Published in #ENDSARS
Muzzle the press, no regulate fake news
November 23rd, 2020
Mixed reactions ensued following CNN’s new investigation, which arraigned the Nigerian Military for their hand in civilian casualties from Lekki toll gate shooting. For many, it confirms already held truths. But for the Nigerian government, it is sanctionable blasphemy; “a poor piece of journalistic work”. The American digital news platform, however, maintained its stance, citing that the Nigerian government had failed to provide contrary evidence to their claims. Recall earlier, the President urged against the international community’s hasting pronouncements on EndSARS-related matters. Not to mention the fines NBC levied against television stations for unprofessional coverage. Then there was the litigation against EndSARS promoters and CBN freezing financiers accounts.
Since the genesis of EndSARS, most of the Federal government’s moves have been reminiscent of an autocratic rule muzzling the press and regulating the digital space. But this shouldn’t surprise anyone, seeing as the Minister of Information always references China. The practicality, however, of sanctioning a Global News platform without evidence remains unknown. Interestingly, Lai Mohammed has never accused the Nigerian Military of misinformation, despite their constantly changing tunes.
Meanwhile, amid the Minister of Information’s outcry, fresh evidence from Lagos Judicial Panel’s investigation contradict the Military’s stance. The 65 Battalion of the Nigerian Army had earlier maintained that they fired blanks, not live rounds. But following CCTV footage from the Lekki Concession Company, Brigadier General Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade says the live rounds were for backup. How convenient? It seems the Military always has an answer for its divergent stories. Taiwo added that Lt.- Col. S.O. Bello gave the order for soldiers to shoot into the air to disperse alleged hoodlums. And that their initial stance on Twitter was owing to insufficient facts and the Governor’s estimations. But how responsible is it for a Federal Agency (Military) to inform the public without “full facts”, all the while a Lai Mohammed is clamouring for “media regulation” on the charges of FAKE NEWS?
Elsewhere in Ado-Ekiti, we see that same indiscretion from law enforcement that started the whole EndSARS campaign. Reportedly, the Ekiti Police Command detained an EndSARS protestor, Moyinoluwa Olowoyo, without a court order for a month. And despite a bail application, a Police-mandated letter of apology, and a Senator’s involvement, the situation remains unchanged. Even more troublesome is the fact that the state government maintained it was a police matter; leading to activist Henry Shield’s summation of FG running a police state.
Onto the 2021 budget, it seems details from Nigeria’s third financial quarter have implications for next year’s appropriations. First off, Nigeria’s economy receded in the third quarter, corroborating a previous Dataphyte analysis. In the report, an Expert posited the effects of EndSARS in a post-COVID world increases the likelihood of another negative GDP quarter, having experienced two already. But Uche Uwaleke, a Finance Professor at Nasarawa State University, maintained this recession will be “short-lived”. Basing his confidence on the purported Economic Sustainability Plan and receding COVID-19 restrictions, Uwaleke called for an early passage of the 2021 Appropriation Bill. And that if Nigeria’s stock market performance was any indication, things were looking ahead.
Although Nigeria’s negative growth of -3.62% (year-on-year) is an improvement over the second quarter’s rate of -6.10%, a 2021 GDP growth rate projection of 3% seems quite ambitious. Dr Olisa Agbakoba noted this while expressing indifference towards news of another recession. He added that the government once again missed the mark with its 2021 appropriation. Rather than budgeting big, the government should use its state resources; the government should play the role of regulator and policymaker, leaving enterprises to the purview of the private sector. This sentiment agrees with a Dataphyte analysis that noted facilitating the private sector through policymaking could be a way to go for the government. The report further observes that the private sector mostly contributed to the appreciations in Nigeria’s stock market, Uwaleke noted. And not a sign of Nigeria bouncing back from recession in no time.
In other news, NBS’ third quarter report revealed that the Agriculture sector contributed the highest (30.77%) to the GDP, possibly corroborating Senator Lawan’s supposition of it being the “mother of all sectors.”
Editor’s note: Headline adjusted for clarity.
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