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Tag: ‘fake news’

  • Buratai to troops: be wary of fake news

    TROOPS deployed to the Northeast against Boko Haram terrorists have been cautioned by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai to be wary of Boko Haram terrorists and their sympathisers, especially in the way and manner they employ propaganda to achieve certain objectives.

    Lt-Gen. Buratai said if troops get expose to social media and fake news, there was the likelihood that it would demoralise their fighting spirits and undermine national security.

    The Army chief spoke at a dinner for the troops of Armed Forces Special Forces Battalion (AFSF Bn) and Army Headquarters Strike Group in Maiduguri at the weekend.

    He stressed that the troops should be mindful of what they see and read on the social media as most of the stories were either doctored or fake.

    Believing these stories would demoralise their fighting spirit, thus undermining national security, the COAS added.

    Buratai was also quoted as saying that the armed forces and other security agencies are now fighting terrorism as the days of insurgency has long gone.

    Lt.-Gen. Buratai, according to a statement by Army spokesman Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, emphasised that Boko Haram terrorists have no claim to any territory in Nigeria as of today and, therefore, enjoined the troops to flush out remnants of the terrorists wherever they are hiding..

    The Army boss, who asked the troops to use tactics acquired at different stages of their training as special forces, added that more attention would be given to in-theatre training and intelligence gathering and capabilities of personnel would be enhanced.

    He urged them to maintain the country’s peace and work hand in hand with other security agencies to defend the democratic system.

    “Every commander is already aware of what is expected of him especially, in the upcoming general elections of 2019, therefore you should live up to expectations of the authorities,” Buratai said.

    In his vote of thanks on behalf of the officers and men of both units after the dinner, the Commanding Officer of the AFSF Bn, Navy Commander G. B. Osuobeni, hailed the Army Chief for the visit and the kind gesture of hosting them to a dinner.

    He said the event signifies the COAS appreciation and support of their efforts in the fight against terrorism in the Northeast under the auspices of Operation LAFIYA DOLE.

    The Commanding Officer stated that the occasion would remain indelible in their minds and that the troops of both units were highly motivated by the visits and interaction, assuring that they would continue to do their best to clear the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the border areas and other areas of the Northeast.

  • Still on the menace of fake news

    Sir: Fake news has grown in an astronomic proportion. This is a major challenge in our ever-evolving technological advancement. Technological advancement as we know gave rise to information overload and unhealthy competition for a desire to be top news breaker. Many care less about the source. Professional laziness is now on the increase within the fourth estate of the realm itself.

    The fact is fake news and misinformation has no credibility outside the source. Where there is no wood, fire may not burn is a popular Nigerian adage. We must admit that the adage needs some modification in this age of gas.

    In a recent report on fake news by Knight Foundation which has been supported by Becca Lewis, fake news and misinformation do not gain notoriety and a level of believability until mainstream media gives it a subtle attention by bringing it up for discussion. The point is we cannot totally blame mainstream media for this act as the aim may be to dissuade the news the consumers’ community from accepting the news as true. But in a way, fake news and misinformation often gain popularity and credibility because of this singular act.

    Another way fake news become part of the conversation is the source of the information. There are many online influencers today whose words are taken as final by their followers. These influencers can be misinformedbut trusted friends, who have no time for fact checking but who are willing to ‘forward as received’. This kind of message is common within social media groups;Whatsapp groups seem to be gaining notoriety for this.

    On story about President Buhari’s cloning, the minister of information and the ruling party helped in mainstreaming the news to the extent that the president himself promoted the news at the international climate change meeting in Poland.

    There is yet another unverified story about Atiku Abubakar, People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, visiting the United States of America. Many online news platforms carried the story that Atiku had secured US visa and had travelled to the country immediately last week. It turned out that Atiku went to United Kingdom and not United States as speculated.

    The level of misinformation even from the so-called premium media outlets is becoming a source of concern to all.We need to empower every news consumer with strong ability and will from spreading ‘shared as received’ messages or news story as they add no value to the society. In other words, we all have a part to play in fake news elimination in our society.

     

    • Yinka Olaito, Lagos.

  • Police warn social media users, bloggers against fake news

    The Police Command in Cross River has warned social media users and bloggers operating in the state to desist from using `online’ to spread fake news.

    The command gave the warning in a statement by its Spokesperson, Mrs Irene Ugbo, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, on Friday in Calabar.

    Ugbo said that some bloggers and social media users were in the habit of posting fake news in their blogs and websites to propagate cheap blackmail by inciting the public against government institutions.

