News
Who Can Be Trusted When Fake Groups Defend Nigeria’s ‘Most Abusive and Corrupt Officials’
By Joel Popoola
“On the internet, nobody knows that you’re a dog”.
So went the caption of one of the internet’s first ever memes, American cartoonist Peter Steiner’s iconic 1993 cartoon of a dog using a computer.
In those days, the message was empowering – the digital age allows you to create an entirely different persona online, expressing yourself in a way which was previously impossible.
But today people claiming to be something they aren’t, potentially threatens Nigerian democracy.
The international cliché of the “Nigerian Prince” online scammer is at best a grotesque symbol of our national squandering of a creative and digitally-confident youth, and at worst a national embarrassment.
But Nigeria increasingly has a similar problem at home, with the troubling rise of new public groups who are also not who they claim to be – and who exist only to mislead.
Global think tank, Carnegie, have recently released research highlighting the rise of “at least 360” new non-governmental organisations in Nigeria who “masquerade as authentic civil society groups, singing the praises of top officials and attacking their critics.”
The researchers state that these groups have created “a substantial fake civil society” which is “both corrupting and corruptive, compounding the country’s downward democratic trajectory”.
Researchers highlight how “fewer than 7 percent are listed on the country’s corporate registry as is legally required”, “murky financing” and most alarmingly of all that the vast majority of these groups seemingly exist only to “defend Nigeria’s most abusive and corrupt officials”.
The report alleges: “It may also be the result of a deliberate but unspoken strategy on the part of a handful of ruling party and military elites to…dilute civil society and international criticism.”
The research even highlights one such group who recently hailed President Buhari’s “excellent performance” when it comes to security, publishing a report stating “the President has frenetically tackled the insurgency with so much vigor, energy and resources. It stamps that [he] has made the difference in counter-terrorism combat and [is] deserving of loud accolades and commendations.”
Even President Buhari’s strongest supporters would have to admit that this is a very “glass half full” assessment of the current security situation in our nation.
Nigeria’s vibrant and extensive civil society is one of our greatest strengths and is crucial to sustaining democracy in our nation. We cannot allow it to be contaminated with corruption.
As the Carnegie research states, Nigeria’s civil society encompasses “religious bodies, ethnic and subethnic associations, village cooperatives, occupation-based groups, student and alumni entities, charities and foundations, as well as a broad range of advocacy and development-focused NGOs, both international and domestic.”
It is the space where we come together to decide what Nigeria is and where as a nation we are going. As Carnegie researchers put it, it is these groups who have a vital role to play in “pushing for better governance, greater accountability, and respect for human rights.”
This cannot happen if this space is dominated by sycophantic surrogates.
So what is to be done in the face of this tidal wave of misdirection and misinformation?
We must create an internet where information comes only from verified sources, who at least must clearly identify their vested interests.
This may sound easier said than done, but I believe that it is possible.
At the digital democracy campaign I lead, we have created a free app called Rate Your Leader which gives verified voters direct access to verified local politicians.
Rate Your Leader lets people put their ideas, comments, complaints and issues directly to the people who have the power to do something about them – while also allowing politicians to better understand the needs and wants of the people who elect them.
The Rate Your Leader app also allows users to rate local leaders for accessibility and transparency, showcasing to local voters that their local leaders are worth voting for.
With Rate Your Leader, you aren’t speaking to a middle man – you’re speaking to the politician direct.
Technologies like these ensure that there is always public access to sources of political information who are demonstrably who they say they are – and at least have to be transparent about their allegiances and interests.
If we are to revive our democracy, we need a beating heart of people-powered movements.
If these people are in fact just one or two individuals with a vested interest in preserving the status quo, democratic revival and renewal will remain out of our grasp.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and digital democracy campaigner. He is the creator of the Rate Your Leader app, and can be reached via @JOPopoola
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
There’s no doubt that human beings by nature are insatiable. When we get one opportunity, we always look for another. When we attain one height, we always look for another accomplishment. Isn’t it true that the end of one mountain is the beginning of another.
