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Ex-US First Lady, Michelle Obama, Admits Suffering From Low-Grade Depression

Former First Lady Michelle Obama said she is suffering from “low-grade depression” from coronavirus quarantine, racial strife in the United States and the “hypocrisy” of the Trump administration.

Obama made the remarks in the latest episode of “The Michelle Obama Podcast” released on Spotify on Wednesday.

“I’m waking up in the middle of the night because I’m worrying about something or there’s a heaviness,” the 56-year-old former First Lady said.

“I try to make sure I get a workout in, although there have been periods throughout this quarantine, where I just have felt too low,” she said.

Obama said she has been going through “those emotional highs and lows that I think everybody feels, where you just don’t feel yourself.”

“These are not, they are not fulfilling times, spiritually,” she said. “I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression.

“Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting.”

Michelle Obama and Barack Obama, America’s first black president, took up residence in Washington after he left the White House in January 2017.

She also said it is “exhausting” to be “waking up to yet another story of a black man or a black person somehow being dehumanized, or hurt, or killed, or falsely accused of something.”

“And it has led to a weight that I haven’t felt in my life, in a while,” she said.

Obama said it was important to remember that “we’ve been through tough times in this nation” before.

“We are in a unique moment in history,” she said. “We are living through something that no one in our lifetimes has lived through.

  • AFP

Lagos Releases Guidelines For Reopening Worship Centres

Barely 24 hours to the re-opening of worship centres, the Lagos State Government, on Thursday, released several protocols and guidelines numbering 46 that must be adhered with during services in the first phase.

Also, the State government has inaugurated a 43-man monitoring and Compliance Committees charged with the responsibility of ensuring total compliance with the stated protocols and guidelines.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu last Saturday, announced the reopening of worship centres across the state which had been on lockdown for several months in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Governor announced that places of worship would be reopened on August 7, 2020, for Muslim worshippers and on Sunday, August 9, for Christian worshippers but only at 50 percent of their capacity.

Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, disclosed this after closed-door stakeholders meeting with both Muslim and Christian leaders at Alausa, Ikeja and inauguration ceremony of members of the monitoring and compliance committee.

Al-Qaeda Influence Growing In North-West Nigeria, United States Warns

Al-Qaeda insurgent group is gaining sway in the restive North-Western part of Nigeria, the United States of America has warned.

Dagvin Anderson, Commander of the US Special Operations Command, Africa, disclosed this during a briefing, saying the group was also expanding to other parts of West Africa.

He said, “We have engaged with Nigeria and continue to engage with them in intel sharing and in understanding what these violent extremists are doing. And that has been absolutely critical to their engagements in Borno State and into an emerging area of North-West Nigeria that we’re seeing al-Qaida starting to make some inroads in. 

“So, this intelligence sharing is absolutely vital and we stay fully engaged with the Government of Nigeria to provide them an understanding of what these terrorists are doing, what Boko Haram is doing, what ISIS West Africa is doing, and how ISIS and al-Qaida are looking to expand further south into the littoral areas.

“I think there’s two factors in that. One, it goes to that each government has to focus on this and provide that focus for international partners to engage with. The other part of this is we can’t underestimate the threat these violent extremist organisations pose. We, as a community of international nations, keep thinking we have defeated them or we have put them on their back foot and that they’re just moments from disintegration.

“I think after 20 years we have seen they are very resilient organisations that, although small, they’re able to leverage social media and other forms of media to have an outsized voice and that they continue to recruit and they continue to find opportunities. When it comes to Nigeria in general, Nigeria, obviously, is a critical nation to West Africa. It is a critical nation and we realise that Nigeria is a lynchpin.

”For that to have an effect against the VEOs and to have an effect against these stressors, it really takes the Government of Nigeria to lead that effort and to build that energy to coalesce around. So no nation can come in and fix that problem for Nigeria. We can assist with that – and it’s the United States can assist, the United Kingdom, other countries can come in, many countries can come and assist with that partnership – but ultimately it takes leadership from Nigeria in order for us to focus our efforts.”

Wole Soyinka protests imprisonment of Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala

The Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, who was held as a political prisoner in Nigeria in the 1960s, has written a letter of solidarity to the detained Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala on his 100th day in detention.