    She said that the command, in collaboration with the leadership of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state would not hesitate to deal decisively with any individual or group peddling fake news.

    According to her, some of the bloggers who have joined the media profession without requisite training and journalism background were frustrating the cordial working relationship of NUJ and the Police in the state.

    Read Also: Police warn against buying phones from strangers

    Ugbo said that some unscrupulous social media bloggers were trying to frustrate the media’s effort and reputation gained in championing the enthronement of democracy and respect for human rights in the country.

    “They are in a habit of posting fake and unconfirmed stories in their respective websites and social media platforms, aimed at cheap blackmail and spread of rumour to incite the public against government institutions.

    “In the same vein, the command wants to categorically state that the fake news making rounds on social media that three babies were stolen at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital is not true.

    “The story is a blatant lie and calculated attempt to undermine or tarnish the hospital’s reputation, thereby causing security breach in the state and the hospital,’’ she stated.

    (NAN)

  • 2019: Media experts advise against spread of fake news

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, media experts in Nigeria have advised journalists and members of the public against spreading fake news on both social and traditional media platforms.

    They made the call on Wednesday at the official launch of “CrossCheck Nigeria”, a website platform designed to fight against the spread of fake news and misinformation in Nigeria.

    CrossCheck Nigeria was initiated by ‘First Draft’, a United Kingdom based organization to curtail misinformation globally.

    Speaking at the launch of the website in Lagos, Chairman Editorial Board, The Guardian Newspaper Matins Oloja described Fake news as ‘deliberate misinformation aimed at destroying the truth’, adding that the evolution of technology is a major factor to the growth of fake news in the society.”

    Oloja however called on journalists to maintain their duties as gate keepers and urged them to be more credible in their reportage.

    “Journalism is all about credibility. The foundation is truth and accuracy. The moment customers notice you are no longer credible, you are finished in Journalism,” he said.

    In his contribution, the Executive Director of International Centre for Investigative reporting (ICIR), Mr Dayo Aiyetan, called on journalists to ensure the verification of information and news posted on social media.

    “The social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp have become avenues for the spread of misinformation, falsehood and fake news.

    “Therefore, it is important that journalists learn the skills to verify, fact check and debunk misinformation before they cause harm to the people.” Aiyetan said.

    The Managing Director of First Draft, Jenni Sergent who unveiled the website said the project which had taken place in two other countries France and Brazil is designed to help the public understand what to trust and why they should trust it.

    “Followers of the CrossCheck Nigeria project will be shown fact-check and verification steps behind each report.
    “They will also see the logos of all partner newsrooms that have participated in each investigation.” Sergent said.

    According to her, the main idea is to help the public make sense of what and who to trust in their social media feeds and also to ensure that rumours and false claims are swiftly debunked.

    CrossCheck Nigeria partner newsrooms include The Nation, The Punch, Premium Times, The Cable, Daily Trust, News Agency of Nigeria, Sahara Reporters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Tribune, Africa Check, This Day, The Sun, Channels Television, Freedom Radio, First Draft, Connected Development, The International center for Investigative reporting and the University of Lagos, Department of Mass Communication.

  • Army to prosecute purveyors of fake news

    THE Nigerian Army has threatened to prosecute anyone who “deliberately spreads fake news that aimed to undermine national security”.

    In a statement yesterday, the Nigerian Army it expressed displeasure with “the myriads of photos and video clips being recklessly distributed on various social media platforms.”

    The Army warned individuals and groups to desist from disseminating “fake videos” depicting alleged attacks by Boko Haram on military locations.

    According to it, the Nigerian Army will file cases against those found culpable regarding fake news dissemination.

    The statement reads, “The NA has continued to observe with great dismay the myriads of photos and video clips being recklessly distributed on various social media platforms by different calibre of persons. It is indeed shocking to see how these well doctored propaganda materials from enemies of the State has succeeded in creating fear and unrest in the polity. These doctored materials are obviously serving the purposes intended by the terrorists to misinform the populace, spread panic, hatred, religious intolerance and above all to undermine national security.

    “The NA wants to categorically state that the videos and images making rounds as the purported attack on Metele base are false and do not in any way portray the reality of the situation on the ground. Unfortunately, many do not know that indiscretional posts and comments from a citizen that is supposed to be solidly behind its military in these trying times could have a way of dampening the morale of the troops. However, the NA’s resolve in protecting the territorial integrity and sanctity of the Nigerian State would not be undermined by detractors or tacit supporters of the enemies of our beloved country.

