If there’s one thing Nigerians are known for, it’s our ability to turn up when the occasion calls for
it, especially during the festive period. We spend days leading to Christmas going from one
concert to another, wedding parties, and all sort. The spending is endless and there’s no shame
in that. We spent the year working one job with three side hustles and now is the time to show
ourselves that we’re chopping life, and not life chopping us.

While this is great, the number one problem is that there is life after December and the 99 days
of January is no joke. Nobody can give the other person urgent 2k since we’re all broke and
waiting on our salaries.

But January doesn’t have to be so dry or so scary if you make the right plans this December.
Here are 3 tips to make sure that you enjoy December and flex in January:

1. Make a budget.
   Budgets suck. We all want to be the rich aunt or uncle who spends lavishly but you also
   don’t want to be the friend whom everyone avoids their calls because they know you’re
   about to ask for money and they don’t have the guts to tell you ‘no’. Setting your budget
   is cutting your coat according to your cloth. You spend what you plan on spending, and
   once you’re done, you head home.
2. Regulate Outside Activities
   Outside is expensive. If you’re going to stick with your budget you have to choose which
   events to attend and which not to. Àṣàkẹ́’s concert is cool. The only problem is you have
   to choose between the concert ticket and groceries come January. If you’re at that stage
   of building your finances, inviting friends to a good house party may prove a smart
   decision in the long run.
3. Stay buoyant with ALAT
   Budgeting and regulating outside activities are not enough. With ALAT, you can set
   FLEXI SAVINGS and INVESTMENT goals. You can then thrive and reach these goals
   easily by automatically saving 30% of your spending which you immediately get access
   to when you reach your set goal.

You can also use ALAT to create a quick STASH which you can access when you’re in a
tight financial spot.

One big benefit of using ALAT religiously is that you get a loan immediately approved
using your savings, investments, and stash as collateral. Whether you are a new or
existing customer, once you save money you’re rewarded. So when the unending days
in January come, you can withdraw your funds and become your own lactose guardian.

Have you made plans for the 99 days of January? What are they? You can share those plans
with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #ChopLifeWithSense. Chopping
life and being financially stable this festive season can co-exist but remember it is only possible
with ALAT. Download ALAT today to get started (available on GooglePlay or Apple Store).

Claim

A tweet user, @ChyperMadara on the 5th of December posted that Climate change has been caused by geoengineering.

He wrote, “Climate change has been caused by geoengineering”.

Mandara zero was responding to a tweet by @esotericbot on December 5

which said, “Is Climate Change cover for Geoengineering?”

Verification

What is Geoengineering?

Geoengineering is also called climate engineering.

According to Britannica, geoengineering is the large-scale manipulation of a specific process central to controlling Earth’s climate to obtain a specific benefit.

Geoengineering or Climate Engineering is the intentional large-scale manipulation and modification of the Earth’s climate and environment to prevent further Climate Change, slow down and reverse Global Warming, and mitigate the effects on our civilization and biosphere. It is the deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change.

According to Geoengineering Monitor, Climate geoengineering refers to large-scale schemes for intervention in the earth’s oceans, soils, and atmosphere intending to reduce the effects of climate change, usually temporarily.

Types of Geo-engineering

Geoengineering is divided into solar geoengineering (reflecting sunlight to cool the planet), carbon capture (removing CO2 from the atmosphere to slow greenhouse effect-induced warming), and Earth radiation management.

What is the Effect of Geo-Engineering on Climate Change?

It is advisable to note that geoengineering is by no means a substitute for emissions reduction initiatives. According to Eniscuola Energy and Environment website, what geoengineering could do is contribute, together with other actions, to mitigating the effects of climate change.

Read Also: FACT-CHECK: Use of more fossils cannot prevent impacts of climate change

Climate change is said to be an important part of a comprehensive, integrated, international program that mitigates the effects of Global Warming, restores our biosphere, and addresses the root causes of Climate Change but should not be considered the only solution.

It is said that when combined with the advancement and use of logical, low-carbon energy solutions such as nuclear energy, geoengineering tries to mitigate Climate Change while supplying the people with the energy and materials needed during this transitional period.

In a report in The Guardian, Pascal Lamy, a former director general of the WTO and a former EU trade commissioner who is now the President of the Paris Peace Forum said governments were “increasingly likely to explore the possibilities of geoengineering, as efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions have so far been inadequate”.

