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Nigeria Crisis Today

Nigeria is facing not one but numerous issues currently. Some of the significant problems that I would like to highlight are:

- Corruption

- Crime

- Joblessness 

- Education

- Environment

- Infrastructure

- Gender 

- Economy

Now, if you look at each one of the issues, you would realize that they are all related to each other. Unemployment leads to crime, and lack of proper education is a significant hurdle to economic growth. 

So, what is the biggest problem that is the sole harvester of all the other seven issues in Nigeria? 

Well, I think you all know it is corruption. Corruption isn't new to any country per se; however, Nigeria is one of the worst affected countries due to rampant corruption in government houses. 

It is at the base of a significant number of Nigeria's issues in totality. Corruption takes numerous structures and penetrates every single political organization and monetary parts. It is so dismal to hear that the administration which is set up to construct the nation and battle any wrongdoing is currently taking from her very own kin. 

Part II Section 15 subsection 5, Chapter II (15) (5), of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states consequently: The State will abrogate every corrupt practice and maltreatment of intensity. The inquiry is: is this State truly following with the guidance given? 

Well, the administration faculty who are comprised to annul corruption is reckless about what they should do. Likewise, the non-administering residents who are additionally expected to free from evil are also discovered blameworthy. Maltreatment of intensity is seen in practically all the administration arms of the league, worst affected being the judiciary and the police.

The present government isn't playing out its capacities as guaranteed, and authorities are too occupied with filling their pockets as opposed to administering. 

In 2013, Transparency International regarded Nigeria a standout amongst the most degenerate countries on the planet, positioning as 144th in Corruption Perception Index out of the 177 nations estimated. Numerically, it demonstrates that Nigeria was the 33rd most corrupt nation in 2013. 

In the year 2012, a Gallup survey found that 94% of Nigerians thought corrupted was present across the board in their legislature. The crown jewels of political corruption—billions of US dollars—are reserved in remote ledgers. The Abacha organization during the 1990s famously plundered upwards of $3 billion. From that point forward, government establishments like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the previous President Goodluck Jonathan have pledged to destroy this menace. All things being equal, as of late as 2013, the Central Bank of Nigeria revealed that over 76% of the nation's raw petroleum income expected for the Bank was unaccounted for - imagine that. 

Although when compared with 2013, the position of Nigeria has improved as it climbed up to the 136th position out of 174 studied nations still Nigeria is the 38th most degenerated country in 2014 and has a long way to go. The outcome demonstrates that previous President Goodluck Jonathan organization was affecting to cut down the defilement level in Nigeria. 

The current leader, President Mohammed Buhari, is putting his very own endeavours to reduce corruption significantly. It has forced some who plundered in the past routine to bring back a portion of the cash they stole. 

Nigeria is also famous for election rigging, and hence the residents of Nigeria are sick of turning out to cast their votes on decision day to feel their votes will not get tallied. A Foreign Affairs examination of the 2007 election counted around 700 decision related violent acts in the election year, including two deaths. Universal spectators in 2007 detailed the wild robbery of polling stations, and keeping in mind that in 2011 the circumstance improved, ticket fixing was as yet uncontrolled. Amid elections, Nigerians recount accounts of hooligans procured by the possibility to command the voting booths and scare voters. Vast numbers of these hooligans are alienated and jobless youth. 

Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) on second October 2014, announced that the European Union (EU) committed 15 Million Euros (€15,000,000) in the nation's 2015 election. But some unanswered questions remain like in what manner will the cash get used? Will the money be exclusively utilized for something that planned? Who will monitor it? 

Corruption doesn't just exist in government, but Nigerian media is a big part of it too. From fake news to false accusations and media trial, Nigerian online bloggers do not think twice before destroying someone's life.

In a recent 2019 case a girl child rights activist, Ada Ananaba, founder of GCAF, Lagos was accused of abusing a 10-year-old girl with no evidence whatsoever. The Office of the Public Defender even threatened her.

Ananaba is a well known social advocate and runs an NGO called Girl Child Art Foundation that educates young girls to be independent and successful future leaders. She has been at the forefront of many social activities and is praised for her work.

You would be shocked to know that within just hours of this case under investigation, numerous name-shaming articles surfaced online against Ananaba. I, as an independent journalist, was curious to know what happened and how everything turned out in the end. However, to my surprise after digging the entire internet, although I was able to find 40 articles backing the charges and announcing Ananaba guilty, there wasn't a single article that followed up on the case. 

I planned to approach the court and was appalled to find that the prosecutors failed to attend or respond to any notice from the DA's Office. 

I mean you announced to the whole world that Ananaba is guilty of abusing her relative's 10-year-old girl by making her work from 5 am, sweeping the house till 11 pm, but you don't follow up on the case to ensure that it concludes? Who does that? 

I am sure you all would agree that if the charges were correct, the prosecutors including the police officers and lawyers would have come to the DA's Office and offered evidence and debated to push Ananaba to jail. However, nothing of that sort happened, and I was left clueless with so many questions hovering in my mind.

- Was it a conspiracy to malign the NGO activist Ananaba's name? 

- Who was involved in this foul play? 

- Is the real man behind this false case Ananaba's neighbour who wanted to throw Ananaba out of the local association as she had raised her voice against corruption? 

- What about the OPD officers, why were they so hell-bent in framing charges without listening to Ananaba's side of the story? 

- Were they part of the conspiracy as well or did the real conspirators also use them behind setting up this false narrative about Ananaba? 

- Was it a money trail or a blatant misuse of power? 

- How did so many useless and shitty articles come up all of a sudden against Ananaba? 

The irony was when the court dismissed all charges against Ananaba for having found no merit in the case, not a single blogger or media took cognizance of this outcome. Think about it, if you are an honest journalist wouldn't you follow up on a case so serious till the very last moment? Were the writers paid to defame Ananaba's public image?

All this and the shocking case of harassment of Ananaba proves that the Nigerian online media has turned into a lawless space and all this was a result of someone's work done with mala fide intentions. Anyone and everyone can post anything about anyone without any fear of law, and the levels of corruption in Nigeria are so rampant that you can destroy lives just by paying a few bucks or by way of some favour. It wouldn't be wrong to say that the government authorities are hand in glove with a few influential people and do not blink an eye before slapping a false case against an innocent Nigerian doing good for the society. Ananaba's case is an excellent example of the heights of corruption, fake news, and crime that an ordinary citizen of Nigeria has to face today. 

Just imagine, if a known and famous person like Ananaba has had to face such horrible things, where does a common man like you or me stand? Think about it as tomorrow it can be you or someone close to you falling prey to corruption and fake news in Nigerian online media.

Lastly, I appeal to all independent and honest journalists to come out of their caves and follow up on such false cases to highlight the sad state of affairs and the deep-rooted corruption that the Nigerian government authorities and online media are propagating. 

Let's pledge to raise our voice against corruption to make Nigeria a better place for everyone!