    “Whilst appreciating the concerns of well-meaning Nigerians who genuinely care for the well-being of its military, the NA wants to draw the attention of its detractors to the fact that spreading of fake news is an offense and violates the provisions of Section 24(1)(a),(b) and (2)(a),(b),(c)(i),(ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition & Prevention etc) Act, 2015.

    “In view of this, please note that the NA would henceforth report these infractions and file cases against individuals or groups who deliberately spread fake news that aims to undermine national security, in courts of competent jurisdictions. Equally, the NA wishes to inform the public of its iReport channels on the NA website, Android and iOS platforms via which the public can forward meaningful advice, criticism or observations that would enable the NA better serve the good people of Nigeria. You are to please note this and kindly disseminate through your various channels.”

  • Minister: Fake news threatens poll

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed yesterday expressed worry over the rate at which fake news is spreading in the country.

    Mohammed, who warned that the development might mar 2019 elections, advised journalists to shun fake news to ensure a successful forthcoming general election.

    The minister, who was represented by the Managing Director (MD) of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bayo Onanuga, said all hands must be on deck to ensure that the negative trend was truncated.

    He spoke at a summit to commemorate the International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists in Abuja organised by the Centre Against Brutality and for the Safety of Journalists in Africa (CABSOJA).

    On how to end impunity against journalists, the minister advised journalists to always observe events from a distance as they do their job during the forthcoming general elections.

    He said journalists should not decide for voters rather maintain the dignity of the profession “by not reporting fake news and hate speeches”.

    Journalists, he said, should always defend themselves with the truth in the line of duty.

    Former Inspector-General Solomon Arase, his keynote address, said media outlets should have departments to monitor and analysed conflicts zones across the nation and prepare themselves to take serious cognisance of the areas when reporting.

    Arase said journalism should be practised with responsibility, hence: “They should be mindful of the ethics of the profession at all times”.

    The former IG identified low remuneration of journalists as a major challenge impeding the ethical practice of the profession, adding that most journalists have to financially fend for themselves, without payment from media organisations.

    He advocated that journalists should move in groups and liaise with security agencies to ensure safety.

    “By now, as the 2019 general elections approach, journalists should possess political intelligence skills and identify volatile areas, especially in rural areas.

    “Media organisations should provide insurance covers to indemnify journalist in the event of injuries, assault or death,” he advised.

    He said maintaining ethics of fairness and balance would minimise friction and attacks on journalists in coverage of conflict and non-conflict situation, including elections.

    According to him, the agenda setting power of the press should not be abused.

    “We should be true professionals, always by remaining non-partisan, realising that partisanship can jeopardise our safety,” Arase said.

    Director-General of UNESCO Ms Audrey Azoulay condemned the murder of 1,010 journalist and media professionals since 2006, adding that none out of such cases have been brought to court.

    “We must urgently address the specific threats which face women journalists and ultimately extend to the journalistic profession as a whole.

    “The fight against impunity is inseparable from the defence of fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information,” she stated.

    Ms Audrey emphasised the critical role of journalists’ freedom to the establishment of better informed societies.

    Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on SDGs, Mrs. Adejike Orelope-Adefulire, said journalists should do more of investigative reporting to ascertain the truth about any story before going to the press.

    “There is need for more investigative journalism without bias. A guaranteed freedom of press is imperative to the anti-corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration,” she said.

    Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) President Chris Isiguzo said there was a general belief about the media failing in serving the public interest and requirement of democracy.

    He said the information is false.

    “Because of economic pressure and what some have called back-pack journalism, editorial oversight and leadership in the newsroom have declined, and in many , the sub desk has been eliminated; no more fact-checking.

    “It is like anything can go as far as it will bring money and probably not libellous. The news gate has become more porous than never, thereby creating platform for propagandist, merchants of hate speech and fake news,” he said.

    Isiguzo said there is a need for caution and also urgent need to remedy the situation towards ensuring safety of journalists.

    The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against journalists is a UN-recognised day observed annually on November 2.

    The day draws attention to the low global conviction rate for violent crimes against journalists and media workers, estimated at only one in every 10 cases.

     

     

  • Fake news greatest threat to 2019 polls, says minister

    MINISTER of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said yesterday that fake news is a threat to the 2019 general elections.

