The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has revealed plans by the Federal Government to offer N200 monthly health insurance to 37,000 women in the country in a bid to enhance their access to healthcare services.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, Kennedy-Ohanenye highlighted that the initiative aims to support women’s well-being and aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

She emphasized that the health insurance scheme, totaling N2,400 yearly, will be facilitated in partnership with a microfinance bank, PLUG.

Proposed women empowerment programs by the ministry

Kennedy-Ohanenye detailed  the approach taken by the government is geared towards empowering women economically. She said the distribution of 37,000 point of sale (POS) machines is aimed to facilitate financial transactions and uplift economic status of women.

“Also, any woman that gets this POS is entitled to almost free health insurance, where you pay just N200 per month, making it N2,400 yearly for health insurance guaranteed by the same microfinance bank, PLUG,’’ she said.

She emphasized the importance of reaching out to various stakeholders, including traditional and community leaders, legislators, governors, state ministries for women affairs, and market leaders, to ensure the effective distribution of resources, particularly in rural areas.

“We are going to traditional and community leaders, legislators, governors, states ministries for women affairs and market leaders to distribute these things.

“In that way, the right people that can manage the business, even in the villages,,will be included in what we are doing.”

Furthermore, the minister announced plans to distribute 300 laptops to women and People with Disabilities (PWDs) as part of job creation initiatives and efforts to boost women entrepreneurship.

• These beneficiaries will receive training in Information Technology (IT) and will be provided with online job opportunities to generate income.
• Kennedy-Ohanenye also shed light on the Pink Riders Initiative, which is set to commence in army barracks to ensure the safety of women operators before expanding to other parts of the country.
• This initiative aims to empower women by providing them with tricycles to support their livelihoods, with the goal of eventual financial independence.
• Moreover, the minister highlighted the collaboration between the Ministry of Women Affairs and the army in agricultural programs to enhance food security and production at subsidized rates.
• She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of women and children, emphasizing the enforcement of mobile courts for speedy prosecution of offenders and ensuring justice for survivors.

[Nairametrics]

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has again lamented the dissolution of the Federal Universities’ Governing Councils by President Bola Tinubu.

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke said federal universities are being run illegally without their Councils.

Osodeke stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, while giving a goodwill message during a sensitisation workshop for Heads of Beneficiary Institutions on Career Service Centres, Teaching Practice, Beneficiary Identity Management Service (BIMS) and Hostel Development, organised by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

LEADERSHIP earlier reported that President Tinubu’s administration had in June 2023 dissolved all the governing councils of federal universities in the country.

Federal Universities have being running without Governing Councils for the past eleven months and that has led to crisis in some institutions.

Osodeke also charged TETFund to consider punishment for universities that are not utilising the Fund’s projects, while emphasising the need for a proper assessment of how the funds are utilised.

“No university in the whole world can be allowed to run for a whole year without governing councils that are saddled with the responsibility of managing the funds of such University,” he said.

[Leadership]

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have invaded a State High Court sitting in Ilaro, Ogun State, arresting two defendants.

Our correspondent reports that the development has generated outrage.

The defendants , Alhaji Isiaka Fatai and Samuel Oyero, were trial in a suit marked HCP/IC/2023 between the State vs Awode Oladosu & 13 others.

The court was presided over by Justice A.A. Shobayo.

The case bordered on an allegation of arson reported by one Chief Akeem Adigun (aka Socopao) against Alhaji Isiaka Fatai, Oyero and 12 others.

Agosasa community in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state was recently enmeshed in crisis, with property worth billions of naira destroyed and one life lost over an Obaship tussle in the town.

But there was a pandemonium when operatives of DSS stormed the court premises and took away the suspects.

Counsel to Alhaji Isiaka, Kehinde Bamiwola, in a statement , alleged that men of the DSS operatives used weapons on the two, stressing that “Alhaji Isiaka Fatai was beaten, slapped, man-handled, rough-handled and molested.”

The Principal Registrar of the High Court and Sectional Head of High Court, Ilaro, Comrade Omololu Olusanya, who confirmed the incident, described it as shocking and disrespectful to the rule of law.

He noted that even after the judge had ordered the operatives not to make any arrest within the court premises, they still proceeded to arrest the two persons.

