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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
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications (State House).
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced this in a statement, on Thursday.
A former aide of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Bwala worked actively for his former principal who lost to Tinubu.
However, after the elections, he worked his way into the camp of Tinubu, sparking controversy.
Onanuga also announced the appointments of three directors-general of various agencies.
They are:
(1) Mr. Olawale Olopade — Director-General, National Sports Commission
(2) Dr. Abisoye Fagade — Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism
(3) Dr. Adebowale Adedokun — Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement
Olopade, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, is a sports administrator with many years of experience in the sector.
He served as commissioner of youth and sports in Ogun state and was chairman of the local organising committee of the 2024 National Sports Festival.
The new Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Dr. Abisoye Fagade is a marketing communication professional. He is the founder and managing director of Sodium Brand Solutions.
Adedokun, the new helmsman of the Bureau of Public Procurement, was the director of Research/Training and Strategic Planning at the bureau before his appointment.
Daily Trust
Globacom has received commendation from the Vice Chancellor of BOWEN University, Iwo, Osun State, Professor Jonathan Oyebamiji Babalola, for consistently delivering digital services to the university over the years.
This acclamation was made by Professor Babalola during a business meeting in his office at the University of Iwo in Osun State, when he hosted a team from Globacom’s Enterprise Business Group.
The VC conveyed how much he enjoyed working with Globacom and encouraged the company to keep up its uninterrupted services to the academic community.
In order to help the university fulfill its mission of creating better products and advance the frontiers of academic development, he also asked Globacom to support BOWEN University through a number of CSR initiatives.
Speaking at the meeting, Adeniyi Odejobi, the Enterprise Business Lead, Globacom, said that the company has been a major telecommunications service provider in Nigeria, providing telephony and digital solution services for millions of people across the country as well as enterprises, small and medium-sized businesses, large corporations, public sector organizations, and universities. It is also a digital solutions company.
According to Adeniyi, Glo has been at the forefront of revolutionary changes in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector for more than 20 years and is largely to be commended for democratizing the use of telephones and telephony services across the country over the years. “Because of Globacom, every Nigerian today can afford a telephone line”, he noted.
According to Adeniyi, Globacom also evolved a good number of innovations that have aided revolutionary developments in the Nigerian telecom sector, such as Globacom’s fully owned international submarine cable, Glo 1.
In order to advance the university, Adeniyi urged it to deepen its collaboration with Glo in order to offer digital services such as Glo LMS, Toll-Free Data, and Mobility services.
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has alleged that the depth of corruption in the power sector would make anyone weep for Nigeria.
He said: “As we speak, we are grappling with electricity. If you see some of the investigations we are carrying out within the power sector, you will shed tears.
“People were awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment. Instead of using what they call 9.0 guage, they will go and buy 5.0.
“Every time you see the thing tripping off, the thing gets burnt, and all of that, it falters and it collapses. It’s part of our problems.”
Olukoyede made the revelation during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes to the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between the Commission and lawmakers to combat financial crimes effectively.
One of the key areas of concern, according to Olukoyede, is the power sector, where corrupt practices have been undermining the country’s infrastructure.
It was at this point that the EFCC boss revealed that some contractors awarded contracts to supply electricity equipment were cutting corners.
He said they were using substandard materials that have contributed to the frequent power outages and system failures.
This, he said, is one of the many examples of how corruption in critical sectors is holding back the country’s development.
Olukoyede also discussed the EFCC’s new strategic focus on asset tracing and recovery, which he credited for the agency’s successes over the past year.
Furthermore, he revealed that “For every N10 recovered, perhaps N30 or N40 Naira may have been stolen.
“If we recover about N440 billion and several billions of dollars in a year, imagine the total amount siphoned from our system. That’s the unfortunate reality.
“Thus, we are focusing on prevention. Over the last year, we have established a new directorate for risk assessment and control.
“To recover 10 Naira, you may spend between 4 and 5 Naira. But to prevent 10 Naira from being stolen, you spend less than 1 Naira, based on our research and experience.
“Prevention is, therefore, the more effective way to combat corruption.
“We need more resources to carry out our mandate effectively. Our staff are underpaid, and we need to improve their welfare.”
Reacting, Ginger Onwusibe, Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, expressed the committee’s readiness to support the EFCC through legislation and improved budget allocations.
Onwusibe also urged the Commission to enhance its operational capacity and strengthen collaborations with other agencies and development partners to improve accountability and efficiency in the fight against corruption.”