    Mohammed, who made the submissions in a presentation at The Chatham House in London, said 2019 elections would indicate whether Nigerians have learnt any lessons from the ethno-religious tension, which characterised the last general elections.

    He said: “As the 2019 general elections approach, Nigeria faces a new challenge, a threat not just to the country peace and security, but indeed its very existence. It is the dual challenge of fake news and hate speech.

    “Yes, the fake news problem is not unique to Nigeria, but it poses a more potent threat to the country because of its multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural status. It is also a clear and present danger to the nation’s unity. Naysayers have latched onto the fake news phenomenon to exploit the country’s fault lines and inflame passion.

    “For example, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) recently did a report on how fake news is aggravating the persistent farmers-herders clashes. Pictures of gun-toting herdsmen from other lands are routinely used to depict the herdsmen in Nigeria. Age-long clashes between farmers and herders have suddenly been dressed in the garb of religion and ethnicity.

    “Ignored is the fact that the clashes have become more persistent because of a mixture of many factors, including population explosion, effects of climate change, keener contest for dwindling natural resources and sheer criminality. Religion and ethnicity are not the reasons for these clashes.”

    Mohammed explained that the Federal Government spent N2.7trillion on infrastructure in the last three and a half years.

    He also said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has dislodged Boko Haram insurgents who no longer have capacity to attack.

    The minister said before Buhari came on board, Boko Haram was controlling territories, which were almost the size of Lebanon.

    He also said the government places premium on Nigeria’s unity by spreading projects across the nation’s six geopolitical zones.

    He said:  “Since coming into office, the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration has embarked on an unprecedented renewal of the nation’s infrastructure, investing an unprecedented N2.7 trillion on roads, rails, power and other similar projects.

    “But it is not enough to embark on these projects, it is important to let the public know the extent and spread of such projects to foster a sense of national unity. This explains why we kick-started a nationwide tour of Federal Government projects nationwide, with not less than 25 journalists accompanying me on each trip.

    “Till date, we have inspected many of such projects, including the new Lagos to Kano standard gauge rail line, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the Southwest that connects the port city of Lagos to other parts of the country, the new intra-city rail line connecting the Abuja city centre to the International Airport, the Enugu-Port Harcourt freeway in the Southeast and the Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road in central Nigeria.”

    The minister said the Buhari administration remains committed to the nation’s unity.

    He added: “Nigeria continues to struggle to forge a national consensus, to accept its diverse ethnic groups as the source of its national power and cohesion, irrespective of religion, status, culture and geographical location. The challenge is made more daunting by the fact that the large country is occupied by diverse people, with diverse languages and culture. In other words, it is a multi-national state, a conglomeration of ethnic nations, each with its distinctive character and ethos.

    “Why is the question of national unity so important? This is simply because without a united country, all its component parts will be working at cross purposes with conflicting signals that will constantly threaten the foundation and the very existence of the country. This is more so in a country as diverse as Nigeria, which has had sufficient doses of ethnic and religious strives at various times in its nationhood journey, including a bitter, 30-month civil war and the Boko Haram insurgency.”

  • Fake news undermines peace, national unity – Minister

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Saturday appealed to all Nigerians to join efforts with government to combat the menace of fake news.

    The minister made the appeal while speaking at the inaugural lecture of the Guild of Professional Bloggers of Nigeria (GPBN) in Lagos.

    The News Agency of the Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the lecture was “Combating Fake News in the Cyberspace”.

    Mohammed said the collective efforts of all Nigerians were needed in view of the threats fake news posed to peace and unity of the country.

    He explained that most of the security issues confronting the country, such as herders/farmers were caused by the misrepresentation of facts in both the mainstream and social media.

    The minister said the spread of fake news had also promoted ethnic and religious suspicions among Nigerians.

    He said the media, especially, had a huge responsibility to check the problem in view of their strength and reach, calling on professionals to always verify their facts before sending out information.

    “The media have a responsibility to verify the facts before they share, because once they share, it is always very difficult to retract.

    “You see most of the issues we have about herders/farmers clashes, killings are being fuelled by fake news.

    “Look at the farmers/herders’ clashes, the truth is that they are being caused largely by population explosion, climate change and pure criminality.

    “So, it has nothing to do with religion or ethnicity.

    ”Nigeria at Independence only had 45 million people  but today, we are 190 million people.

    “You can imagine the same water, same air and same arable land available for 45 million people at Independence are now being shared by 190 million people.

    “It is like a room that can take 45 people, you now bring 190 people, you can imagine what will happen.