Bala, the president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was arrested on 28 April at his home in Kaduna state, and taken to neighbouring Kano state. He is accused of posting comments that were critical of Islam on Facebook, and has been charged under state law with violating a religious offence law and with cybercrime. He has not been heard from since the day of his arrest. His wife Amina Mubarak, with whom he has a newborn son, told the Guardian in July: “At this point, I’m not even begging for his release, I just want his proof of life.”

Soyinka, who was held as a political prisoner in Nigeria for 22 months in the late 1960s, smuggling his poems out of prison on toilet paper, told Bala that he imagined him “pacing your cell, just as I have done. Feeling with each passing day, the added strain.

“But I know too, that with each passing day you will reach further into your reserves – reserves that you have always thought finite – and discover strength of which you had never dreamed,” writes Soyinka in the letter, which is published by Humanists International.

“I write today to tell you that you are not alone, there is a whole community across the globe that stands beside you and will fight for you. We will not rest until you are free and safe.”

A photo of Bala released by the International Humanist and Ethical Union.
 Mubarak Bala in 2015.

Bala is the son of a widely regarded Islamic scholar. He renounced Islam in 2014, and his family in Kano forcibly committed him to a psychiatric facility for 18 days before he was discharged. He has been an outspoken critic of religion in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north, where open religious dissent is uncommon.

Soyinka, who won the Nobel prize in literature in 1986, said that Bala had stood firm in his convictions: “You have lived. You have stood against the tide of religious imperialism. You have fought for all Humanity, to ensure a better, fairer, world for all. You have not sought to appease those that treasure scrolls. You have not bowed to pressure to revere their unseen deities.”

group of UN human rights experts have called on Nigeria to release Bala, saying that his arrest and detention “amounts to persecution of non-believers in Nigeria”. Humanists International has led a campaign for his release.

“Mubarak Bala has been detained for long enough,” said Humanists International president Andrew Copson. “For 100 days, our colleague and friend has been held captive, without charge or access to his lawyer, in what can only be perceived at this point as a flagrant violation of his human rights. Our calls remain unchanged, release him immediately and unconditionally.”

*EXAMINING BRUTALIZATION OF HOUSE HELPS IN NIGERIA. (AN EXPOSÉ ON ANTI-CRUEL LABOUR LAWS IN NIGERIA).* Daily Law Tips (Tip 623) by Onyekachi Umah, Esq., LL.M, ACIArb(UK)

A. TRUE LIFE STORIES.

Below are selected stories narrating the painful experiences of children and adults that were house helps/domestics staff, in the hands of their employers. The ordeals in some cases led to death. However, it is believed that there are more unreported cases across Nigeria. Also, it is believed that the reported cases often do not receive the needed investigation and prosecution of offenders as well as protection of victims.

1. On 20 February 2020, a Magistrate Court (O. D. Njoku) in Lagos State, ordered a female employer, Mrs. Esther Ijeoma Amechi, to provide medical attention to her female house-help, Mrs. Joy Kanu, who suffered various degrees of injuries after the employer assaulted her. The house help is 43 years old and injuries sustained in the assault include “broken limbs and the wound on the head”.

2. In February 2020, one Mrs. Folake Ogunrinu, a nursing mother, was arrested in Oyo State by police officers “for allegedly lacerating her 10-year-old maid with a razor blade in the Sanyo area of Ibadan.”

3. In Rivers State, on 23 January 2020, a female employer was arrested for inserting pepper into the private part of her 14 years old house help. The victim also alleged that her employer “used wire to flog her and sometimes poured hot water on her legs to inflict injuries on her wounds for not being able to sell all the kerosene given to her to hawk around the market.”

4. Miss Peace Goewam, aged 11 years was taken away from her parents’ home in Plateau State to work as a house help, when she was 6 years old. In Enugu State, on 25 December 2019 as captured in a viral video on social media, little Miss Peace was seen “being dragged out of a vehicle, thrown up and slammed on the bare floor” by her employer, one Mrs. Amaka Ortolehi.

5. Another 11 years old child worker (house help) was alleged to be frequently assaulted and “fed with cockroaches and faeces” by her employer. When rescued in Awka, Anambra State, in November 2019, she had “septic wounds and scars all over her body”.

6. Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbanje, a house help to her aunt (Mrs. Felicia Ogbuja, 43 years), allegedly died on 17, October 2018 sequel to “health complications arising from alleged (series) of sexual molestation she suffered at the hands of her aunt’s son and cousin (Victor Ogbuja) as well as her aunt’s husband (Andrew Ogbuja, aged, 52)”.

B. ANTI CRUEL LABOUR LEGISLATIONS

Legislators in Nigeria have not left Nigeria without laws. Although, most of the laws are old inherited British laws causing hardship to the present day realities with rather laughable punishments. However, 2015 ushered in some new proactive legislations.

Relevant laws to be discussed below are the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Labour Act 1971, the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015, Child’s Rights Act/Laws, Violence Against Persons Act/Law, the Criminal Code and the Penal Code.

Domestic and house helps/staff/maids are workers that are duly protected under the Labour Act. Aside being workers, they are human beings with inalienable fundamental human rights to be respected by all, including employers.

In law, a child cannot be a worker, a young person can be employed under certain circumstances. And, a house help cannot be less than 12 years old. In reality, there are children that became House helps at age 4. Both child workers and adult workers are maltreated and brutalized by their employers and agents. Hence, this examination will start from the legal protection available to child workers and then proceed to adult workers.

I. Child Workers

1. By section 277 of the Child Rights Act, a child is a person that is less than 18 years old.

2. By section 91 of the Labour Act, a child is a young person that is less than 12 years old. And, a young person is a person that is less than 18 years.

3. By section 23(1)(a) and 83 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, the age for house help is not less than 12 old. Punishment for having anyone less than 12years is 6 months to 7 years imprisonment.

4. Also sexual exploitation, requirement of children, forced labour, slave trading and child labour are offences in Nigeria by sections 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

5. By section 28 of Child Rights Act and section 59 of Labour Act, the is a prohibition of child labour and any work except light work of agriculture, horticulture and domestic nature under a member of his family or in technical schools. He can’t be employed outside his home or family environment. Punishment is maximum of #50,000 and or 5 years imprisonment. And #250,000 if a corporate entity.

6. Section 59 of Labour Act and section 29 of the Child Rights Act allow young persons under 14 years to do daily wage work, day to day basis work so long as worker returns each night to his parents, except domestic workers.

7. By section 59 of Labour Act and section 29 of Child Rights Act, no young person under 16 years can work in a place that it will be unreasonable for him to return home to his parents each day except with approval of Labour officers or written agreement between employer and young person. Unfortunately, this does not apply to domestic staff but allows new regulations to be made to have Domestic staff included. Arguably, this allows limitations placed by Violence Against Persons Act for Abuja.

8. By section 59 of Labour Act and section 29 of Child Rights Act, no young person under 16 years, can work more than 4 consecutive hours or for more than 8 working hours in a day. Unfortunately, this does not apply to domestic staff but allows new regulations to be made to have Domestic staff included. Arguably, this allows limitations placed by Violence Against Persons Act for Abuja.

9. By sections 60, 61 and 62 of Labour Act and section 29 of Child Rights Act, no young person under 16 years, can work at night or in a vessel except in certain situations and the register of all young persons must be kept by employer.

10. The Punishment in the Labour Act for offences relating to employment of child or young person is punishable with fine of #100.00(not more than One Hundred Naira).

11. By section 30 of Child Rights Act, using a child for business(begging, domestic labour, hawking or forced labour) is punishable with 10 years imprisonments without option of fine.

12. By section 31 and 32 of child rights act, sexual abuse, rape/defilement of a child is an offence. Varying punishments are provided by the Criminal Code, the Penal Code, the Child Rights Act and Violnece Against Persons Act 2015. Under the Child Rights Act the punishment is 14 years.

13. By section 33 of Child Rights Act, any other form of exploitation of a child contrary to the welfare of the child is punishable with fine #500,000.00 and or 5 years imprisonments

14. By Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 and it’s state equivalents, the minimum punishment for rape is minimum of 12 years imprisonment without fine and maximum of life imprisonment. However, where an offender is less than 14 years old his maximum punishment is 14 years imprisonments and where there is group/gang rape, the offenders are jointly liable to a minimum of 20 years imprisonment.

