By Kizito Alakwe

It is no longer news that Nigeria was driven to the brink of another war as a result of the #EndSARS protests and the mayhem that ensued following the “tragedy” at the Lekki Toll Gate. I have taken out time to read diverse versions of the story and glean people’s perception of the entire incident. It is sad to note that some forces have succeeded in turning Nigerians against Nigeria. A fact which I must warn here is the first step towards another civil war. And that negative perception is what made the citizens blind to the half-truths and the lies from both local and international media establishments on the #EndSARS protests.

After going through that obverse report from CNN, I wondered what has become of social responsibility which media houses are sworn to. I pondered on the intentionality of that report and asked: what will CNN benefit if Nigeria implodes? Equally problematic is the fact that the government played into their hands by issuing hasty statements primarily driven by panic.

For some of us, we saw through the malicious objectives of CNN because we started by looking at the intentions behind that ill-conceived report. There is no denying the fact that the Army were at the toll gate that evening and released shot on that fateful ay. However, I will share below critical areas of misinformation and lies in that CNN report which they put together from the comfort of their offices in Atlanta, United States.

CNN titled their report: How a bloody night of bullets and brutality quashed a young protest movement, with a quote, “they pointed their guns at us and started shooting” referring to the Nigerian Army. However, and curiously, there was no mention of the Army in the opening paragraphs of that report. What we see is an eyewitness report that “the “Police” took his (Ibanga) body away”. What I deduced from that eyewitness report is that Ibanga was “killed” by the Police and his body taken away by the Police. The use of the Police here instead of the Army is intended to mislead. While the claim was that the Police took Ibanga’s body away (on line 7 of the report), CNN on line 17 of the same story said that bodies were taken away by the Army. You may wish to note that this is the only reference to the actual death of a protester as what we read subsequently are vague and sweeping statements from CNN. For instance, we read that, “the Ibangas are one of several families…”

According to the report, the first use of the term massacre was in quotation marks. This style of writing is used when you choose not to own the information so presented. If CNN is 100% sure of the intelligence they claim they have; they would have removed the quotation marks. But of course, there could not have been a massacre without bodies and the relations of the dead speaking out. Recall that earlier, the CNN through its verified Twitter handle had claimed that 35 people died. The question is, why are they not sticking with that initial report?

The introductory part of the CNN report was followed by those initial statements by the government, which to me was a big blunder as it made them lose credibility and pitted the masses against the government. The resultant effect is that the citizens struggled to believe the government, even when they, the government is saying the truth. The entire CNN report was premised on this fact that Nigerians will rather believe CNN (irrespective of what they say) that were nowhere close to Lekki toll gate than the BBC which had a reporter on ground for most of the duration of the protest. To emphasize this fact, some Nigerians believed CNN who relied on eyewitnesses rather than an eyewitness (BBC). This is sad.

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For most of the report, CNN relied on USG (user-generated contents) videos and audio files and in a specific case, reported, “Verified video footage — using timestamps and data from the video files — shows soldiers who appear to be shooting in the direction of protesters”. This is another statement aimed to mislead. Even with the wealth of evidence they claim to possess, CNN never said the Army was shooting at the protesters. What they said was that the Army “appear to be shooting at the protesters” In Semiotics, those two are miles apart in meaning.

This was followed by another piece of misleading information. “Peace Okon, 24, hasn’t seen her younger brother Wisdom, 18, since he went to the protest the night of the shooting”, CNN reported. Again, what this implies is that Peace Okon’s brother is missing. It never said he was shot by the Police or the Army or died at the Lekki Toll Gate. Naturally, the human brain seeks to fill gaps when issues are not noticeably clear. And in this case, the brain simply assumed Peace Okon’s brother was shot by the Army or Police even when CNN never said so. This is another deadly style of writing.

This was followed by another piece of information that I consider right: the reasons for the protests, how long it has lasted and government response to the request of the protesters. But again, it ended by telling the gullible masses that this is the fourth time government is disbanding SARS. What CNN also succeeded in doing here is to cast doubt on the credibility of the government. That the Nigerian government is not an institution to be believed and that the protest should continue. This again aligns with the overall plan to widen the fault lines between the government and her citizens.

Another section of the report went thus: “Testimony from dozens of eyewitnesses and family members interviewed by CNN and a forensic examination of hours of video and dozens of photographs captured before, during and after the two shooting incidents show how a fledgeling protest movement was all but extinguished by the very thing Nigerians were demonstrating against”. My question is: what exactly did these dozens of eyewitnesses and family members testify to? What can “family members” who must have been at home testify to? Let’s take them one after another.

