Metro
COVID-19 Aid: ‘How Can Nigerians Trust Politicians When Politicians Don’t Trust One Another?’
- /home/rhoncare/pointblank.ng/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://pointblank.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Popoola.jpg&description=COVID-19 Aid: ‘How Can Nigerians Trust Politicians When Politicians Don’t Trust One Another?’', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/rhoncare/pointblank.ng/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 69
https://pointblank.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Popoola.jpg&description=COVID-19 Aid: ‘How Can Nigerians Trust Politicians When Politicians Don’t Trust One Another?’', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
A political squabble over the distribution of aid to Nigerians struggling during the COVID-19 lockdown exposes the crisis of trust in Nigerian politics, a digital democracy campaigner believes.
A number of high profile Nigerian politicians have publically criticised the delivery and transparency of support payments made to those affected by the coronavirus crisis using the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
Among them was National Assembly member Ben Kalu. Speaking in a televised interview he said:
“We are supposed to feel the impact now. The poor should feel the impact of this programme… there are 360 of us (assembly members) and all of them are saying we are not feeling the impact.
“Who are you paying this money to?.. you said you paid 100 people from my constituency, we can’t see them. Are they ghosts? Are you paying ghosts?”
Senate President Ahmed Lawan has also criticised a lack of co-ordination in the COVID-19 relief effort, stating:
“I believe that we face one critical challenge today in our fight against COVID-19. We have donations made by various organisations, corporate bodies and so on but it is my candid opinion that there is no coordination,” Presidential advisor Hajiya Maryam Uwais hit back, claiming that critics of the programme were motivated only by the desire to personally choose which if their residents received support, claiming:
“The demand for the inclusion of candidates to the NSR from the NASS has been a recurring issue from the inception of the NSIPs”.
Digital democracy campaigner and technology entrepreneur Joel Popoola believes the quarrel demonstrates a crisis of trust in Nigerian politics.
Joel is the creator of Rate Your Leader app. The app is designed to help politicians engage directly with voters and build relationships of trust with the electorate, as well as transmitting important information to them.
The app also allows votes to identify and contact their representatives at the touch of a button, direct from their phones or tablets – and rate them for their responsiveness.
Joel said:
“How can Nigerian’s supposed to trust their politicians when Nigeria’s politicians don’t trust each other?
“Lawmakers find themselves in an unprecedented situation. Of course there are going to be delays getting help to people that need it most as our government scrambles to create new and complex social programmes overnight. On the other hand, legitimate scrutiny of their performance and the final destination of this money should not be seen as being motivated only by personal greed.
“Rate Your Leader was created to develop relationships of trust between electors and elected, but in a time of national crisis our lawmakers need to set a much better example by working together in the national interest.
“Our politics needs more trust, and at Rate Your Leader our aim is helping that trust to take root and grow”.
Rate Your Leader, is always free app to residents and allows voters to communicate directly with elected representatives in a way which makes abuse impossible, as well as rating them for responsiveness. The app is available from the Apple and Google Marketplaces.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, on Wednesday, led the Command’s Peace Walk in commemoration of International Youth Day 2026, themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” and the launch of the Campaign Against Political and Digital Thuggery.
A statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, noted that the initiative, in line with the vision and directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, was aimed at strengthening police-community partnerships, and engage young people as key partners in promoting peace, security, and national development.
The Peace Walk brought together strategic collaborators and youth stakeholders, including representatives of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), NYSC, POCACOV, NANS, PCRC, NURTW, RTEAN, CRAN, and NAOSNP, as part of efforts to sensitise young people on the need to shun political and digital thuggery, drug abuse, cultism, and hooliganism, while promoting peace, responsible citizenship, and positive youth engagement.
The Presidency has blamed the deplorable condition of the Benin-Asaba Expressway on the failure of the contractor to act professionally.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday while reacting to the condition of the highway.
Dare said that while the road has been a difficult one that had transcended about three or four presidents, whatever palliative works the contractor carried out on the road were not professionally done.
He, however, said the incident should be treated as an isolated case and not be used to assess the state of road projects across the country.
The President’s aide spoke amid several complaints by motorists and commuters on the poor state of the road.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, inspected the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road in Edo State, where he also apologised to commuters over its current state.
The traffic gridlock along the Benin-Agbor Road has continued for days, leaving motorists, commuters and residents stranded for hours as the situation worsens.
The prolonged gridlock, which is being attributed to the deteriorated condition of the road and failed portions along the route, is disrupting commercial activities and making daily commuting increasingly difficult.
According to reports, motorists have continued to express frustration over the hours spent in traffic, saying the situation is taking a toll on their businesses, vehicles and daily activities.
One of the drivers lamented that the road has suffered years of neglect under successive governments, saying repeated calls for intervention have not produced a lasting solution.
He said the poor condition of the road, combined with the heavy volume of vehicles using the route, has made movement particularly difficult, with some motorists spending several hours on journeys that would ordinarily take a fraction of that time.
Residents along the route are also expressing concern over the impact of the gridlock, as the congestion is affecting the movement of people and goods and disrupting commercial activities in communities along the corridor.
The Chairman of Ikpoba-Okha Youth Association, Kingsley Osenmwingiewho, joined the call for urgent intervention, appealing to the Federal government to expedite repairs of the failed portions of the Benin-Asaba Road.
Osenmwingiewho particularly called for immediate attention to the Benin-Agbor Road bypass axis, where the condition of the road has become a major source of concern to motorists and residents.
He said rehabilitating the failed sections will not only ease the present gridlock but also improve the movement of people, goods and services along the busy Benin-Asaba corridor.
For motorists and residents who have continued to endure the daily traffic nightmare, the appeal is for authorities to move beyond temporary measures and begin urgent, lasting repairs of the road.
As the gridlock persists, road users are hoping that government intervention will come soon to restore normal traffic flow and relieve the pressure on commuters who have been stranded for hours.
