News

Don’t Mute Your Mother on WhatsApp – You Won’t Know What She’s Sharing

Published

4 years ago

June 12, 2020

Eric

By Joel Popoola

To many Nigerians, WhatsApp is the internet. 85% of Nigeria’s 24 million internet users – over 17 million people – use the application to keep in touch with friends and family. Increasingly, it is their main source of news too.

Less affected by unreliable internet connections than other platforms and not needing users to create profiles or remember passwords, it’s particularly popular with older Nigerians. And having not grown up with the internet like younger generations, some users have yet to learn that they cannot trust everything they read.

Current “news” being shared on WhatsApp by well-meaning Nigerians includes Russian President Putin releasing lions onto the streets to enforce his country’s own coronavirus lockdown.
One Nigerian woman’s tweet about her mother placing an onion in the corner of every room to “absorb toxins” after being forwarded the “advice” from “the WhatsApp mother’s cult” was retweeted almost 50,000 times, with a worrying number of Nigerians admitting their mothers had done the same thing.

Some Nigerians have reported being so bored of their mothers sending them advice about which underpants apparently give you cancer that they are muting them.

This is the wrong thing to do.

Think about the COVID-19 crisis. Thanks to WhatsApp, some Nigerians are – as we speak – sharing a video of the coronavirus leaving the Earth in the form of a giant flying dragon.

It may sound silly, but we all know older people are the most at risk from the deadly disease. If they don’t take the necessary steps to keep themselves safe because they believe this crisis is over as COVID-19 has taken the form of an enormous winged reptile and flown off into space, this nonsense could even become a matter of life and death.

Another COVID-19 myth making the rounds on African social media was the story of Chinese-owned businesses being destroyed across Nigeria. The video in question actually showed a street market in Ibadan on fire, but the video was viewed over a million times before Twitter removed it.

Younger generations of Nigerians are more digitally literate than their parents and grandparents. Instead of tuning out, they have a responsibility to educate and enlighten their relatives – as infuriating as it is.

Or, they could direct them to more reliable information.

I am the founder of the Digital Democracy project, created to use technology to bring people and politics closer together. One of our initiatives is the Rate Your Leader app. Using the free app, users are put in direct person-to-person contact with their local politicians. That way they can get information straight from the people who really know what they are talking about.

Of course, we are not so naive to believe that all politicians will give you good information.

America’s President, Donald Trump, has recommended fighting the coronavirus by drinking bleach, whilst Tanzanian President, John Magufuli, has recommended inhaling steam to kill off the virus. Despite coming from world leaders both these pieces of information were wrong, and potentially dangerous.

So this is where the rating comes in. If a politician gives out wrong information, voters can rate them badly. That way, their neighbours can objectively see if this source of information is a reliable one.

As our nation celebrates Democracy Day this week, it is important not just to celebrate the restoration of democracy to Nigerian but to think about its future. A future where Nigeria is Africa’s first truly digital democracy.

For the first time in our nation’s history, digital technology gives everyone the same access to information, and literally puts it in the palm of their hands.
But this information must be the right information.

Information which comes unfiltered from our political leaders and institutions, delivered in the spirit of transparency and accountability, carries the watermark of credibility that no alternative source can match.

And if people publicly endorse those sources of information, it creates a virtuous circle of improved trust in those leaders and institutions, and wider democratic engagement.

To some, this might sound a daunting challenge. But it is better than having your mother put an onion in the corner of every room.

Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital democracy campaigner and creator of the free Rate Your Leader app. Contact via Joel@rateyourleader.com

News

Ex-Gov Bello Stripped of Security Details, Placed on Watchlist

Published

15 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Eric

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has placed Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, on a watchlist, just as the police headquarters in Abuja “ordered the withdrawal of all men attached to his excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, former executive governor of Kogi state”.

Bello was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on April 18 after his absence from the federal high court in Abuja “stalled his arraignment”.

The anti-graft agency alleges that Bello, alongside Alli Bello, chief of staff to Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi; and one Daudu Suleiman, diverted about N80.2 billion belonging to the Kogi government.

In a statement signed by DS Umar, assistant comptroller of immigration, on behalf of Kemi Nandap, comptroller-general of the NIS, the agency said “the above named person has been placed on watch list”.

“The subject is being prosecuted for breach of trust and money laundering. If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation for further action,” the statement reads.

On April 17, the EFCC ended its siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja after Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the house and was later seen leaving with his predecessor.

News

N80.2b Fraud: EFCC Declares Ex- Gov Bello Wanted

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, wanted. Yahaya Bello was declared wanted for offences bordering on economic and financial crimes, with special emphasis to an alleged N82.2 billion fraud.

This was contained in a press statement made available to news men on Thursday.

The statement signed by Commission’s management reads as follows:

“Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is wanted by the EFCCfor offences relating to economic and financial crimes to the tune of N80.2 bn.

“Anybody with information as to his whereabouts should report immediately to the commission or the nearest police station.”

News

EFCC Seeks Military’s Help to Arrest Fleeing Ex-Gov Bello

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

Eric

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Thursday, adjourned to April 23, the suit instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello.

The adjournment is for substituted service and possible arraignment of Bello for alleged N84billion money laundering.

At the sitting, counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Phinro, told the court that Bello was absent from court for his arraignment because he was being protected by someone with immunity.

Phinro complained that the former governor was whisked out of his Abuja residence by the same person with immunity.

Phinro said the anti-graft agency might seek the help of the military to fish him out to come face his arraignment.

Responding to this submission, Yahaya Bello through his counsel, Abdulwahab Muhammad, told the court that there is an order of the court restraining the EFCC from arresting or arraigning him.

Muhammad said a Kogi State High Court had on February 9, 2024 restrained the EFCC from arresting or arraigning the former governor.

He added that the EFCC has appealed the ruling and the Court of Appeal was yet to decide on the matter.

He pointed out that the action of the EFCC was unconstitutional and the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain any charge from the EFCC.

Counsel for the EFCC, however, disagreed with the submission of the counsel to Bello.

The EFCC counsel held that the ruling in the substantive matter on the suit was delivered on March 17, 2024 by the Kogi State High Court.

He cleared the air that the court in its ruling held that for the former governor to be arrested or arraigned, the EFCC must first seek leave from the court to do so.

He said it was in line with that judgment that the EFCC, through an exparte application, filed for the order seeking the arrest of the former governor which was granted by the court.

Counsel for Yahaya Bello, however, insisted before the court that the order for the ex-governor’s arrest was made out of jurisdiction. He said the former governor is not a fugitive, but relying on the order of the Kogi State High Court to take protection.

On Wednesday, EFCC operatives stormed Bello’s residence in the Wuse area of Abuja and spent most part of the day attempting to arrest the former governor whom the Commission later confirmed was whisked away by his successor.

The EFCC subsequently warned members of the public that it is a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.

The Commission’s spokesperson said that Section 38(2)(a)(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.

According to him, culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.

“On several occasions, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

“Regrettably, such disposition is being construed as a sign of weakness.

“The Commission, therefore, warns that it will henceforth not tolerate any attempt by any person or organisation to obstruct its operation as such will be met with appropriate punitive actions,” the statement added.