15. By the Penal Code (the criminal law operation in Northern Nigeria), sexual intercourse with a girl that is less than 14 years of age or of unsound mind is a crime, punishable with life imprisonment or lesser period with or without fine. It is a crime for any person to induce a girl that is less than 18 years old to go from any place with him/her or to do anything that leads to sexual intercourse with another person. It is a crime punishable with imprisonments for maximum period of 10 years and with fine.

16. The criminal law in operation in the southern part of Nigeria is the Criminal Code. Going by the Criminal Code, having sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 years by any person (including so called husbands) is a criminal offence and the maximum punishment for it is life imprisonment with or without caning. Merely attempting to commit the crime is also an offence but punishable with imprisonment for maximum period of 14 years with or without caning.

17. Furthermore, still in the southern Nigeria, it is a crime for any person to have or attempt to have sexual intercourse with an idiot, imbecile or a girl that is 13 years old or above but under 16 years. The maximum punishment for this crime is 2 years imprisonment with or without caning. Also, owing, occupying or managing of any property where a girl is defied is a crime punishable with a maximum of 2 years imprisonments with or without caning where the girl is above 13 years but below 16 years old. Where the girl is less than 13 years old, the maximum punishment is life imprisonment, without caning.

18. Aside the protections raised here, which covers abuses and cruelty of child workers, every other protection for Adult workers also applies to child workers.

II. Adult Workers

1. By section 46 of Labour Act, neglect and ill treatment of any worker is an offence punishable with fine of not more than N500.00 and or not more than 1 year imprisonment. And, where the concerned employer is convicted, government will take over the care and maintenance of the worker and his family.

2. Going by section 48 of the Labour Act, the above applies to workers employed in Nigeria by employers having not more than 25 workers or within a radius of 40km or not through a professional recruiter.

3. Under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015, the abuse of power or position of vulnerability, abduction, deception or fraud for the exploitation of a person is a crime punishable with imprisonments for not less than 2 years and fine of not less than N250,000.00. Also, procurement of persons for sexual exploitation including a person that is less than 18 years old is a crime, punishable with 5 years imprisonments and fine of N500,000.00. Where the sexual exploitation includes prostitution, the punishment is 7 years imprisonments and fine of not less than N1 Million Naira.

4. Violence Against Persons(Prohibition) Act 2015 prohibits deprivation of liberty and is punishable with maximum of 2 years imprisonments or fine of #300,000.00. Destruction of property is punishable with maximum imprisonment for 2 years or #300,000.00 fine. Emotional, Verbal and psychological abuse is punishable with maximum of 1 year imprisonment or #200,000.00. Intimidation is punishable with maximum of 1 year imprisonment or #200,000.00. Attack with harmful substance is punishable with life imprisonment without option of fine. Poisoning for sexual abuse is punishable with maximum of 10 year imprisonment or #500,000.00 under sections 10, 11, 14, 18, 21, 22, 47 and 48 of Violence Against Persons(Prohibition) Act 2015.

5. By sections 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 are some inalienable rights of persons (including children) in Nigeria. The relevant fundamental human rights that are enshrined (contained) in the constitution, are Right to Dignity of Human Person, Right to Personal Liberty, Right to freedom of thought, conscience and Religion, Right to peaceful assembly and association and Right to freedom from discrimination.

6. By the Criminal Code and the Penal Code for South and Northern Nigeria respectively, unlawful assault is an offence. Also are murder and defamation. Unlawful assault is striking, touching, moving or application of force of any kind or threat to do such, directly or indirectly, without consent or invalid/fraudulently obtained consent. Section 252 of Criminal Code frowns at criminal assault (ie, assault and battery).

7. Under common law and the Laws of Torts in states in Nigeria, there are civil remedies for victims of assault or battery, defamation and the family/dependents of a murdered house help. Victims can receive monetary damages.

C. RECOMMENDATION

The existence of legislations and law enforcement agencies is not all that it takes to reduce brutalization of house helps. Below are ideas and steps that will assist in reducing abuse of House helps and improve access to justice in Nigeria.