    ”So, that is the honest truth about population explosion.

    “Then, the other is climate change. We read about earthquakes and flooding in different parts of the world.

    ”These are manifestations of climate change.

    “So, how does it affect Nigeria?

    ”The Lake Chad that used to cover a surface area of 25,000sq km and 35 million people from six nations, including Nigeria, Cameroun and Chad depend on the water for fishing, agriculture, irrigation and so on.

    ‘The same water has shrunk to 2000 sq km.

    ”So, these 35 million people have to look for water elsewhere.

    ”That is why we have all these clashes.

    “Of course, I must state the issue of criminality too, but we must stop presenting the issues as if it is Muslims against Christians or Hausas against Ibos. That’s not true.

    “So, we should stop this narrative of Christians/Muslims or North/South.

    ”We are dealing with pure criminality, population explosion and climate change and that is the way we should look at it.

    “If we continue to post fake news attributing different reasons to the real causes of these issues, a stage will come when Muslims will be suspicious of Christians, Christians become suspicious of Muslim for no reason.

    ”And that is not good for our unity,” he said.

    The minister said the government was partnering different media organisations to check the problem of fake news.

    He listed some of them as the News Agency of Nigeria, Nigeria Television Authority, Vanguard Newspapers and Television Continental (TVC)

    Mohammed said the government was also collaborating with local and international social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to tackle the problem of fake news.

    He described bloggers as critical stakeholders in the media industry in view of their number and capacity to influence others.

    While stating the readiness of government to collaborate with them on the threats of fake news, the minister urged them to uphold the ethics of the profession to ensure they disseminate only credible information.

    He commended GPBN for the lecture, saying the initiative would go a long way to deepen professionalism among its members.

    In her lecture, Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Head, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos said the media was powerful because of their capacity to influence others and bring about change.

    She said it was, therefore, expected of stakeholders in the industry to always uphold the ethics and report the facts.

    “The fourth Estate of the Realm must never relent in its quest of being the watchdog of the society.

    ”This duty of the media is one that cannot be underestimated .

    “In this era of social media, it behoves of the media to ensure that their platforms are not compromised, no matter the cost involved,” Ogwezzy-Ndisika added.

    The don, who was the Chairman at the lecture, described fake news as a threat to the society and development.

    She urged media professionals to pursue conscious efforts to ensure that the threats of fake news were checked.

    As the 2019 approaches, Ogwezzy-Ndisika urged the media to always verify whatever they were putting out in order not to cause unnecessary tension before, during and after the election.

    She said most of the “fakes” were disseminated through social media and online platforms.

    The don advised bloggers to work at the credibility problems in the online media by ensuring whatever they were publishing had all the elements of credibility.

    Earlier, Mr Chris Nwandu, President, GPBN, said media platforms could pass integrity test only if they were credible.

    He said it was important for bloggers to ensure they publish truthful information always because that was the right thing to do.

    Nwandu said he knew the legal consequences of sharing fake news having been arrested by police and remanded in Ikoyi Prison in 2015 for sharing a Facebook post.

    He said though the charge of spreading fake news was later withdrawn from court after 18 days in prison, the episode opened his eyes to the laws against fake news and the need to verify information before sharing.

    Nwandu said the association was formed to set standards for members and make sure they comply with the ethics of the profession.

    “The basic idea behind GPBN is to set up a body that will set standards for the practice of blogging just like every other profession in the world,” he said. (NAN)

  • ‘Nigerians need to be educated about fake news’

    Dr Abiodun Saka-Layonu (SAN) vied for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Osun State in July. In this interview with ROBERT EGBE, he shares his thoughts on fake news, judicial independence, rule of law and political party proliferation ahead of next year’s elections, among others.

    How best do you think the menace of fake news and election results can be addressed ahead of the 2019 general election?

    The issue of social media and its ramifications, including hate speech and fake news, is so entangled and intertwined with free speech and its control in a democratic society. Beyond the level of invoking the traditional laws that are in place, I want to suggest, if it is technologically possible, that there should be a warning on every platforms on the social media that will impress on the people to be wary about the information available to them. I think it’s a matter of general education. People need to be circumspect about every news item at their disposal whether on the social media or newspapers. It is not all of them that are true. Of course, social media is the most affected. All sorts of things are put there. I think there should be general education for the populace to be wary of some of these things. This is because it is a modern day phenomenon which is very difficult to control. The summary of all I am saying is that it is only general education that can help to deal with this menace and not so much legislations, because there will be serious problems concerning what represents free speech, hate speech and fake news in a democratic society.