CNN that was never on the ground at Lekki but leveraging satellite imagery reported that “Army Trucks” (plural) left Bonny Camp…” and approached the protesters from both sides and thus barricading them”, but went on to report the following: “Two eyewitnesses told CNN they saw soldiers arriving in a Toyota Hilux pickup truck with “OP Awatse” written on it — the name of a joint military task force that operates in Lagos State”. Note that the eyewitness reported a (singular) Pick Up Truck. CNN never bothered to explain the disparity here because army trucks can never be the same as a Hilux Van. The difference might seem insignificant but in the present situation and scenario, speaks volumes about the intent of the report.

Then came the infamous testimony of DJ Switch. She said the military started shooting at the protesters without warning and panic ensued with protesters attempting to escape. However, another CNN eyewitness (Sarah) claimed that the Soldiers fired into the air but also at the protesters. CNN used the terms “terror” and “chaos” to describe the events at the toll gate. What I find curious from the report is that while the shooting was going on, some protesters were chanting, “We are peaceful protesters” and “End SARS, we no go gree”. But most important is the fact that the DJ was so calm and collected amid CNN’s terror and chaos to shoot her video that didn’t tell us anything.

This is where I expect Nigerians to use their God-given analytical sense to understand what must have transpired. First of all, the crowd was massive, and as the Army approached, only those in the frow rows would have seen them very well and heard whatever they said. Those at the centre of the crowd might not know what was happening in front. The Army would have warned the protesters to leave which is why the protesters chanted, “we no go gree” (of course, you cannot shout we no go gree to someone shooting at you). As the protesters refused to leave, the soldiers would have shot into the air triggering the panic and stampede from the centre and which would have led to the wounds sustained by some of the protesters. My point is that no one, not even a trained soldier, will stand in the face of gunfire! Secondly, it does not make sense for the soldiers to shoot live bullets into a protesting crowd. If some protesters were seen carrying bodies, it must be of those hurt in the stampede. And if the DJ was that bold to drag and drop the dead bodies of protesters in front of the soldiers, it means the Army never shot at the protesters. And even DJ switch shared videos of a protester being resuscitated which proved that the situation on the ground didn’t warrant that they all scamper for safety. If the environment weren’t safe enough, DJ Switch and Co could not have taken out time to tend to the wounded. And no one (unless you are suicidal) walks toward that enemy who intends to take your life. I can imagine the DJ interviewing a solder in that “terror and chaos” according to CNN report:

DJ Switch: “…why are you killing us? Why are you doing this?”

Soldier: “I am acting on orders from above.”

As far as I am concerned and based on the CNN report, DJ Switch lied. And that was poor reporting from a “world acclaimed news station”.

Note that I also saw the picture of dead Mathew as shared by CNN and which they claim they got from Satellite imagery and geolocation. But a second look at that image shows that the body was moved to that location. This is because if Mathew died on that sport, one should be able to see spatters of blood on the floor around him based on the amount of blood on his shirt. So where did he fall, who moved the body, and again, why is the family silent?

Another eyewitness, Legend stated: “I couldn’t count how many dead because I was running for my life.” If this is true, where then did CNN get the 35 dead protesters it reported earlier. And the same Legend claimed the shooters were SARS personnel because of their uniform which he could identify easily because his Dad is a Policeman. And I ask, what happened to the Soldiers?

CNN eyewitness report claimed that ambulances were prevented from reaching the scene. Meanwhile, the videos they claimed to have analyzed had sounds of ambulances in the background. This is another half-truth aimed to cause disharmony.

CNN claimed that bullets used at the scene were manufactured in Serbia, but I read that the Nigerian military locally produces ammunition for their rifles.

As a media and communication scholar, I am fully aware of the capabilities of Satellite Imagery and Geolocation on which CNN based their report to a large extent. This technology was utilized fully to show in detail the movement of the Soldiers from Bonny camp through Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island to Lekki Tollgate. What I find curious is why the same technology was “switched off” such that it couldn’t show us the trip back to base (Bonny camp) or to the hospitals where the report claims the wounded were taken to.

Finally, I must say here that I am not a technology expert and that what I did here is simply a textual analysis of the CNN report.