1. Awareness on relevant laws and their report/enforcement protocols.

2. Training of law enforcement agencies on victim management.

3. Provision of easy to access and free of charge remote case reporting platforms and options.

4. Standardization of investigation protocols for law enforcement agencies.

5. Penalizing of law enforcement agents for failure to properly investigate or prosecute suspected offenders.

6. Protection of victims and whistle blowers

7. Compilation and publication of information of offenders, that have abused house helps.

8. Sensitization to condemn and avoid settlements of crimes and cases of abuse as mere family issues.

9. Sensitization to discourage sale or loan of children into child labour as House helps.

10. Provision of infrastructure, schools and quality educational resources in rural areas to avoid early forced migration from rural areas in quest for basic education as reward for house help/domestic services.

My authorities are:

1. Sections sections 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.

2. Section 252 of the Criminal Code

3. Sections of the Penal Code

4. Sections 10, 11, 14, 18, 21, 22, 47 and 48 of Violence Against Persons(Prohibition) Act 2015

5. Sections 28, 29, 31, 32, 33 and 277 of the Child Rights Act, 2003.

6. Sections on 46, 48, 58, 59, 60, 61 and 91 of the Labour Act, 1971.

7. Sections 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 83 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.

8. Tope Templer Olaiya, “Tightening the Noose on Maltreatment of Maid” (The Guardian, 26 February 2020) accessed on 2 August 2020 <https://www.google.com/amp/s/guardian.ng/sunday-magazine/newsfeature/tightening-the-noose-on-maltreatment-of-maid/amp>

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CAC MOVES THE CHEEZE: LAWYERS MUST MOVE AND NOT SULK

In the famous 1998 motivational business fable, Who Moved My Cheeze?, the concept of the inevitability of change was beautifully presented. We learnt of change at work and in life generally, and reactions to it. When change occurs, people tend to react differently. Some will either move with the times while others will remain stagnant, grieving over the event leading to the change. There are others, too, who are always prepared for change while there those who refuse to prepare as evidence of their acute resistance to change. When change occurs, there are those who see it as a dream. This group never accepts the reality of change.

In times past, the whole idea and system of company registration and registration of business names and incorporated trustees were known to lawyers alone, given their legal training to better interpret statutory provisions and processes. But recent developments are changing the narrative, gradually.

CAC

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is an agency of the Federal Government charged with the authority to oversee corporate matters as provided under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

As part of its numerous functions, the CAC oversees the registration of companies, business names and incorporated trustees and have been interfacing with lawyers who assist members of the public with these registration processes for many years.

For lawyers, this is one aspect of legal practice and in fact, a branch of their business as lawyers. By statutory enablement (as provided under CAMA), a lawyer is required to execute a form known as Statutory Declaration of Compliance. This form is part of the incorporation documents needed in company registration only but not business names. By the Declaration, a legal practitioner simply confirms that there has been due compliance with the provisions of CAMA in making the application for company incorporation. The significance of this compliance requirement is better understood when one considers the jurisprudence surrounding the concept of company formation. By law, a company is an artificial person enjoying all the incidents of incorporation such as the capacity to sue and be sued, capacity to own properties in its own name, perpetual succession (meaning it can exist forever even if there is change in membership), etc. The process of statutory creation called a company (by way of incorporation) has a web of interconnected issues including the contents of a Memorandum of Association (which spells out the objectives of the company, subscribers and other details), Articles of Association (which contains essentially, the contract between the subscribers and the contract between the subscribers and the company itself), the shareholding structure of the company, etc. More so, there are legal issues relating to directorship of a company. Thus, a lawyer who is vast in all these issues is in a better position to vouch for compliance, hence the provision for Statutory Declaration of Compliance to be signed by a lawyer.

The relevance of lawyers in company incorporation, registration of business names and incorporated trustees is appreciated in view of the complexities involved especially in the case of companies. But given the approach by CAC to use standard forms and templates for most of these incorporation documents, the Commission tends to de-emphasize the relevance of legal practitioners in the process of incorporation. Furthermore, due to the Federal Government’s policy of gearing towards ease of doing business, the need arose to simplify the processes of business/company registrations (at least as a starting point) while also working to remove other obstacles including administrative bottlenecks on the way. By upholding the ease of doing business policy, the Government wishes to encourage many unregistered businesses to come on board to enjoy the statutory benefits of registration and also submit to the yoke of taxes as loyal and responsible business outfits. Part of the initiative gave birth to CAC’s current online platform where registrations and other incorporation matters take place.