Rating

False – geoengineering does not cause climate change, rather, it mitigates climate change.

This fact-check was produced by Justina Asishana, a Journalist with The Nation Newspaper with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact-Checking Alliance network.

The year 2022 has been like a roller coaster of emotions for many. A lot has happened in it from politics to entertainment and business. But 2023 has more to offer. Here are three major events to look out for in it:

*General elections

The presidential elections billed for February 25, 2023 will be one of the most interesting presidential elections to hold in Nigeria. For the first time, the country will be witnessing power contention from three major political parties.

Census.

In 2023, the fifth national census since independence will hold. The National Population Commission(NPC) has projected it to hold in April. The last National census took place in 2006 with Nigeria projected to have over 190 million people.

* Redesigned Naira notes

The recently redesigned naira note is set to become legal tenders fully by January 2023 according to the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN). It remains to be seen how much impact the new notes will have on the socio-economic outlook of Nigeria.

Around 8am on November 14, Lance Bombardier AbdulRasheed Ahmed, an artillery soldier attached to 73 Battalion was found lifeless in a pool of his blood. Ahmed, whose body was discovered at Latitude 11.782267° and Longitude 13.186818° in Jare, Borno State, with his rifle lying beside him, was said to have opened fire on himself.
Like Ahmed, a soldier shot himself dead while having a discussion with his colleagues at the Nigerian Army School of Armour, Bauchi, in March last year. Similarly, in 2020, another soldier fighting Boko Haram Terrorists in Borno State committed suicide after leaving a note for his wife.
There was also the case of a soldier who committed suicide after killing his commanding officer in Chibok, Borno State in 2017. In Abuja, a soldier allegedly hung himself to death inside the barracks in 2019.

Rising PTSD among soldiers
Cases of soldiers in theatres of operation either committing suicide, killing/harming their colleagues and superiors or even displaying irrational behaviours symptomatic to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, somatisation, substance abuse and other mental health related disorders are endless.
The reason for this is not farfetched. Globally, military deployments come with plethora of psychological challenges. Sounds of bombs, other explosives used by own troops or enemy forces; blazing guns, the orgies of deaths, devastations and other pains of war they are daily exposed to take tolls on their mental health.
According to renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Maymunah Kadiri, exposure to traumatic life events could have serious adverse psychological effects on people including PTSD which is characterised by clusters of interrelated symptoms such as
“re-experiencing symptoms like intrusive thoughts, recurrent dreams, flashbacks, distress and physiologic reactivity upon exposure to trauma cues; avoidance and emotional numbing symptoms including avoidance of traumatic reminders, anhedonia, detachment from others, restricted emotional experiences, sense of foreshortened future; as well as hyper arousal symptoms like sleep difficulties, irritability and anger, concentration problems, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle.”
Numerous studies have identified stronger association between deployment and PTSD. In Nigeria, available statistics indicated there has been astronomical increase in the rate of combat related PTSD among soldiers in the past 15 years.
Specifically, a study conducted last year by Ogbole James, a military doctor at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, showed that PTSD prevalence rate among soldiers in combat operations was 32 percent, an increase in the 22, 12 and 24 per cents recorded by previous studies.
Also, at a post-traumatic seminar organised by the Army Headquarters’ Department of Transformation, in November 2021, concerns were raised over rising PTSD among personnel.
The army advocated for awareness to be raised about the issue, noting the negative effects mental health challenges have on operational effectiveness and efficiency.
The service also blamed accumulated stress and other mental disorders affecting troops on the prolonged involvement in the fight against terrorists.
Sadly, prolonged combat exposures are not the only reasons for the rising cases of PTSD among soldiers. Issues of welfare, corruption and administrative high-handedness have also been identified as stressors.
For instance, tales have been told of how soldiers in war front missed their own weddings which they received clearance from the Army Headquarters to plan because their commanders denied them pass two days or a week to the big event.

Army’s psychotherapy course
Although the army had introduced three-week psychotherapy course at the Nigerian Army School.of Infantry (NASI), Jaji, for de-induction of troops from combat operations, checks by The Nation revealed that lack of motivation, poor feeding and other issues were negatively impacting on the outcomes of the course.
Sources who spoke to our Correspondent said the feeding provided at the institution was of poor quality, adding that soldiers are forced to feed themselves from their pockets despite no training allowance being paid.
“The truth is that a lot of soldiers do not fancy going to Jaji for the psychotherapy course because it is like punishment. The food they provide is horrible. They said feeding allowance is N1,000 per person per day but the food provided per time is like N200 quality. Imagine eating food prepared with N200 today.