I condemn the government for the poor handling of communication during the crisis but praised them for the tact they deployed in handling a situation that could have led to a massive uprising and subsequently, to another civil war. I also urge CNN to have a rethink in this practice of instigating crisis across developing nations. The case of Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi, leaders who CNN wrongly branded as evil and who lost their lives as a result, is still fresh on our minds. Such noxious and damaging reportage practices go against all the known principles of ethics and social responsibility.

• Kizito Alakwe is a Communications Brands Advisory/Adjunct Faculty, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos.

Agency Reporter

Polls officially opened on Monday in Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections under strict COVID-19 protocols.

Long queues formed at the polling stations long before voting began at 0700 GMT. Some 17 million voters are on the register to cast their ballots.

Voting will end at 1700 GMT and counting will be at the polling stations. The Electoral Commission says it will declare the results in 24 hours although the law gives it 72 hours.

READ ALSO: Ghana votes, Nigeria hopes

Voters will choose a new president and 275 parliamentarians. There are 12 presidential candidates although only the incumbent, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress have any real chance of winning. There are 914 parliamentary candidates.

In a radio and television broadcast on Sunday night, President.

Our Reporter

African industrialist Adam Molai has launched a $1-million fund to provide entrepreneurs with capital to kickstart or expand their enterprises, in a massive boost for start-up businesses in Africa.

The JUA [sunrise in KiSwahili] Kickstarter Fund will provide successful applicants with funds – to launch or grow their businesses – as well as mentoring and guidance.

Entrepreneurs from across Africa are invited to apply.

The entire application process is electronic and funds are expected to be disbursed to successful applicants within 12 weeks of their shortlisting, in a first for Africa.

While SMMEs are indispensable for Africa’s economic recovery from Covid-19 devastation, raising start-up capital is one of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs on the Continent, with banks requiring collateral that most of them do not have, studies show.

Molai, who has successfully started several enterprises across Africa and whose TRT Investments had $125-million of assets under management as of the end of 2019, says a desire to inspire the Continent’s entrepreneurial generation was behind the creation of the fund.

“Without entrepreneurs, economies cannot grow and countries cannot advance. But African entrepreneurs unfortunately do not get the support they need to thrive for a myriad of reasons. Yet Africa is full of enterprising people.

“Wherever there is adversity, there is an opportunity. Africa is rife with adversity, wherever you turn business prospects are in abundance.

“Entrepreneurs provide solutions to societal challenges, whilst creating space for the advancement of their communities.

“I feel that Africa is so much more open and it is full of so much more opportunity than you would find elsewhere. I want to do everything in my power to ensure that this potential is cultivated and unleashed.”

Molai says the inspiration to create the JUA FUND was to highlight the importance of African businesspeople, tangibly demonstrating their confidence in the talent and entrepreneurial capacity that is within the Continent.

“When people see Africans investing in our own environment, they feel more confident to invest alongside us. Confidence breeds confidence. And I am nothing if not confident in the future of Africa and in what we can collectively achieve,” he says.

“For decades we’ve looked to governments to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurship to thrive in Africa. Governments alone will not achieve this without entrepreneurs also investing in creating more entrepreneurs. For true success, there is a need for this symbiotic approach buttressed by supportive policies,” adds Molai.

READ ALSO: Industrialist writes Senate, AGF over seizure of properties

Molai says one of the critical differentiators of the fund will be how fast money is disbursed to successful applicants.

“Cash flow is essential to the survival of small and emerging businesses. Studies have shown that cash flow is one of the major reasons why small and emerging businesses fail within the first two to five years. So, we have committed to ensuring disbursement to successful applicants within 12 weeks,” he says.

Molai says he hopes the JUA FUND, as well as his and other successful entrepreneurs’ experiences, will inspire young Africans the desire to start their own enterprises and not wait to seek out jobs.

“Unfortunately, too many young people today access opportunities to higher education, study for jobs, as youth unemployment continues to rise – producing a schooled, unskilled and unemployed generation. Others don’t pursue education or entrepreneurship because they think that becoming part of political patronage networks is an easier path to wealth.

“This attitude kills the inspiration, the desire to dream, create, and build something out of very little resources or nothing. I believe this is one of the greatest threats to our continent’s economic growth ambitions, and I am hoping that the JUA FUND will play its part in transforming Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape,” says Molai.

Agency Reporter

The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mr. Ahmad Ahmad, was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday.

Ahmad, who tested positive for Covid-19 on October 30, went into isolation and observation at the AS Salam International Hospital in Cairo, Egypt, and doctors authorized him to leave Wednesday morning.