While the ease of doing business campaign is on, the CAC appears to see lawyers as the most unneeded “elements” in company incorporation and especially, registration of business names. The Commission expressly attempts to demarket lawyers in the move to encourage the public to come forward. The mischief in the express demarketing of lawyers is that CAC can actually carry on with its mandate to ease up the process of registrations and be more efficient without necessarily seeing lawyers as the problem. Even if the process becomes as easy as ABC, there are many who would rather instruct lawyers to get it done. Currently, there are reports that CAC is moving for amendment of CAMA to do away with the need for Statutory Declaration of Compliance by a legal practitioner. This is aside the alleged system by the Commission of dealing with the Statutory Declaration internally by lawyers engaged by the Commission for that purpose, in less than transparent manner.

These developments in addition to the not-too-cordial relationship currently existing between lawyers and the Commission are evidences of the fact that CAC has moved and is moving the Cheeze.

What should lawyers do?

Lawyers may move through their association, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to stop the proposed amendment that seeks to do away with the Statutory Declaration of Compliance by a legal practitioner in company registration. CAC must be made to stop demarketing lawyers and simply focus on their mandate to ease up registration processes and be more efficient. Is it not displeasing to note that in this era of Covid-19, the CAC that ought to show leadership by ensuring that their online service was in top form failed to rise up to the occasion.

More importantly, lawyers, especially young lawyers who benefit from the basic practice of business registration, incorporation of companies and incorporated trustees should build more capacity in post incorporation affairs such as filing of statutory notices, returns – annual returns and returns of certain significant changes in business (like shareholding structure, company officials, etc), increase and decrease in share capital, winding up, mergers and acquisition and a host of other complex transactions. These are matters that lawyers are best equipped to tackle and the CAC understands this too. Thus, only accredited lawyers can be allowed to deal with them.

Instead of sulking over registration matters, lawyers should brace up and move with the Cheeze. The Cheeze will keep moving.

BREAKING: Army, police flog, arrest #RevolutionNow protesters in Abuja [PHOTOS]

Several #RevolutionNow protesters were arrested by the police and the Nigerian Army in the Abuja metropolis on Wednesday.

The protesters carrying placards and banners had set out as early as 8 am to demand good governance.

Some of the banners read, ‘Nigerians are sick and tired of poverty, corruption, injustice and untimely death’; ‘Say no to injustice’, ‘Yes to a living wage for unemployed youths’.

The protesters, many of whom wore orange berets, converged on the Unity Fountain, Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, and were about to begin their procession when policemen stormed the venue and dispersed them.

Soldiers and other security operatives also cordoned off adjoining streets including Aguiyi Ironsi Street to prevent the protesters from marching.

A human rights lawyer, Tope Akinyode, said he witnessed security agents beating protesters for no just cause.

Akinyode said, “They arrested about 29 of our people. Security officials made them lie down and beat them. Even as a lawyer I was harassed. They pushed me around. This is very undemocratic.”

It was learnt that the protests are ongoing in other states including Lagos.

The #RevolutionNow activists have been having a running battle with the Federal Government for over a year for daring to call for a revolution.

The leader of the group, Omoyele Sowore, who is a former Presidential candidate, was detained last year for about three months while court orders for his release were ignored.

He was eventually released following pressure from the international community and human rights organizations.

Several protesters who were arraigned in court won their cases.Source: thenewsguru.com

N5m Hate Speech Fine! What Of Hate Leadership Fine?

Nigerians In Rage Over Hike In Hate Speech Fine!

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

Reactions have continued to trail the report that the Federal Government has increased the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5 million.

The Punch had reported that the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday, in Lagos, while unveiling the Reviewed Broadcasting Code, announced the development.

After the 2019 election, President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly gave the information minister the mandate to create a framework to address hate speech in the Nigerian broadcasting space.

The increase of the fine has generated reactions from many Nigerians who raised salient questions on the microblogging platform, Twitter, regarding the new policy.

Reacting, Socio-Economic Rights & Accountability Project, SERAP, called on Buhari to reverse what it described as the “unconstitutional and illegal” increase, stressing to institute the legal action against the policy.

