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Friday, November 12, 2021

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” -  Martin Luther King Jr (1929- 1968)(American Civil Rights Activist)

Twitter Ban and Sacred Cows

Dear Active Citizen!It has been 162 days since the Nigerian government officially placed an indefinite ban on Twitter operations in Nigeria.Recall that on June 6th, two days after the ban, the Attorney-General & Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, directed that citizens who are caught still tweeting will be prosecuted; an order that had no constitutional grounds.The rather laughable irony is that despite the indefinite ban, elected officials are still tweeting!

Are there now sacred cows, who are above the directive given by the Attorney-General or do these officials see the inevitable necessity to tweet?EiE, PIN, MRA and SERAP, filed a lawsuit on August 3, 2021, at the Federal High Court, Abuja against telcos for their roles in working with the federal government to deny citizens (their customers) access to Twitter. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.We must keep demanding that the President directs the Twitter ban to be lifted. #KeepItOn

Keep on Keeping Safe

COVID-19 is still out there. Hope you are staying safe and observing all precautionary guidelines? According to the NCDC update of November 11th, Nigeria has recorded 212,947 cases and 2,933 fatalities till date, across 36 states and the FCT.Help save lives by wearing your mask, washing your hands regularly under running water, and sanitising your hands where water is not readily available. 

One of the fundamentals of democracy is respect for the rule of law. Sadly, the reverse seems to be the case in the Plateau State House of Assembly.On October 28th, Nuhu Abok, the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly was illegally impeached by 8 of the 24 members of the House. This figure does not constitute the ⅔ majority stated by the Constitution.We call upon the Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, and Attorney General/Commissioner of Justice, Barr. Chrysanthus Ahmadu to ensure the Constitution is lawfully upheld in the state!Shine your eye here to know who represents you.

Secure Nigeria Now!

In recent times, Nigeria has been marred with numerous security challenges that have claimed the lives of citizens in their prime. After false promises to investigate, everything goes quiet till the next series of attacks.

This trajectory is one that calls for critical attention because it is beginning to seem as though we do not have functioning security apparatuses in the nation.Dear compatriot, let’s speak with one voice and call on the government to take responsibility to secure lives. Enough is enough! 

Upskilling for Youths

Are you looking to build your leadership skills? LEAP Africa in collaboration with BudgIT & MacArthur Foundation has announced a call for applications for the 2021 Youth Leadership Programme.Click to apply.

The Sahel Innovate Challenge

YouthConnekt Sahel Forum, a flagship initiative designed to promote and showcase the dexterity and resilience of young innovators in Sahel countries is granting 20 exceptional youths an opportunity to pitch their innovative solutions.Find out more.

Have a great weekend!The EiE Nigeria Team