    How much of independence can you say the judiciary has enjoyed since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration?

    Generally, my views about the independence of the judiciary are that it is the arm itself that must assert and enforce its own independence. We can’t be talking about the independence of the judiciary in the absence of the arm of government standing against every action of the other arms of government to relegate it. There is every tendency that any government that comes would want to control everything. Usually, if care is not taken, the Executive will want to control both the Legislature and the Judiciary. So, it is for the two other arms to assert themselves constitutionally and not allow the Executive to control them. They must enforce the independence that the Constitution has given them. I am not saying they must not co-operate with the Executive but constitutionally, they must assert their independence.

    Do you think the Judiciary has been asserting its constitutionally guaranteed independence?

    Well, from what I can see, I think the Judiciary does its best to assert itself in the light of the prevailing circumstances in the country. However, because of its own very nature, it is still reliant on the Executive to ensure that its orders are carried out and that the rule of law prevails. This is because the control and the machinery of enforcement of orders are not with the Judiciary. A lot of responsibilities still lie with the Executive. For instance, you will need police to enforce a court’s order. It is beyond the Judiciary. So, the failings that we see, particularly relating to matters involving the government is the yardstick to test whether or not the rule of law prevails.

    Do you think the Federal Government has largely complied with the rule of law?

    I think there are very important cases that tend to dispel that belief. If we are talking in terms of quantities and numbers, we might say something to the contrary. But, we can only judge or measure with certain very important cases. In all these, I think the government can do better. A lot more can still be done.

    At the last count, the country now has 91 registered political parties. What do we stand to benefit from this plurality, particularly as we are heading towards the next general election?

    The criteria to register a political party are not difficult to meet. However, in this country, people tend to abuse everything, particularly when they are at liberty to do something. Here is a right which everyone should cherish with dignity, but it is being abused. This is coupled with the nation’s political terrain where there are hardly any serious principles and fundamental beliefs; everybody is just looking for a platform to express his political aspiration. We cannot blame the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registering the parties. The Supreme Court has interpreted the constitutional conditions for floating a political party in such a way that make it not difficult. But the responsibility now lies with Nigerians to know that this is not a right that should be used frivolously. What is lacking is the respect for the right which people are now using frivolously. I don’t think having a large number of political parties will make any positive impact on the polity. It may rather add to INEC’s burden. There is the cost implication of printing ballot papers with the logo of all the parties.

    Is the issue of the removal of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, constitutional or more of Senate’s rule?

    The Constitution makes provision for how you appoint or elect leaders of both chambers of the National Assembly. It also makes provision for how they can be removed. So, it’s a constitutional issue. Though each of the legislative houses has its own rules that are made for the purpose of being able to ventilate what the Constitution has already provided for, the issue of removal of the Senate’s president is fundamentally constitutional. So, anytime this is to be done, there must be strict compliance with the Constitution

  • Virus of fake news

    SIR: Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print, broadcast news media or online social media. Fake news is written and disseminated with the intent to mislead the public or to damage an agency, personality, or to earn money. It is usually done with the use of sensational, dishonest or fabricated headlines to increase readership, online sharing and internet click revenue online.

    The sharing of fake news on social media is deliberate, undertaken by individuals, group of people or an organization and even news organizations, with the aim of manufacturing and disseminating information that is fully or partially false in nature in order to influence opinion or stir disagreement, or for financial gain. Fake news often includes a grain of truth, but this ‘kernel of true information is perverse, taken out of context, surrounded by false details and so on.

    In many cases, fake news is dressed up to look like a genuine news item, sometimes from a pretend news outlet. Some fake news sources imitate trustworthy, independent institutions. Not all fake news authors aim to make people change their minds. Sometimes the goal is to polarize society. Fake news must be distinguished from satirical content: making up absurd details and claims does not meet the definition of satire.

    The problem is that fake news is being believed even more than the real news mostly. This is because the proponents of fake news make it so believable and they coin it in the way that people accept it once they come in contact with it.

    Fake news misleads the society, it gives them the wrong information, totally different from the real story, especially when it is against an individual that is holding a public office it stains the image of that person.

    If the society would be able to see the damage that fake news is doing to the society, if they can see that fake news is a virus that is gradually eating the society bit by bit, they would find ways to stop it as soon as possible.

     

    • Johnbosco Onwuanukwu, <johnbosco4ril@gmail.com>