Read Also: Boko Haram kills 10 Chadian soldiers at Nigerian border

“Then, while in training, no one pays you any training allowance. We only get our salaries and the N45,000 per month operations allowance is stopped during the three-month course.
“So, those who were inducted as a unit do not have much options as they must attend the course till completion but for those posted as individuals, no one even cares whether you attended or not. No one monitors level of compliance. There is nothing like periodic mental check though there is a department called psycho warfare but their office is never opened. Also, in the hospital at the theatre, you will never see a psychologist there.”
Another source confirmed that alot of soldiers in theatres of operations were battling one form of trauma or the other which were taking tolls on their mental health.
He said while some of them manage to live with it, others have taken to drug abuse while some have become depressed.
“Sometimes, when I am walking on the road and see a crack or bad spot, I just become paranoid and avoid it as though there is an explosive there. Not just in the Northeast, it happens to me everywhere and people will be looking at me strangely when they see me avoiding the crack or pothole.
“I also have friends who suffer from insomnia. Some of them tell us how any loud sound make them jump off their beds. Go to any of the Army Reference hospitals, you will see so many soldiers suffering from drug addiction on admission. Most of them took to drugs to escape traumas,” he said.

The way out
Rising to the challenge, the Defence and Police Officers Wives Association’s (DEPOWA) last month commenced construction of a PTSD centre in Abuja with a star-studded goundbreaking ceremony.
The centre, a first of its kind in Africa, would serve as one-stop shop to carter to the mental, emotional and psychological wellbeing of members of the Armed Forces and their families.
In a phone interview with The Nation, renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Maymunah Kadiri, said exposure to traumatic events were common and over two thirds of the general population were likely to be exposed to a traumatic incident in their lifetime.
Mrs. Kadiri noted that the military has been engaged in the restoration of peace at the continental, regional and national levels for many decades which have out stretched them.
“They have been on operation fields from the troubled North Eastern part of Nigeria ravaged by Boko Haram to the South East troubled by IPOB secession group, to the South-South with the Niger Delta Avengers, the North Central troubled by Nomads and farmers clash and so; these issues and many more have led to the deployment of our military to various combat grounds just in a way to curbing these forebearing menace.
In soldiers, she said PTSD was caused due to their being exposed for a long period to highly combative environments.

“Another factor that can be responsible is the problem of manpower and the pressure to optimize manpower, soldiers are often redeployed leading to increased intensity in trauma.
“Awareness and orientation should be carried out in the military to encourage soldiers in getting help and reducing stigmatisation.
“Government should look into increasing manpower to reduce burden on serving soldiers. “Providing appropriate care for soldiers and ensuring they do not stay too long in combat areas,
Also, Government should ensure veterans case is holistic both physically and mentally post wars. This should include institutionalized mental health services for all of them.
“Adequate support for soldiers and their families is very important. Families can be educated on how to care for their loved ones.
“Using trained pets such as dogs which studies have shown to help ease PTSD in veterans,” she recommended.
In his report, James stated that the rise in PTSD prevalence among soldiers on combat operations could affect troops’ robustness and operational effectiveness because mental health was an effective force multiplier in military operations.
“In relation to the above, it becomes necessary to routinely screen military personnel on combat operations following trauma exposure for effective and timely psychological interventions.
“As a result, further research is required to determine evidence-based service delivery strategies for management of combat related mental health problems among soldiers.
“Therefore, military authorities should make it as a priority in all operations across the country to provide readily and timely mental health support for troops particularly in relation to the gradually increasing prevalence of PTSD,” said James in a report titled Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Somatization among Nigerian Soldiers on Combat Operations.
This special report was done with funding support from Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre

Claim

A Twitter user @ojokologbolabo has said that Africa can stand a chance against climate change if the continent uses more fossils.

His tweet was a reply to the comment made by another Twitter user who criticised Nigeria for celebrating the discovery of oil in Bauchi state.

The tweet reads: “If Africa is to stand a chance against the coming impacts of climate change then we need to use more fossils just like the West did. Climate change is already here so adaption is key: oil is a must until new energy sources come up. EU use more oil.”

Verification

What are fossils?