“They still went ahead and did the act to the extent that they assaulted one of our staff members, Mrs. Fadina, while doing that act. It’s a very sad issue that caused a lot of noise within the court premises.

“It was from the source that we heard they were DSS agents. If anybody sees them, one would think they were armed robbers.

“They did not wear anything that identified them as DSS, but they came to my lord this morning and said they had some people to arrest. That was when we knew they were DSS officers.

“They approached the judge before the court session began. The honorable judge advised them that if they wanted to make an arrest, it must not be done within the court premises.

“They could stay outside and do whatever they wanted, but they refused that advice and carried out the arrest within the premises.” he said.

Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesman, did not answer calls or reply a text message sent at the time of filing this report.

[DailyTrust]

The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, on Tuesday, said it looks like a tragedy to be a citizen of Rivers State.

Amadi said it would be resurrection if sanity returned to Rivers State.

Posting on X, the public affairs analyst wrote: “It looks like a tragedy to be a citizen of Rivers State for at least the last 10 years. The clowning is heartbreaking. Everyday thanksgiving service, rally & press conference.

“The day sanity is restored in Rivers will be a resurrection day. Cry for the beleaguered state.”

This is coming amid the continued cold war between Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

Since October 30, 2023, Rivers State has been embroiled in a political crisis. The crisis became public knowledge following an explosion that shook the hallowed chamber of the State Assembly complex on the night of October 29, 2023.

Following the fire incident, the state lawmakers initiated an impeachment process against Fubara and suspended four lawmakers.

This incident has left the state Assembly deeply divided, with 27 lawmakers aligning with Wike while three remained loyal to Governor Fubara, after the resignation of one, Edison Ehie, who now serves as the Chief-of-Staff to him.

In an attempt to quell the crisis, President Bola Tinubu had in December 2023, intervened in the crisis, leading to the formulation of an eight-point resolution signed by Fubara and Wike.

As the peace pact had failed to quell the unrest in the state, Fubara noted that there might be no end in sight over the continued face-off in the state.

On Monday, the governor hinted that the political disagreement in the state might not be resolved amicably because there was evidence of a deliberate attempt to sabotage his administration.

[DailyPost]

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) told Civil Society Organisations on Tuesday, May 14, that their continued participation in the electoral process will depend on their submission of reports from elections monitored by them.

Speaking at a quarterly consultative meeting with CSOs involved in monitoring elections in the country, the chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said CSOs that fail to submit reports from previous exercises may not be accredited to participate in future elections.

He, however, asked them to submit their applications for accreditation as election observers for the September 21 Governorship elections in Edo state.

The INEC chairman said: “As we inch closer to Election Day in Edo State, it is also imperative to remind CSOs of the need to submit your applications for election observation in earnest along with the required supporting documents and a realistic number of individual observers.

“Doing so will enable the Commission to produce and deliver the identity cards for observers in good time. The Commission will not entertain requests outside the deadline for the receipt of applications from interested observer groups or process applications that do not meet the criteria.

“For emphasis, submission of reports from previous accreditation in the manner required by the Commission is mandatory for continuous participation in election observation.

“Since our last meeting two months ago, many accredited observers have submitted their reports but a few are yet to do so. We urge you to do the needful. Your reports are important for us in reviewing and improving our processes and procedures”.

He also announced the existence of vacancies in National and State Assemblies caused by either the death or resignation of Members involving three State Assembly constituencies and one Federal Constituency in four States across the country.

He said: “As soon as preparations are concluded, the Commission will announce the dates for bye-elections in Khana 2 State Constituency of Rivers State, the Bagwai/Shanono State constituency of Kano State, the Zaria Kewaye State Constituency of Kaduna State and the Garki/Babura Federal Constituency of Jigawa State.”

The INEC chairman informed the CSOs of the resumption of the Continuous Voter registration exercise in Edo and Ondo state. He appealed to join us in mobilising prospective registrants for the exercise, particularly on the need to register early and not wait until the deadline approaches when eleventh-hour registrants will inundate the registration centres.

He also disclosed that in addition to the registration of voters in the two states, the Commission will make available uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for collection during the CVR.

He said: “In the coming days, the list of uncollected PVCs will be published in our offices in the two States and simultaneously uploaded to our website. We believe doing so will make it easier for voters to collect their PVCs.

“However, no PVCs will be collected by proxy. Registered voters should come in person to collect their cards. Again, we seek the support of CSOs in encouraging voters to locate and pick up their PVCs as was done in the past.”

