December2020 Nigeria Office Nigeria Press Review 4.12. – 11.12.2020 Welcome to Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Nigeria Weekly Press Review The weekly press review seeks to explore and keep you informed on selected issues relating to politics, business and economy, insecurity, infrastructure and development, health related issues, new trends and matters bothering on COVID-19 and the situation in Nigeria. Content PTF Raises Alarm as Covid-19 Cases are on the Surge Senate Passes FCT Revised Bill, Seeks Probe of Revenue Loss to Illegal Mining and to Consider Bill for Loan Repayment, NCC Orders a Halt in New SIM Sale NCC Orders a Halt in New SIM Sale, NPC Estimates Population at 206 Million Nigeria Gains a Spot in US Religious Freedom Blacklist, FG Reacts, Report Reveals DIA bought Equipment to Spy on Citizens #EndSARS: Tension Mounts as Protest Resumes Slowly PDP and APC Bicker over APC’s Recent Internal Party Moves for Restructuring, Oshiomhole Disclose Zero Ambition to Return as the National Chairman of the APC Insecurity: Stakeholders Raise Alarm over the Growing Insecurity in the Country, President Buhari Calls for Improved Regional Collaboration, Amnesty International Reports About Army Abuses of Elderly in Borno State Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V. N igeria Office December 2020 2 PTF Raises Alarm as Covid-19 Cases are on the 2018. The Senate also quizzed the Permanent Surge Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Cul- ture, Nebolisa Anako, over uncompleted project The Presidential Task Force (PTF) has raised already paid for. Chuks Okocha, This Day News alarm over the hike in the number of infected (10th December) explains. persons with the Coronavirus. The Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Also, the Senate is considering a bill to improve Federation, Boss Mustapha who stated this dur- the method of bank loan repayment in the coun- ing a media briefing expressed concerns on the try. The bill which has scaled the second reading impact of the virus on the economy, families, was sponsored by Senator Mohammed Sani among others. He mentioned that there is a sig- Musa and referred by the Deputy Senate Presi- nificant increase in the Covid-19 infections last dent, Ovie Omo-Agege to the Committee on week and stressed on the low testing rate in the Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institu- country. He called for caution and awareness of tions for further legislative work. Musa noted the the virus. Leo Usigbe, Nigerian Tribune (10th De- importance of commercial banks (credit facilities) cember) explains. to the development of the country. He called for an “injection of a healthy bank credit and recov- On the same note, the Minister of Health, Osagie ery system that will effectively fasten the pace of Enahire has ordered the reopening of all treat- growth". He added that the bill will protect com- ment and isolation centres following projections mercial banks from loan defaulters. Chuks Oko- of a second wave hit of the Coronavirus pan- cha, All Africa News (9th December) details. demic. He made this known during the PTF brief- ing. Enahire advised citizens to continue to ad- here to the Covid-19 safety precautions. Nike NCC Orders a Halt in New SIM Sale, NPC Esti- Adebowale, Premium Times (10th December) de- mates Population at 206 Million tails. Enahire has also revealed that Nigeria will receive Covid-19 vaccines, and plans to vaccinate Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Com- 20 million citizens against the Coronavirus. Adam mission (NCC), has issued an order to Mobile Net- Abu-bashal, AA News (11th December) writes. work Operators suspending the sale and activa- tion of new SIM cards to allow an audit of sub- scribe registration data base. Disclosing this, the Senate Passes FCT Revised Bill, Seeks Probe of Director Public Affairs of the NCC, Ikechukwu Revenue Loss to Illegal Mining and to Consider Adinde said the directive came from the Minister Bill for Loan Repayment, NCC Orders a Halt in of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pan- New SIM Sale tami. He added that non-compliance will attract consequences. Ife Ogunwa, Punch News (9th De- The Senate has approved N199.2bn as the Fed- cember) reports. eral Capital Territory (FCT) budget for 2020 fiscal year. