of every 4 emerging and re-emerging diseases, 3 are zoonoses while 60% of zoonoses are from animals – wild and pets. Similarly, 80% of bio-terrorism agents are pathogens of animal origin.”

Dr Abbas affirms that zoonoses force more danger to poor and vulnerable societies in Africa and Asia. But unfortunately poverty, poor health system and facilities worsen the situation.

In Nigeria, majority of the people are farmers. They have regular contacts with their animals. “North [for example] is the major supplier of meat to other parts of the country. In those days, there were people who check the health of an animal before and after it was slaughtered in order to protect people [from zoonotic diseases]. But nowadays because of too many slaughter houses and butchers, many animals are being eaten unchecked,” he lamented.

In order to tackle zoonotic diseases in countries like Nigeria, the speaker said, “educating the people and mass awareness, poverty reduction, collaboration between health workers and early detection of these diseases are of paramount importance”.

Many questions were asked by the participants and some of the ways to go forward is to sensitize people about the importance of hygiene and take the campaign to the slaughter houses, farmers and hunters.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, is going to be arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Daily Reality gathered that the EFCC will arraign the former Accountant General Friday before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

However, Idris was said to have been arraigned alongside three others: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

Our reporters gathered that the accusations embodied a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9. 

One of the counts reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris, while being the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation between February and November 2021, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

The sum of $61,400, which the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari allegedly offered as bribe to the operatives of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has been admitted as exhibit by court.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja under Justice Emeka Nwite, has admitted the money as exhibit on Wednesday.

The Daily Reality recalls that Kyari was on February 22 arraigned alongside ACP Sunday Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspectors Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu, while one ASP John Umoru was said to be at large.

Reports, however, gathered that this was coming after the NDLEA tendered the money through the third prosecution witness, Peter Joshua.

Joshua, told the court at the resumed hearing that the currency was handed over to him on January 25 after he conducted preliminary tests on the exhibits.

The NDLEA claimed to have obtained a video footage of Kyari negotiating the $61,400 sum as a bribe with its investigators to prevent the testing of the 17.55 kilogrammes of the drugs.

The witness also tendered 24 packs of cocaine brought before the court in two travelling bags.

However, the bags contained nine packs wrapped in white cotton sacks, three additional packs of cocaine, and 12 pellets that were separately tied in nylon bags.

By Aisar Fagge and Uzair Adam Imam

The House of Representatives has urged the federal government to come to the rescue of Darazo community in Bauchi State affected by a devastating flood a few days ago.

The Daily Reality gathered that the devastating flood disaster destroyed more than 200 houses, farmlands and other sources of livelihood.

The lawmakers made the call through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and other relevant agencies.

However, reports disclosed that this was coming Wednesday at the plenary after the adoption and passage of a motion moved by the member representing Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency, Mansur Manu Soro.

Soro expressed deep concern over what happened in the community that the flood had displaced thousands of citizens.

Therefore, The House has called on the NEMA to provide support to the victims and to also engage the Bauchi State Government with a view to resettling those who were displaced by the flood disaster.

By Muhammad Aminu

The Federal Government has denied giving any ultimatum to the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to bring an end to the lingering industrial action in public universities.

Senior Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Wednesday that there was no ultimatum given to the education minister to end the strike.

He accused the media of being deceived by their sources by giving definite time, saying the minister only suggested two or three weeks or even less.

The statement noted: “Neither during nor after the meeting was any ultimatum given to the Minister of Education.

“During the meeting, the Minister of Education requested that the Minister of Labour hands off the negotiation to allow him lead and conclude what he had earlier on started with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). And he promised that he could get an agreement within the shortest possible time, possibly two to three weeks.”

“It is a pity that almost all media houses allowed themselves to be deceived by interested sources that are not the authorized spokesmen of the government.

According to Shehu, the Minister will carry all the necessary stakeholders who can realistically work to end the strike as the government doors are open.