[TheNation]

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has begun moves to stop the plan by the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, from marrying off 100 orphaned girls.

She said on Monday that she had reported the case to the police by petitioning the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and sought a court injunction to stop the plan pending the completion of investigations.

Mr Sarkindaji announced his plan to marry off the orphaned girls, who lost their parents due to banditry attacks in Mariga Local Government Area.

The official, who slated the mass wedding to take place on 24 May, said the plan was part of his constituency projects.

He said the gesture was “aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished,” pledging to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and have procured materials for the mass marriage.

Full scale investigation

But the women affairs minister, Ms Kennedy-Ohanenye, while briefing journalists in Abuja, described the plans as “unacceptable” emphasising that a full-scale investigation has commenced on the issue.

“I want to let the honorable Speaker of the House of Assembly in Niger State to know that this is totally unacceptable by the Federal Minister of Women Affairs and by the government. Totally unacceptable!

“Because there is something called the Child’s Right Act and I said it from the outset, that is, no more business as usual.

“These children must be considered. Their future must be considered. The future of the children to come out of their marriage must be considered.

“So I have gone to court. I have written him a letter and written a petition to the IG (Inspector General) of Police.

”And I have filed for injunction to stop him from whatever he is planning to do on the 24th (May), until a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls, find out whether they gave their consent, their ages, find out the people marrying them,” she said.

Girl child education

The minister also emphasised the need to ensure girl-child education.

“As the speaker did not think about empowering these women or sending them to school or giving them some kind of training support financially.

“The women affairs have decided to take it up and we are going to educate the children.

“Those that do not want to go to school, we will train them in a skill, empower them with sustainable empowerment machines to enable that child build his or her life and make-up her mind who and when to get married.

”If for any reason the Speaker tries to do contrary to what I have just mentioned there will be a serious legal battle between him and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs,” she said.

The minister further emphasised within the Child Rights Act, every child belongs to the state, hence the rights of every child will be protected from harm, violence or anything that will infringe on their rights.

(NAN)

The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulamlik Sarkindaji, has stopped the planned hosting of the wedding of 100 orphan girls in his constituency, saying he would not grace the occasion.

Sarkindaji took the decision following the action of the Women Affairs Minister, Uju Ohannaya, who dragged the Speaker to court to halt the wedding.

The Speaker made this known on Tuesday during a media briefing in which he said the minister had overstepped her bounds.

He said the minister should take over the sponsorship of the wedding ceremony.

The Speaker disclosed that he had already made funds available to the girls’ parents through the traditional leaders and clerics of his constituency, noting that he would not withdraw the funds.

Abdulmalik also pointed out that his motive for wanting to sponsor the wedding was the state of poverty of the girls’ parents and not the constituency project, as reported in the media.

Details later…

Sat in a circle on the nursery floor, a group of Swiss three-year-olds ask a robot called Nao questions about giraffes and broccoli.

By the time these children become adults, interacting with robots may well be as commonplace as using a smartphone, experts believe.

So one Lausanne creche has decided to give them a head start.

Nao has been a regular visitor at the Nanosphere nursery on the campus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology University since the New Year. He is what is called an “interactive learning companion” rather than a substitute teacher.

As the children were dropped off, Nao — who is only 58 centimetres (less than two feet) tall — stood on a bench to greet them at eye level.

“Hello, my name is Nao. I’m happy to be at the Nanosphere today,” he said, in a child-like high-pitched voice.

“I left my planet some time ago to come and meet you. I look forward to getting to know you and being able to talk with you in the weeks ahead.”

Some children walked straight past, some waved, pointed, touched his hand or simply gazed at him transfixed.

– ‘No squabbling!’ –

“What will the children’s future be like? Will they have to work with robots? Very probably yes,” Olivier Delamadeleine, director-general of the Educalis group of nurseries and primary schools in Lausanne, told AFP.

“So as we are in a place of learning it is important to get them familiarised early so that they’re used to working with robots,” he added.

Back in the class, teacher Eve L’Eplattenier and the 14 children sat in a circle on the floor with Nao in the middle.

“He’s going to come and explain things to you,” she said.

“Do you like broccoli? It’s very good for your health,” the robot said.