Now not contagious anymore, and with minimal risk of complications, the CAF President returned to his home in Cairo.

READ ALSO: CAF President Ahmad hospitalised after contracting COVID-19

According to the CAF media outlet, doctors have prescribed at least 20 days of convalescence, during which he will have to limit his efforts in order to fully recover his energy.

President Ahmad thanked all the medical staff of AS Salam International Hospital in Cairo for their support throughout the last 12 days.

He also thanked his Vice-Presidents, as well as the General Secretary of the CAF, who have carried out certain missions that the President was unable to accomplish at the time.

(PANA/NAN)

By Adeola Ogunlade

The Brand Ambassador African Diaspora Forum, Prince Debo Adesina, has appealed to #EndSARS protesters to embrace peace and engage the government on institutional changes that will enhance proper policing and good governance.

In an interview with The Nation, Adesina said: “#EndSARS to me would have been more justifiable had it been that they were able to withdraw after a while and sit on the roundtable for further discussions.

“But instead they (the youths) prolonged the protest and in the process allowed miscreants to hijack a good cause!”

Adesina applauded the commitment of #EndSARS protesters, which according to him, will be recorded in the annals of civil rights movement in Nigeria.

He said: “My stand is that it would be better if the #EndSARS protesters had chosen leaders whom they trusted to speak on behalf of the cause but unfortunately hoodlums and miscreants infiltrated and hijacked what started out so nobly and so beautifully.

“From here on, we should all embrace peace and harmony, and allow the leaders to overturn the current situation to a developmental process by talking to the demands of the people in terms of Policing, and other matters.”

He stressed the need for autonomous policing by regions while the Federal Government focuses more on the Army.

Adesina, who is also the Founder of Nigerian Lives Matter, a rights advocacy initiative based in South Africa, criticised President Muhammadu Buhari in the wake of the violence that followed the protests.

Assessing the speech, he said: “I am sad because he did not seem particularly moved, and made no attempt to put any effort into making a good speech, even in the light of the international communities’ observations and advice.

“He went ahead instead, on his trajectory, and was a bit more of a soldier than a democrat.

READ ALSO: Diaspora African Forum honours Mbanefo

“It was not surprising to hear him saying what he said. He made no reference to the killings at the Lekki toll gate but he was able to talk about the Oba of Lagos Palace that was ransacked by irate youths.”

Adesina also condemned the shooting of protesters in Lekki, Lagos.

He said: “Tuesday’s shooting was a Black Tuesday and in a democratic set up like Nigeria, the Army or soldiers should not have been brought into the engagement in such a scenario.

“Anti-riot police should have been deployed to manage the curfew imposed by the Lagos state government.”

He recalledNigerian Lives Matter was borne out of the desperation and determination to change the popular global narrative of Nigerians.

Agency Reporter

Mr. Godwin Adama, Nigeria’s Consul-General in Johannesburg, has underscored the need for urgent implementation of the Early Warning Mechanism endorsed by Nigeria and South Africa, to end attacks on Nigerians.

Adama disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that there was no case of an attack on Nigerians in South Africans, “except a recent case of Police brutality that is being sorted out as we speak”.

He stressed the need for urgent implementation of the Early Warning Mechanism endorsed by Nigeria and South Africa so as to achieve meaningful growth.

“President Muhammadu Buhari and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, in Pretoria, South Africa endorsed the establishment of an Early Warning Mechanism, as preventative and monitoring platform against recurrence attacks.

“The Early Warning Mechanism, which we have agreed to put in place, is a way of tackling issues associated with attacks on Nigerians.

“The Early Warning Mechanism is not fully in place, the bilateral meeting on Nigeria and South Africa treaties has not come out with the blueprint. That is still being awaited.”

He disclosed that on Friday, October 16, a group of South Africans calling for the staging of protest against Nigerians, carried out a peaceful protest.

“Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), also obtained an approval to carry out a peaceful protest, to counter such demonstrations which portrayed their fatherland in bad image.

“NICASA duly submitted its memorandum to the Nigerian High Commission in that country during the protest but did not carry out any form of the violent attack.

“The other group carried out protests and NICASA also carried out protests; when there are protests, they do not always stop there.

“Nigerians also got permission to protest and embarked on it in a peaceful manner and according to the law; South Africa authority does not stop the peaceful protest, they can only provide Police to maintain orderliness.”

