Government Rejects EU Findings on Election Process & more –6th July 2023

Kedu from BA! This is the Rorshok Nigeria Update from the 6th of July twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Nigeria.

We begin with an update on the Peoples Democratic Party (best known as PDP) and the Labor Party's (or LP) ongoing petition against the results of the presidential elections in the appeal court.

Last week Peter Obi of the LP and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP called all witnesses and presented all evidence against the Independent National Electoral Commission (best known as INEC) and President Bola Tinubu in the appeal court. On Monday the 3rd, INEC also rounded up its defense against Atiku and Obi’s petition against the results of the presidential elections Tinubu also prepared his defense and presented several documents as evidence including his academic result from the University of Chicago—since there has been a lot of controversy about his education and age. We’ll keep you updated as events unfold.

Speaking of the election and the challenges that have followed, recall that last week we told you that the European Union election observation mission presented its final report and said that it found deep systemic weaknesses and a flawed democracy that needs to be fixed.

On Sunday the 2nd, the federal government rejected the findings and described the report as a poorly-done desk job. The federal government said that the EU mission didn't observe all the processes regarding the elections, adding that the EU organization based its findings on rumors, social media commentaries, and opposition party statements. Dele Alake, special adviser to the president on special duties, communications, and strategy, said that the elections were the fairest to be conducted in the country since the return of democracy, saying that the country has moved on from the results and that the citizens appear “satisfied” with the leadership of Tinubu.

Hawilti and the Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc issued a report saying that this year Nigeria equaled Angola as the largest oil drilling market in the sub-Saharan. According to the offshore rigs tracker report released on Monday, the 3rd, eight new drilling rigs have been carried out in both countries, bringing the total amount of drilling rigs contracted offshore in sub-Saharan Africa to thirty-eight this year. This shows an improvement on last year’s performance with the report calling twenty twenty-three one of the most significant years for offshore drilling activity on the continent in a decade.

In other news, market traders are now expected to start paying taxes to the federal government. On Monday the 3rd, the Federal Inland Revenue Service said that it has collaborated with the Market Traders Association of Nigeria (best known as MATAN) for the easy collection of value-added tax from its members through a unified technology system. MATAN is the biggest group in Nigeria’s market space with a membership of over forty million traders across the country. The development called the executive’s actions into question, accusing the government of taking from everyone, including those who earn very little, through taxes.

Let’s move on to the health sector.

On Tuesday the 4th, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (best known as NPHCDA) said that around 190 thousand children in the southwest region were not vaccinated according to the vaccination schedule of the January and June twenty twenty-three period. According to NPHCDA, Lagos state has the highest percentage of unimmunized children in the region, followed by the states of Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, and Ekiti. The agency appealed to traditional rulers in the region to continue to advocate for immunization and other primary healthcare services, and added that the federal government would roll out the human papillomavirus vaccine by September to address cervical and other types of cancers.

Do you remember the video that has been trending since late May about the contamination of Golden Penny Semovita, the popular wheat flour? For those who haven’t seen the video, a woman washed the Golden Penny Semovita in a sieve with water. After she was done, an elastic residue was at the bottom, and the woman said it was plastic. Well, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (best known as NAFDAC) has debunked reports that said wheat flour contained plastic materials. On Monday the 3rd, NAFDAC explained that wheat flour contains gluten which is made up of two classes of proteins — glutenin, and gliadin. The health agency said that glutenin normally gives bread dough the ability to rise during baking while gliadin makes it extensible and elastic. Gliadin has a rubbery appearance, which was what the woman said was plastic. NAFDAC said that this type of video first surfaced in twenty twenty which made them carry out a series of tests on random samples of semovita and found no traces of plastic or other harmful ingredients. So, lovers of Golden Penny semovita, you don’t have to worry about chunks of plastic in your stomach while you enjoy your meal!

Meanwhile, NAFDAC has issued another warning.

On Wednesday the 5th, the health agency warned against consuming unauthorized sugar products manufactured in Brazil and India. The products are Usina Bela Vista S/a Sugar and DCM Shriram Sugar, manufactured by Usina Bela Vista (Grupo Bazan) with a twenty-four-month shelf life. According to NAFDAC, the products are imported through Cameroun (Douala), Niger, Chad, and Benin Republic into the Nigerian border communities of Borno, Adamawa, Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun states. Anyone that is in possession of the product should submit it to the nearest NAFDAC office, while those who have suffered side effects from consumption should see a doctor.

We’re about to take you down memory lane again!

Last week we told you about a student in Anambra who got a scholarship from the state government for achieving the best score in the twenty twenty-three United Tertiary Matriculation Examination (or UTME). This week, Joy Mmesoma, another student from the state has been in the news. On Sunday the 2nd, the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (best known as JAMB) said that Joy altered her UTME result, by saying she scored 362 out of 400. JAMB said that the student actually got 249 in the exams and was only trying to get recognition so that she could get gifts and scholarships like her counterpart. On Monday the 3rd, Joy released a video saying that the accusation was traumatizing and that she was not capable of forging her own result, adding that it was printed from the JAMB portal. JAMB dismissed her plea, insisted her result was fake, and barred her from taking the UTME for three years.

Many Nigerians have called for independent bodies to verify the authenticity of the result. The Anambra state government also set up a panel to look into the matter especially as the student has already received cash gifts worth three million naira (almost four thousand dollars) for her supposed achievement. Do you guys also think her result was manipulated? Let us know!

Next up is a flood warning.

On Wednesday the 5th, the National Emergency Management Agency (best known as NEMA) announced that from the 4th to the 8th of July fourteen states and thirty-one communities are likely to experience heavy rainfall that could lead to flooding. The states include Plateau, Sokoto, Kaduna, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Adamawa, among others. NEMA asked the state governments and residents to take the necessary measures to protect themselves from the floods.

Meanwhile, in the world of sports, Tobi Amusan keeps smashing records.

On Wednesday the 5th, the sprinter won the national title in the women’s 100 meters hurdles event making it her third consecutive national title in a row. Amusan sprang into the global spotlight in twenty twenty-two when she became the first Nigerian world champion. The record holder is expected to defend her title at the World Athletics Championship later this year in Budapest.

That’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

This Nigeria Rorshok Update is one of the country-specific podcasts we do.

But we've always wanted to try some on other topics less tangible than countries. And we finally have!

Last week we have launched the Rorshok Ocean Update, about the 70% Earth's surface covered in salt water as well as The Rorshok Multilateral Update, covering the world's major multilateral institutions. And coming soon, the Rorshok Arctic Update. You can look for them in your podcast listening app of choice or follow the links in the show notes! Tell your friends!

ka o di