L’Eplattenier picked him up and put him on a table. She said Nao would not grow any taller as children do.

The children gathered excitedly around, some jockeying for space.

“No squabbling!” Nao told them.

Prompted by their teacher, the children tried to catch him out with questions such as, “I am an animal with a trunk. What am I?” When he got it right, they giggled.

– ‘Little know-it-all’ –

Gabriel Paffi, a masters student in robotics, sat in the corner feeding Nao his answers.

He programmed the robot and is working on how to adapt it for a nursery’s needs.

“The goal is to make it automated so that he no longer needs me to move around and respond to the children,” Paffi said.

The first Nao robots hit the market in 2008. Now on generation six, the brand is owned by the Germany-based United Robotics Group and more than 15,000 units have been sold.

The plan is for this Nao to spend several years in the Educalis nurseries as his capacities expand.

L’Eplattenier said the children are thrilled when Nao turns up, and have bonded with their diminutive friend.

“They are curious to see what he will say, what he will do,” she said.

“He’s a companion with little tips and bits of advice.

“I think he will quickly position himself as the little know-it-all of the group.”

As for the parents, they too are keen to see how Nao will settle in.

“I think it’s a good way to help the children progress with new technologies,” said Guillaume Quentin.

When it was time for Nao to “fly back into space”, each child in turn shuffled towards him to say goodbye and give him a wave. He replied to each by name.

“I love you. I will come back soon,” he told them.

[Vanguard]

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently announced a 0.5% cybercrime levy on all electronic transactions, casting a long shadow over Nigeria’s hard-fought progress in financial inclusion and the CBN’s own ambitious goal of achieving 95% financial inclusion by 2024.

The announcement has since been met with public outcry. The House of Representatives has stepped in to halt its implementation, and President Tinubu has called for a suspension of the levy. These interventions provides us with a crucial opportunity that must not be missed. We should now step back to address the underlying issues and identify more efficient solutions that could achieve the goal of improving cybersecurity without reversing recent progress made with financial inclusion by disproportionately placing more burdens on low-income users and the unbanked, who are already struggling to access financial services.

The cybersecurity levy was originally a provision in the 2015 Cybercrimes Act and focused on businesses deemed financially capable, such as banks, telcos, and large corporations. The recent 2024 amendments were meant to clarify the vagueness regarding the implementation of the 2015 Act but have only led to further confusion. The CBN’s chosen method of implementing the cybersecurity levy raises concerns about its commitment to its stated goal of promoting financial inclusion and reflects its lack of sensitivity to the plight of citizens in an economy grappling with double-digit inflation.

Formal financial inclusion in Nigeria has made significant strides, from 56% in 2020 to 64% in 2023. This progress is commendable but fragile. The cybersecurity levy the CBN proposed meant that every transaction, no matter how small, would incur a 0.5% fee, eating into the already thin profit margins of micro and small businesses. This potentially pushes everyday Nigerians back to inefficient and unsafe cash-based transactions and sets back digital financial inclusion significantly. While the CBN claimed the levy was necessary to improve cybersecurity, its benefits to combating cybercrime were questionable; but the harm to millions of Nigerians striving to enter the formal financial system is clear and demonstrable.

Cybersecurity is a complex challenge that requires a multifaceted approach. A blanket levy on transactions was never the most efficient or equitable way to deal with cybersecurity concerns. There are potentially more effective solutions, such as holding financial institutions directly accountable for cybersecurity breaches, which would incentivise institutions to invest in robust cybersecurity infrastructure and enforce stronger protocols to prevent cyberattacks. The point is that it is possible to achieve the same objective without jeopardising the recent gains in financial inclusion or shifting the burden on hapless citizens.

The projected revenue from this levy is substantial, with NIBSS reporting a ₦600 trillion volume in electronic payment transactions in Nigeria in 2023. The CBN however provided no clarity on how this remittance to the national cybersecurity fund would be allocated and used for cybersecurity improvements or how it would translate into tangible benefits for everyday Nigerians using digital financial services. This lack of transparency raises concerns. Nigerians deserve to know exactly how their hard-earned money, intended to be squeezed from every digital transaction, would be utilised. If it must return to this policy at any time in the future, the CBN should be required to provide a clear breakdown of how the funds will benefit the citizens, including specific initiatives and budgets. This is the only way to ensure accountability and reassure the public about the responsible use of their funds.
The CBN exempted certain types of transactions from the levy. But these exemptions largely applied to large-value transactions like government payments, salary disbursements, and loan repayments, which were unlikely to have been significantly impacted by the 0.5% levy in the first place. Other exemptions regarding intra-account and intra-bank transactions, savings, and deposits still did not exclude the numerous small, everyday transactions that are the lifeblood of low-income earners. As with most financial policies such as this, the actual burden falls on the shoulders of the most vulnerable segments of the society who can least afford it, while giving comfort to those who are already comfortable.