Adama, whose tenure as Nigeria’s Consul-General in that country expires in October 2020 said that strategic measures had been put in place to deepen bilateral relations between South Africa and Nigeria.

“NICASA has officially established its operational office here too and the good thing is that Nigeria bilateral relations with South Africa will continue.

READ ALSO: Queen, Israel, South Africa greet Nigeria

“Based on the establishment of NICASA office as a structure on the ground now, I believe things can only get better,” he said.

He commended the non-inclusion of Nigeria among 57 countries banned by the South African government on leisure travels, in line with the Oct. 1 international visitors Level-1 regulations.

He described the act as the first step toward opening up ways that could attract tourists, mostly from Nigeria and other countries in Africa, to South Africa.

He dismissed claims that the Federal Government would evacuate more Nigerians living in South Africa, saying that no such idea was being considered.

“The Mission will continue to issue travel documents to those requiring them; the South African government has not asked anybody to leave.

“It is only a certain group of people on social media via Twitter, who try to preach hate speeches. I do not think that every South Africa is thinking that way.

“We cannot legalise or nationalise crime. Crime is a crime, it is not national of any country; anybody who commits a crime, irrespective of nationality, should be sanctioned in accordance with the law.”

(NAN)

Agency Reporter

The Sudanese security forces have rearrested Widad Babiker, the wife of former President Omar Al-Bashir, just a day after she was released on bail, the Sudan Tribune Newspaper has reported.

Babiker was freed on Tuesday after serving almost 11 months’ term in jail over financial irregularities and corruption charges, including those directly linked to the Sanad Charitable Foundation that she had chaired.

The newspaper reported that, following Babiker’s release, law enforcement officers rearrested her on Wednesday as it was necessary to resume the investigation into her case.

According to the source, the wife of the ousted Sudanese leader is currently in a critical health condition suffering from chronic diseases.

The authorities, in turn, have not accepted repeated requests from Babiker’s lawyers and members of her inner circle to allow her to leave the country for medical treatment.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Army arrests Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir

Along with illegal financial operations, land manipulations are also on the list of charges that had been brought against Babiker.

The investigating team is looking into the origin of multiple bank accounts and plots of land owned by Bashir’s wife.

Al-Bashir governed Sudan for three decades before he was toppled by a military coup in April 2019, which brought the Transitional Military Council to power in the wake of months-long mass anti-government rallies.

In May 2019, Al-Bashir was charged with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters who participated in the demonstrations.

The former president was also accused of financial fraud and is serving a two-year prison term in connection with the matter.

(Sputnik/NAN)

Our Reporter

As the world is drifting towards renewable energy to power their economies, sub-Saharan Africa has no choice than to focus on exploring oil and gas, Director of Houston-based National Oilwell Varco, Dr. Babajide Agunbiade, has stated.

In an interview on the global rising oil demand, Agunbiade said despite the adverse effect of Covid-19 resulting in lower oil production, demand for oil and gas has peaked as a result of the use of an alternative source of energy that does not require fossil fuel.

He stated the wind of change is not taking place as much as it should in sub-Saharan Africa.

Agunbiade, who has over 20 -year experience in the oil industry and one of the world’s leading offshore production experts, said sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India are places where oil demand is rising unlike the UK, North America, among a host of advanced countries, where a lot of new technologies are coming into play.

“However, in Africa, it is still the only commodity that can satisfy the demands of an increasing population, an expanding middle class, and in some cases, the main source of governments’ earnings. We still have a lot of oil,” he asserted.

He explained that as a result of the enormous deposits of oil and gas, operators and service companies are doing what they can to optimize production cost and continue producing the commodity.

READ ALSO: Activists charge FG on fossil fuel ban

“As stated, a lot of these African countries do depend substantially on oil revenue for survival. Oil still plays a large role in these sub- Saharan countries’ economies, accounting for up to 40 percent of GDP and 80 percent to 90 percent of governments’ earnings,” he stated.

The Director of National Oilwell Varco, the largest Oilfield equipment manufacturing company in the world, said 90 percent of the earnings of Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, and the rest of oil-producing countries in sub- Saharan Africa come from it.

With these figures, he was convinced that the shift to renewable energy at the expense of oil and gas in sub-Saharan Africa has not been the focus for now, and this must change.

“There is no push for anything different. They are still aggressively trying to source foreign exchange, which for the most part, they can only do that through oil,” he argued.

According to him, wind energy, electric cars, and a lot of other renewable energy options and integrated gasification in the combined cycle, IGCC from coal have to come into play.