“In carrying out this assignment, the Minister will carry along all relevant ministries and agencies with statutory functions and duties relating to the issues involved.

“The Presidency is optimistic that agreements can be reached in even a shorter period if all parties/stakeholders are not unrealistically obstinate. We appeal to the parties to work together to end the strikes.

“On the part of the administration, all doors remain open for dialogue and the resolution of the issues.”

The statement called on the media to desist from spreading misinformation on the matter.

“We appeal to the media not try to spread misinformation. The orchestrated media narratives seeking to present an entirely different picture, attributed to sources, in the last 24 hours are not helpful at all.

“The outcome of the meeting held by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to end the agitations by university unions ought to be beyond spin-doctoring and conjectures, it added.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), has vowed that the come 2023 general election will be the best ever in Nigeria’s history.

Yakubu said this Tuesday, July 19th 2022, in Abuja, when he received delegations of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and that of the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

He also assured that INEC would improve on its successes in subsequent elections to come.

The Daily Reality gathered that the meeting was the first that INEC was hosting after Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

Yakubu was quoted as saying, “We assure you that we will continue to work not only hard but even harder to deliver the 2023 general elections.

“As for the preparation for the 2023 general elections, I want to assure you that we promised Nigerians that Ekiti was going to be good, and Ekiti was a good election.

“We promised that Osun was going to be better; Osun was a better election. We are promising that the 2023 general elections will be our best election ever, and we are committed to delivering the best election ever,’’ Yakubu said.

Speaking earlier, Secretary of State for Ohio, United States and leader of the delegations, Mr Frank LaRose, had commended INEC over on its successes.

He, however, commended INEC for its various efforts to improve the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

He states, “we took the opportunity to visit Osun because that was only the second time election has been conducted under the new Electoral Law. 

“We met with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, and we observed many different polling locations on Election Day,” he stated. 

By Muhammad Aminu

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-West Zone, has said it would join the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in protest to pressurise the federal government to end the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

In a statement issued by NANS Coordinator and Public Relations Officer Adegboye Olatunji and Awoyinfa Opeoluwa, which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday.

The NLC had earlier vowed to embark on a nationwide protest on July 26 and 27 in solidarity with the trade unions in the Nigerian public universities and others.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who made the disclosure in a circular jointly signed by Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Congress, on Sunday, said the protest was in line with the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the NLC on June 30.

ASUU and other trade unions in the education sector have been on strike for over five months over the alleged failure of the Federal Government to keep to the agreement entered with the unions.

The demands of the striking workers include issues bordering on funding of universities, salaries, and earned allowances of lecturers.

However, the NANS leadership in the South-West zone called on students across the country to join the NLC in the nationwide protest in solidarity with ASUU.

NANS added that it would “not keep silent and watch our future being ruined by the prolonged ASUU strike.”

It stated: “It is timely and urgent to issue this statement today with a view to putting an end to the lingering strike action by ASUU. We want a total reformation of the educational sector.

“The Leadership of NANS, Zone D, has taken it upon herself to categorically stand against the dilapidated state of the educational sector in Nigeria.

“We are at a time when Nigerian students have lost hope and do not know what’s next on the radar. ASUU strike has been on for over five months without any hope of resumption.

“We have also waited for so long to see if the Federal Government will dance to the music of Nigerian students who have been clamouring for an end to the ASUU strike, but the reverse is the case.

“We’ve had several press conferences, granted several interviews, held several meetings to plead with both ASUU and the Federal Government, and held several peaceful protests across the Federation.

“According to the commandment of solidarity, we’re on the last ‘Cs of Aluta,’ which is confrontation. This is the time to call on all Nigerian students across all zones to join the NLC in solidarity to end the ASUU strike on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, and Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Nigerian students are tired of the long overdue strike action.

“Consequently, all NANS cadres and stakeholders, zonal leadership, Campus Committee Chairmen, Student Union Government presidents, Nigerian students, and the general public are hereby put on high notice to mobilise, organise and get prepared to be part of the movement,” NANS said