Nigeria cannot afford to take a step back in its financial inclusion journey. What we need is a clear strategy that fosters innovation and builds trust in the digital financial system, not one that excludes millions of Nigerians from the economic empowerment offered by financial inclusion. The recent suspension offers a window of opportunity. The CBN should use this time to explore alternative policies for dealing with cybercrime that effectively address the root causes within the financial sector rather than discourage people, particularly the unbanked or underbanked, from using digital financial services, thereby pushing them back towards cash. The future of finance is digital, and Nigeria must embrace this future with policies that encourage and empower its citizens, not that would scare them away or further alienates them. Financial inclusion should be the cornerstone of every CBN policy and should not be hindered by short-sighted measures that undermine the very progress it claims to protect.

Abdullahi is a Co-founder and Product Lead at Covenda AI and an advocate for digital and financial inclusion.

Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister from 1979 to 1990, once declared that “no nation ever grew more prosperous by taxing its citizens beyond their capacity to pay.” The reasoning goes that taxing people more than they can afford to pay will only make the economy worse since the burden of taxes will make people less productive overall. Whether on purpose or accidentally, the Tinubu administration has disregarded this fundamental fact.

Any democracy’s ability to survive depends on the strength of its opposition. A democracy is nonexistent and a misnomer without opposition. There is overwhelming proof that the opposition has vanished from Nigeria’s democracy, and that is why numerous government policies have been approved without opposition members of the national assembly ever posing any questions.

Nigeria’s democracy lacking opposition implies that it is now verging into a one-party state. Because of this, the people of Nigeria are now stuck, helpless, and completely dependent on the ruling party’s capricious whims, as the All Progressives Congress’s federal government is not held accountable for the illegitimacy of its policies or made to take into account alternative or more viable policy options. As a result, the Tinubu government is just muddling through, causing stagflation, depression, and so much misalignment in the economy.

The opposition political parties never say anything except the sporadic statements made by Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. Furthermore, it is crucial to note that in democracies, the opposition is best expressed via the national parliament, which is not happening in Nigeria today. That implies that the national assembly is the main forum for echoing the opinions of opposition leaders like Atiku and Obi. But at the national assembly, mum is the word.

For the avoidance of doubt, the identities of the opposition leaders in the senate and the house of representatives are largely anonymous. Nobody has witnessed them opposing the government’s anti-people policies, which include loans and bills that have a significant negative impact on the Nigerian people and the country’s economy, many of which have been approved by the National Assembly. The opposition leaders do nothing more than watch out for their fair share of largesse accruing to their positions as principal officers while permitting the government to enact laws that are impeding the growth of the country’s economy. They left Nigerian federal roads death traps and each quickly received their N160 million SUVs in a collapsing economy within weeks of the inauguration.

On the first day, the Tinubu Presidency was inaugurated when the president said that “fuel subsidy is gone” and that it was called “courage,” the betrayal of the Nigerian people by opposition politicians began to take shape. If the opposition is correct in believing that fuel subsidies should be eliminated, then there was no clear counter-policy direction from them for how to carry it out. Ibrahim Babangida, as military president, permitted critical policy debates among Nigerians even during his military rule. Yet, in a democracy where debate is a hallmark, significant life-truncating policies are forced down Nigerians’ throats because opposition parliamentarians are only warming chairs at NASS or working with the ruling class for very opaque reasons.

The government launched the fuel subsidy policy most carelessly and cruelly as possible, acting as though it was the only possible course of action because there was no pushback from the opposition. Encouraged by the opposition lawmakers’ complacency or collusion, the NLC and TUC’s confusion and weakness, and the CSOs’ misfortune comparable to that of the Nigerian people, the Tinubu presidency floated the naira, forcing the country’s currency to find parity with other major global currencies like the dollar, pound, euro, and yuan in the absence of any significant external reserves (backed by gold) or export base—essential prerequisites.