“We’re calling on President Buhari to immediately reverse the unconstitutional and illegal increase in ‘hate speech fine’ from N500,000 to N5m. We’ll fight to challenge this illegality in court to make sure that the fine doesn’t become another tool for repression,” SERAP fired on its twitter page.

Some Nigerians lambasted  the Federal Government for being undemocratic and planning to subdue freedom of expression.

A section of Twitter users queried the effectiveness of the policy on hate speech, despite the plethora of hate speeches in the country political space, especially among politicians.

Some Nigerians wondered about the number of persons that was convicted, when the fine was N500,000.

One of the most incisive comments came from social media activist, Fisayo Soyombo and former newspaper editor, Fisayo Soyombo who piqued thus:

GWG gathered the following reactions from twitter;

Sowore, August 5: Peaceful Protest Is Legal! By Tope Temokun

Democracy is not just about elections and rigging culture. In all civilised parts of the world, public rallies and nonviolent protests are part and parcel of democracy.

In the case of ANPP v IGP (2008) 12 WRN 65, decided by the Court of Appeal on the 12th of December 12, 2007, Adekeye JCA (as she then was) held inter alia: “Democracy admits of dissent, protest, marches, rallies and demonstrations. A rally or placard carrying demonstration has become a form of expression of views on current issues affecting government and the governed in a sovereign State. It is a trend recognized and deeply entrenched in the system of governance in civilised countries. We must borrow a leaf from those who have trekked the rugged path of democracy and are now reaping the dividend of their experience.”

In the same case, Muhammad JCA said, “In a democracy, it is the right of citizens to conduct peaceful processions, rallies or demonstrations without seeking and obtaining permission from anybody. It is a right guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution and any law that attempts to curtail such rights is null and void and of no consequence.”

I consider it as part of my own civic responsibility today to draw the attention of the government, both at the federal and the state levels, the army, the police and other security agencies to the position of the law on this matter, which has endlessly led to fatal encounters between the police and other security agencies on one hand and peaceful protesters on the other, recording unnecessary casualties, in the name of enforcing the law and order, just because the security agents are not enlightened enough on what the law says on peaceful protests.

I therefore urge the police and all the security outfits in Nigeria, who might be sent out tomorrow to fight fellow citizens in the course of their peaceful demonstrations to know that the law does not support the use of force on peaceful protesters and the only duty you have our brethren the police and comrades in the army and the other security outfits is to protect the protesters in the course of their civic duties and ensure we remain non-violent and safe. You must desist from wanton killing, harassing or intimidating of fellow citizens. We are all fighting for a better Nigeria brethren! If Nigeria better, you go chop, I go chop, we go all be-happy!

Why the shooting brethren? Why the killing? Let’s reason together! And demand a better country!

Tope Temokun is a lawyer and human rights activist!

Shoprite Debunks Exit Rumour, Says We Are Not Leaving Nigeria

ShopRite Nigeria has debunked the story making the rounds that it intends to close shop in Nigeria.

The Country Director for Chastex Consult, Ini Archibong, in a telephone conversation with Vanguard, not TheNigerialawyer said: “Shoprite is not leaving Nigeria.

“We have only just opened to Nigerian investors which we have also been talking to just before now. We are not leaving, who leaves over a $30billion investment and close shop? It doesn’t sound right.

“We only just given this opportunity to Nigeria investors to come in and also help drive our expansion plan in Nigeria. So we are not leaving.

“I have tried to say this as too many people as I can. There should be no panic at all and all of that. There is no truth in that report.”

Recall that reports have been circulating that the retail outlet has started a formal process to consider the potential sale of all or a majority of stake in its supermarkets in Nigeria.

The report said the retailer had struggled in the Nigeria market after some South African owned retailer shops exited the Nigeria market.

The report further stated that Shoprite results for the year do not reflect any of their operations in Nigeria as it will be classified as a discontinued operation.

The report also said international markets excluding Nigeria contributed 11.6 per cent to the group sales and reported 1.4 per cent decline in sales from 2018.

South African operations contributed 78 per cent of the overall sales and saw 8.7 per cent rise for the years.

The report went further to say that as a result of the lockdown, customers’ visits declined 7.4 per cent but the average basket spends increased by 18.4 per cent.