Fossil fuels are formed from the decomposition of buried carbon-based organisms which are extracted and burned for energy. They are non-renewable and currently supply around 80% of the world’s energy. They are also used to make plastic, steel and a huge range of products. There are three types of fossil fuel – coal, oil and gas.

Fossil fuels are used to generate electricity, power transportation and industrial processes.

According to the United Nations, fossil fuels which include coal, oil and gas are the largest contributor to global climate change, as it accounts for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions.

Explaining how this works, the United Nations states that as greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat which in turn leads to global warming and climate change.

Fossil fuels release six products when they are burned and they include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, Lead, and Particulate Matter.

Consequences of using fossil fuels

The effects of using fossil fuels give rise to air pollution, water pollution, plastic pollution, climate change and multiple health challenges.

Air Pollution occurs when products like sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter are released from burning fossil fuels. Air pollution causes respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Water Pollution occurs when sulfur dioxide dissolves into water and creates sulfuric acid. This produces acid rain and can lead to the acidification of freshwater sources like lakes and streams. When these bodies of water become too acidic, life cannot survive in them. Acid rain can also affect local crops and soil acidity levels.

Climate Change is a significant threat to ecosystems and human populations worldwide. Carbon dioxide emitted through burning fossil fuels plays a huge role in global warming. As more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, more heat is trapped on earth through the greenhouse effect. Increasing global temperatures can lead to rising sea levels, deforestation, changing climates, and scarcity of food sources.

Globally, fossil fuel pollution is responsible for one in five deaths. The annual cost of the health impacts of fossil fuel-generated electricity in the United States is estimated to be up to $886.5 billion.

Can Fossil Fuel Prevent the impacts of Climate Change?

Fossil fuels, according to several experts and international organizations, contribute to climate change and do not prevent climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its sixth assessment report states that existing and currently planned fossil fuel projects are already more than the climate can handle as more projects will lock in even greater emissions and the journey to climate hell. The report called for an immediate and deep cut in the use of fossil fuels everywhere.

Also proffering solutions to the impacts of climate change, climate scientists suggest the end to the use of fossil fuels which include the use of coal, oil and natural gas. These experts say that shifting from fossil fuels to improved energy systems will require efforts far beyond what has so far been allocated to solving the climate problem.

Rating

False – The use of more fossils would increase and not prevent the impacts of climate change.

• This fact-check was produced by Justina Asishana, a Journalist with The Nation Newspaper with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact Checking Alliance network.

Claim

A twitter use @PeterSweden7 has said that green energy does not exist.

His tweet reads: “Green energy doesn’t exist. Climate change is a scam. It’s all a lie to try and scare you into submission.”

Verification

What is Green energy?

Green energy is any energy type that is generated from natural resources. It means the use of renewable energy sources such as sunlight, wind, biomass or water. It often comes from renewable energy sources often called sustainable energy.

The terms ‘green energy’ and ‘renewable energy are often used interchangeably, but there is one essential difference between them which is while most green energy sources are also renewable, not all renewable energy sources are considered entirely green.

Forms of Green Energy

1. Solar Power
2. Wind Power
3. Hydropower
4. Geothermal Energy
5. Biomass
6. Biofuels

How does Green Energy work?

As a source of energy, green energy often comes from renewable energy technologies such as solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, biomass and hydroelectric power. Each of these technologies works in different ways, whether that is by taking power from the sun, as with solar panels, or using wind turbines or the flow of water to generate energy.  Green energy sources are usually naturally replenished.

Examples of how Green Energy can be used

There are several examples of green energy in use today and they include:

1. Heating and Cooling in Buildings: Green energy is being used for buildings ranging from large office blocks to people’s homes. These include solar water heaters, biomass-fuelled boilers and direct heat from geothermal, as well as cooling systems powered by renewable sources.
2. Industrial Processes: Renewable heat for industrial processes can be run using biomass or renewable electricity. Hydrogen is now a large provider of renewable energy for the cement, iron, steel and chemical industries.
3. Transport: Sustainable biofuels and renewable electricity are growing in use for transportation across multiple industry sectors. Automotive is an obvious example as electrification advances to replace fossil fuels, but aerospace and construction are other areas that are actively investigating electrification.

Rating

False – There is green energy which is interchangeably called renewable energy

• This fact-check was produced by Justina Asishana, a Journalist with The Nation Newspaper with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and African Fact Checking Alliance network.