#PulseElections2023: 10 news stories that will motivate you to get your PVC

#PulseElections2023: 10 news stories that will motivate you to get your PVC

In the last 7 years, we have witnessed the decline, not only in the living quality of the average Nigerian, but also in the prestige that was inbuilt in just being Nigerian.

We are a global laughing stock; we pride ourselves on past glories of past administration, but the reality is our foreign friends just see a broken nation.

The fact is that we know Nigeria can do better, because we have seen her do better. But the role we play as civilians is very limited; get your PVC.

Pulse is here to remind you of old news stories that should motivate you to partake in your civilian role in the upcoming general elections; at least for those who want the country to work well for them.

In 2018, a mystery snake was said to have sneaked into the accounts office of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital and made away with N36 million cash.

Before now, JAMB candidates purchased scratch cards from JAMB state offices and other designated centers, to gain access to the Board’s website for either registration or to check their admission status but the reforms introduced by JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, recommended an end to the use of scratch cards.

A team of auditors was dispatched to different state offices of JAMB to take inventory of the sold and unsold scratch cards and recover whatever money that might have either been generated or mismanaged during the period of the sale of scratch cards.

On their visit to Makurdi office of JAMB, a sales clerk, Philomina Chieshe, told JAMB registrar and his team that she could not account for N36 million she made in previous years before the abolition of scratch cards.

In the course of interrogation, Philomena confessed that it was her housemaid that connived with another JAMB staff, Joan Asen, to “spiritually” steal the money from the vault in the accounts office.

Philomina in her confessional statement said that Joan Asen and her accomplices confessed that they have been stealing the money “spiritually” through a mysterious snake that always sneak into the office to swallow the money from the vault.

The fact that the government thinks Nigerians foolish enough to let this news fly, is a reason why you need to get your PVC.

Nigerians fleeing war-torn Ukraine have lamented persistent denial of entry into Poland despite assurances from foreign affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.

The stranded Nigerians in who made frantic efforts to leave the country following attacks from the Russian Federation met heavy resistance at the Polish border by security operatives who gave priority to Ukrainians.

BBC correspondent Stephanie Hegarty confirmed that Nigerians in Ukraine were being denied access to trains going to the border.

The international perception and treatments of Nigeria and her people is rather a reflection of how the government’s treats its own people. This would never be the United States and its citizens.

The Nigerian government says it has “indefinitely suspended” Twitter’s operations in the country, the Ministry of Information and Culture announced in a statement.

“The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria,” it read.

The statement, which was posted on the ministry’s official Twitter handle, accused the American social media company of allowing its platform to be used “for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Some pointed out the irony of announcing the ban on Twitter, with one person replying: “You’re using Twitter to suspend Twitter? Are you not mad?”

The suspension comes two days after Twitter deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that was widely perceived as offensive.

In that tweet, the Nigerian leader threatened to deal with people in the country’s southeast, who he blames for the recurring attacks on public infrastructure in the region.

From the threat, to the ban of one of the most used tools in modern-day social interaction, it is evident that the Nigerian government does not respect the citizen’s freedom of speech… If there really is a 2023 candidate who would handle this situation differently, you might want to lay your vote for that candidate if you must enjoy true freedom of speech.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has explained why it banned cryptocurrency-related transactions in the country, claiming the digital currency is used for money laundering and terrorism.

The regulator said this in a statement days after affirming a 2017 directive to financial institutions to block cryptocurrency accounts.

The decision has sparked outrage from mostly young people in a country that is the world’s second-biggest user of virtual currencies like Bitcoins.

The statement by Osita Nwanisobi, Acting Director, Corporate Communications, said the ban on such transactions will not have any negative impact on fintechs..

The use of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria are a direct contravention of existing law,” the statement said. “It is also important to highlight that there is a critical difference between a Central Bank issued Digital Currency and cryptocurrencies. As the names imply, while Central Banks can issue Digital Currencies, cryptocurrencies are issued by unknown and unregulated entities,” Mr Nwanisobi said.

“The question that one may need to ask therefore is, why any entity would disguise its transactions if they were legal,” he added.

“It is on the basis of this opacity that cryptocurrencies have become well-suited for conducting many illegal activities including money laundering, terrorism financing, purchase of small arms and light weapons, and tax evasion.