However, I don’t think it’s selfish for anyone to dare to succeed.
Being ambitious doesn’t make one an opportunist or disloyal. It all depends on one’s perception or outlook to life. It’s just natural for one to dream big. It’s only ugly when the process one chooses to achieve his desires becomes dirty and nasty.
According to a former Nigerian presidential candidate and seasoned Economist, Mr. Peter Obi, “if you must be referred to as “Your Excellency”, then the process through which you arrived in office must be excellent”.
If you desire to be reckoned with on the journey of existence, you must be legitimately hungry for success. One’s hunger for success will facilitate the drive to accomplish great tasks despite daunting obstacles posing as challenges.
When one has this mindset, one will not be bothered by the noise which serves as obstacles and challenges along the way. Negative and weak minds are always concerned on why something won’t work. They tend to focus their energy and reasons on the obstacles facing them. But great and productive minds always focus their energy on the reasons why it will work. This is the spirit of an insatiable mind who is a goal- getter.
It’s instructive to note that we can’t please everyone. According to Bill Cosby, a famous actor, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.” Isn’t it true that when you talk, people will still talk about you, when you don’t talk, people will talk about you, so whether you talk or not, people will still judge you, so, do what’s best for you. There’s nothing you can do to please human beings. Your best option is to live your best life.
To understand how the insatiable nature of man works, one must be oneself. You don’t have to “please” anyone. Be yourself, and don’t try to be like anyone just to curry favour. It’s important to note that when you are yourself, the people that matter will come through for you, and the people that don’t matter will gradually find the bearing in another space because those that truly care don’t bother and those that bother don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Life has truly taught me to focus on the important things of life as opposed to the mundane things. It’s truly sad to see people spending more time on the little things of life, and spending little time on the important things of life. That’s just a misplaced priority.
When you are yourself, the best people can do is to copy or imitate your style. They can never imitate your creativity nor can take your originality from you.
We live in a world or society where people don’t generally care or show empathy. Most people tend to live around themselves, their family, and close associates. They generally find it hard to lift a finger to assist others for reasons best known to them. Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka once said, “we live in a wicked generation”, re-echoing the voices of a lot of people of the world. Some people in authority just have criminal expertise in amassing wealth of opportunities meant for the citizens without thinking of the citizens they are meant to serve.
It’s worthy of note that not everyone will like you nor support your work, but when you find people who truly care about you; please hold them tight. This is because despite having family members you have shown love and compassion, they might not still appreciate you even if you lay your life for them, they will still find something to say. Again, this is the insatiable nature of man.
It’s okay for everyone not to like you, normalize living your life for God, yourself, family and those that care about you. If everyone likes you, you have a problem.
Did you know that you can get a new family from friends, strangers, and acquaintances? These sets of people might appreciate you more than your own family members. They might not demand or under appreciate you like your family members and close friends or associates. Any little support you give them will be highly appreciated. Their focus is to see you do better.
In conclusion, as you desire to succeed in life, never give in to failure until you have made your last attempt, and never make your last attempt until you succeed. This literally means whatever you desire, dream it, think it, say it, and believe you can achieve it. This principle is generally applicable to relationships, businesses, family, personal and professional development.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
A federal judge in the United States, on Thursday, put a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed hours after being sworn into office for a second term.
It comes after lawsuits were filed by a total of 22 states, two cities and numerous civil rights groups.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” senior US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington State.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed to the bench by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
Birthright citizenship is fundamental to America’s national identity, with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution decreeing that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.
It says, in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
AFP
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of one Timothy Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the court affirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.
“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” the court declared in part.
The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.
Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions
Adegoke’s death was reported in November 2021 after his corpse was found at the Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.
The hotelier had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State on November 5 of that year.
He had checked into the hotel but was reported missing after two days. However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to a probe that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
In May 2023, Adedoyin and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
The court of appeal, on Thursday, however, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier.