Weeks after the economic measures were introduced, as was to be expected; they unleashed significant economic headwinds that brought the economy to stagnation. In a matter of weeks, inflation skyrocketed. Food inflation has surpassed 40% as of right now, and some commodities have seen inflation as high as 70%—a level of inflation never before seen in Nigerian history. Nigeria is currently experiencing stagflation, as prices for products continue to rise while the country’s economy remains stagnant. Almost 700 Nigerian manufacturing companies and international corporations have either closed their shops or relocated to more business-friendly nations like Ghana.

The Buhari administration sold off a large portion of the country’s crude oil in advance before leaving office. With the crude that is only partially there still accounting for up to 75% of export revenue, the Tinubu presidency has turned to taxes and loans to pay for government spending. The N3 trillion in loans from the CBN through Ways and Means are said to have been taken by the Tinubu administration in less than a year. The total amount of external debts has also reached about 10 billion dollars, bringing the nation’s debts to about N107 trillion. Nigeria is walking into a debt trap with her two eyes peeled.

There is no word from opposition lawmakers about any of these anti-people policies. The opposition lawmakers haven’t held a single news conference to inform Nigerians of the threats that lie ahead or the steps they are taking to compel the ruling party to adopt a patriotic perspective on important matters.

In addition to fuel subsidy removal, the government has now instituted a cybercrime levy. Nigerians should be concerned about this law and levy for a certain reason. Numerous voices have been raised opposing the imposition of the tax. However, it appears that the true issue is going unanswered: when was the Cybercrime Act revised in 2024 to shift the 0.005% online transaction tax to 0.05%?

The little that one knows about the legislative process is that a bill must pass three stages and then be given to the president to be signed into law. A bill is referred to a committee or committees (when the issues are multifaceted and touch on the duties of more than one committee) when it passes after a second reading. The actual job is done by the committee or joint committees. Through what is known as a public hearing, experts and stakeholders are invited to share their professional opinions and well-informed concerns.

It is also anticipated that members of the public will show interest and express agreement or disagreement on the proposed bill. Public hearings are frequently publicised for this reason. All of the important views will then be included in the committee report to the plenary and serve as the foundation for the third reading, which will determine whether the bill passes or fails in part or its entirety. Therefore, the question is: When did the president sign off on the amended Cybercrime Act of 2024, which moved the 0.005% online banking transaction tax to 0.05%? And when was the public hearing held for amendment? Once more, what did the opposition lawmakers say about the bill’s amendment when it was read and approved three times?

Are the opposition members claiming they are unaware of the effects of raising the tax from 0.005 to 0.05 on the hapless Nigerian people and collapsing the Nigerian economy? For instance, if one’s math is right, a transfer of N500,000 will attract N25,000 instead of N2,500 under the previous rule before the mysterious alteration. To avoid this, most Nigerians will return to the queue in the banking halls with their checks and tellers for cash. This will reverse the cashless policy, which has already gained traction. The volume of online transfers in Nigeria in 2023 alone was over 600 trn, 0.05% of which is N3 trn, which the government is now after.

As previously stated, the Tinubu administration is depending on loans and taxes to finance its operations, as it is unable to halt oil theft even after the president assumed the position of minister of petroleum and cannot raise crude oil production sufficiently to meet the OPEC quota and rake in more revenue and foreign exchange. The government has now turned to the Nigerian masses to raise money through tax. Strangely, in Nigeria, it is the masses that feed the rich, whereas it is the rich that feed the poor in developed economies.

As stated, it is inhumane and reckless to impose a tax on citizens who are unable to pay, and we have heard that the government is preparing to implement a telecom tax also as a precondition of the Bretton Woods institution (the World Bank) to secure yet another 750 million dollar loan.

Amidst all of this, one can’t help but wonder: Where are the opposition lawmakers in Nigeria’s national assembly? Do they know their role in a democracy? Do they realise the risks to Nigeria’s democracy’s growth and survival that come with their complacency, complicity, or both? Is it their goal to help the ruling APC achieve a one-party state in Nigeria, or are they unable to recognise that the country is on the verge of becoming a one-party state?

Dr. Law Mefor, an Abuja-based forensic and social psychologist, is a fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Twitter: @Drlawsonmefor.