The government is LAZY! In an ideal world, systems that benefit the masses are not shut down for fear criminals. Rather, investigations are carried out to fish out the criminals in the system.

Suspected terrorists bombed Abuja-Kaduna rail tracks and attacked a train with about 970 passengers onboard.

It was gathered that the Kaduna-bound train derailed after the explosive device planted by the terrorists went off underneath one of the coaches.

At least 8 people were killed, including Amin Mahmoud, a youth leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Chinelo Megafu Chinelo, a medical doctor, Tibile Mosugu, a rising lawyer and son of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and Barrister Musa Lawal-Ozigi, secretary-general, Trade Union Congress, TUC.

More than 65 others were kidnapped. The following week, the hostage-takers released a businessman, and 11 more captives were released in June.

Families of the remaining 51 Abuja-Kaduna train attack victims vowed to occupy key government facilities in Kaduna and Abuja over the government’s insensitivity to their plight.

Severely, the bandits had threatened to kill the victims if the government did not respond to their demands.

Few days ago, one of the victims was shot, sending a signal to the government that killing them was not difficult.

It is terrible enough that the sitting government has failed in the area of securing citizens and public amenities from the claws of terrorists; however, it is even more saddening that they go mute when asked to rescue the rescuable victims.

There was widespread blackout across the country following the collapse of the national power grid, making it the fifth collapse of Nigeria’s electricity grid in 2022.

It was learnt that the fifth grid collapse occurred around 6.49pm, leading to the shutdown of the outgoing electricity feeders of some power distribution companies.

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company in separate messages obtained by our correspondent confirmed the grid collapse.

Findings had earlier shown that the quantum of power on the grid as at 6am on Sunday was 3,628.6 megawatts, but it was gathered that this crashed significantly in the evening leading to the eventual grid collapse.

Are we joking? it is the 21st century and we are still battling frequent blackouts? we are definitely joking.

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, says there is no single refinery working at the moment in the country.

Kyari disclosed this to members of the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).

The committee is investigating the increased in prices of diesel and cooking gas.

Kyari, on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, in Abuja, said the country’s refineries were not working at the moment, adding that the situation was regrettable but the NNPC was doing something to bring the refineries back to work.

WHAT is this ‘something’ that has been ongoing for years? You might want to be sure that the next set of leaders have evidence of the ‘thing’ they are doing.

The exchange rate for a dollar to naira at Lagos Parallel Market (Black Market) players buy a dollar for N590 and sell at N612 on Thursday, 30th, according to sources at Bureau De Change (BDC).

Please note that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not recognize the parallel market (black market), as it has directed individuals who want to engage in Forex to approach their respective banks.

Nigerians are generally suffering as prices of all imported goods have spiked. For sardine to be considered gold, you know we are all in the trenches.

ASUU started a one month warning strike on February 14, 2022, to demand that the Federal government fulfils the 2009 agreement.

The agreement signed by the FG with the union requires that the government commit N200 billion annually for five years to the revitalisation of the sector. To meet this segment of the ASUU demand, the Federal Government must cough out N1 trillion.

The union also said the government refused to include earned academic allowances in the 2022 budget as promised.

It is now 137 days since university students have been home due the union has been on strike,; with the federal government still not bending to the demands.

Chris Ngige, minister of labour, said the federal government does not have the funds to meet some of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Soldiers of the Nigerian Army deployed by the military hierarchy to the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020, “shot, injured and killed unarmed helpless and defenceless protesters, without provocation or justification, while they were waving the Nigerian Flag and singing the National Anthem” thereby committing a massacre, a judicial panel of inquiry set up by the state government has found.

The panel also found that officers of the Nigeria Police Force who were deployed to the toll gate on the night of the incident “shot at, assaulted and battered unarmed protesters, which led to injuries and deaths,” thus aiding the army in the commission of a massacre on unarmed civilians.

The findings of the panel, which was released Monday evening, put to rest repeated denials by the army, the Nigerian government and the Lagos State government that a massacre was committed by the soldiers of the 65 Battalion of the 81 Garrison Division, Bonny Camp, led by Sanusi Ovada Bello, a lieutenant colonel.

Many Nigerians have not recovered from the heaviness of the Lekki Massacre, the unnecessary shedding of innocent blood of peaceful protesters; which till date, the federal government stays silent on its involvement.

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