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on On another note, the NCC has assured citizens of FCT, Abubakar Kyari, made a presentation titled: its commitment towards data reduction. This was "Harmonized report of the 2020 Federal Capital revealed in an interview by the Vice Chairman of Territory (FCT) Appropriation Act (Repeal and Re- the NCC, Umar Garba Danbatta. Danbatta added enactment) Bill, 2020”. The revised budget is that measures were already put in place to meet about N79bn lower than the 2020 statutory Ap- the needs of telecom subscribers. He expressed propriation Act figure of N278.4bn. Queen Esther commitment towards achieving “the target of Iroanusi, All Africa News (9th December). N390/Gigabyte cost of data by the year 2025, as enshrined in the National Broadband Plan (2020- On another note, the Senate has called for the 205)”. Emma Okonji, This Day News (10th Decem- probe of an alleged annual revenue loss of $9bn ber) explains. to illegal mining and smuggling of gold. The Sen- ate charged the executive arm of government In new development, the National Population and its Committee on Solid Minerals, Mines, Steel Commission (NPC), has said that Nigeria has an Development and Metallurgy to investigate the il- estimated population of 206 million people. This legal activities and revenue leakage. The motion was disclosed by the Chairman of the NPC, Nasir which was sponsored by the Senate Chief Whip, Kwarra, at a press briefing on the commence- Orji Uzor Kalu, cited a loss of $54bn from 2012 to Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V. N igeria Office December 2020 3 ment of the 11th phase of Enumeration Area De- titled “Running in Circles: Uncovering the Clients marcation, (EAD). Kwarra stated that the figure of Cyber-Espionage” Israeli firm Circles has been was based on projections as Nigeria has not con- supporting security apparatuses across countries ducted a population count since 2014. He added and Nigeria inclusive to spy on the communica- that the next population and housing count will tions of opposition figures, press men and pro- be conducted mid-2022. Chris Ochayi, Vanguard testers. The report also cited an investigation by News (8th December) details. Premium Times where two Nigerian governors bought systems from Circles without following due process and authorization from the Office of Nigeria Gains a Spot in US Religious Freedom the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to spy on Blacklist, FG Reacts, Report Reveals DIA their opponent. bought Equipment to Spy on Citizens The United States of America (USA) has placed Ni- #EndSARS: Tension Mounts as Protest Re- geria on its religious freedom blacklist among sumes Slowly others. The Secretary of State Mike Pompeo des- ignated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Con- Following last week report that the Special Anti- cern" for religious freedom, the rare inclusion of Robbery Squad (SARS), nationwide protest will re- a fellow democracy in the US effort to shame na- sume this week, protesters have renewed the call tions into action”. This is coming following the for an end to police brutality and the excesses of growing concerns by church groups over the the security officers in the country. The October Muslims-Christian balance. The US law provides protest came to a halt due to the killings at the sanctions for nations on the blacklist who would Lekki Toll Gate that led to the violent outbreak in not make improvements. The Conference of the country with miscreants causing mayhem Catholic Bishops wrote to Pompeo stating that across the nation. Tope Templer Olaiya et al, “far more Nigerians were being killed in herder- Guardian News (8th December) detail. farmer conflicts, in which Christians have borne the brunt as climate change worsens desertifica- Wary of another protest, the federal government tion”. AFP, Guardian News (8th December) writes. deployed security forces at strategic points of the country including the Lekki Toll Gate to control Responding, the federal government has de- any fresh protest. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) bunked the allegation of religious freedom viola- had warned that “they would clamp down on tion. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai #EndSARS protesters if anyone hit the streets for Mohammed stated that Nigeria does not have another round of protests”. However, promoters any policy of religious persecution. Mohammed of the #EndSARS movement took to social media added that the allegation is an honest disagree- and embarked on the streets of Abuja, Lagos, ment between the US and Nigeria on the root Osun, Ogun, and Ondo States, sustaining the call causes of violence in the country. Leadership for an end to human right abuse by officers, a News (9th December) details. new call for the disbandment of the judicial pan- els, the release of detained protesters and un- On another note, the Governor of Kano State, Ab- freezing of bank accounts frozen by the Central dullahi Ganduje, has revealed that Quranic edu- Bank of Nigeria (CBN), belonging to promoters of cation students also known as “Almajiri” roaming the #EndSARS protest. Taiwo Adebulu, the Cable the street in the North are not from Nigeria. News (7th December), Johnbosco Agbakwuru et al, Ganduje stated that a survey conducted revealed Vanguard News (8th December), and Shina Abu- these students are mostly from Chad, Niger Re- bakar, Vanguard News (7th December) explain. public, Cameroon and others. He stated this while declaring open a 3 day retreat organized by President Buhari reiterated the rights of citizens the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Kano to protest and warned that attempts by “hooli- State.