Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
Please note that the FactCheckHub has not obtained any right from the authors or copyright owners of all third-party contents from embedded links and shall incur no liability in this regard.
AS NIGERIA prepares for its 2023 general elections, the Nigerian government has urged the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) to help in combating the menace of fake news in the country.
This call was made in Abuja by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, during the opening ceremony of the Digital Media Convention and the 76th General Assembly of Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria.
The minister tasked the media on the need to disseminate factual information to the public and provide necessary feedback from the public to the government.
He also appealed to the Nigerian media to continue providing accurate and verified information “that will promote the unity of our country and deepen our democracy.”
“Now that the politicking has started prelude to the 2023 general elections, the media as the fourth estate of the realm must adhere strictly to the rules as stipulated in the NBC code and other statutes, including the newly passed Electoral Act.”
“The broadcast media should help in combating the menace of fake news by disseminating correct information to the public and provide necessary feedback from the public to the government,” Mohammed said.
The minister, who was represented by Ayo Adewuyi, observed that the practical digitization in Nigeria which commenced with Buhari’s government in 2016 in Jos, Plateau State, has successfully been launched in 6 other states namely: Lagos, Kwara, Osun, Enugu, Kano and the FCT.
“All things being equal, Port Harcourt Digital switchover will take place before the end of April, 2022.”
He added that digital switchover is a capital intensive project, which demands a partnership between the Nigerian government and private investors to execute.
“All over the world, where Digital migration had been carried out successfully, they have employed the full participation of the private sector to drive it.”
“I am sure that this digital convention will bring to the front burner the essence of partnership by all stakeholders and industry players on achieving a collective digital migration,” the minister noted.
Earlier in his opening address, the BON Chairman, John Ugbe, said the organisation will continue to strive towards ensuring adherence to the laid down rules and ethical conduct in the broadcast sector.
Ugbe, who doubles as the Chief Executive Officer of Multichoice Nigeria Limited, unveiled the organisation’s plan to commence the training and retraining of broadcast practitioners in April 2022.
AN IMAGE of a dilapidated building is being circulated across different social media platforms as the Grade 1 Area Court in Kabusa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
The image shows a white signboard leaning against an old building with “ Grade 1 Area Court Kabusa, Federal Capital Territory,” written on it.
Some Facebook users have made posts decrying the poor state of the said court.
In a post made on March 4, 2022, a Facebook user, Izuchukwu Okoli, uploaded the image with a caption that reads: “Grade 1 Area Court Kabusa FCT.”
On the same day, another Facebook user, Paul Edoh Jnr, posted the image with a similar caption, “Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa… our judiciary system here no try o,” he wrote in pidgin English.
Taking a swipe at the Nigerian government, another user, Comr Simon Nahor, posted the same image on March 5, 2022 thus:
“Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
“Tell me, can justice be delivered in this type of environment? Because even the Magistrate or Judge is suffering from injustice already by subjecting (sic) in this type of court. APC is evil,” he said.
The image was also uploaded on Twitter by a Human Rights Activist and lawyer, Professor Chidi Odinkalu.
Though he did not directly describe the old building as the Kabusa Area Court, Odinkalu posted the image with a hashtag that read: #WhereIsJustice?
The post had gathered 20 likes, 20 retweets, 3 quoted tweets and several comments by users on the platform as of the time of filing this report.
The archived version of the posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
The FactCheckHub, however, found that the image and accompanying claims are MISLEADING and FALSE.
During a visit to the Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa, The FactCheckHub confirmed that the court was a different building from the viral image.
Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa, Abuja.
The old building in the viral post was situated a few blocks away from the court.
According to a court official who pleaded anonymity for lack of authorisation to speak to journalists, said the signboard had been placed in front of the building (in the viral image) to give directions.
The official also told The FactCheckHub that the court has existed at its present location for over five years, but the picture of the old building started circulating in March 2022.
“That building in the picture is just one of these houses close by. The signboard was placed there to help people with directions, but we have since removed it from there.
“This court has been here for quite a while. I was posted here in 2019 and this court had been built long before then,” the official said.
A visit by The FactCheckHub to the location of the old building showed that it was one of the residential houses around the area.
Old building being circulated as Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa without the court signboard. Photo Credit: The ICIR.
Other images of the Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa can be seen below:
Grade 1 Area Court, Kabusa, Abuja. Photo Credit: The ICIR.
It is clear that the dilapidated building is not the Grade 1 Area Court in Kabusa; thus, the claim that the image in circulation shows the court is FALSE.
AS a Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to China Eastern Airlines crashed into the countryside near Wuzhou city, Guangxi region of China on Monday, March 21, 2022, a viral photo has been shared on social media to portray the crash.
The post which contains some texts and an image purported to be the wreckage of the crashed plane was published by a Facebook Page named Robert Mugabe Quotes.
“Its sad to see 133 people dying like chicken. A passenger plane has crashed in China & Africa is in tears. If you have a weak heart do not watch this video,” the post read.
The image was also used in the report here by newsoperator, a South African blog to portray the plane crash in China.
THE CLAIM
An image of the plane crash in China.
THE FINDINGS
Checks by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING.
Both Google Reverse Image search and Tin Eye Image search of the image revealed that the photo has been online since August 1, 2018.
According to CBS News, the image is from a video captured by passengers of an Aeroméxico plane crash in Mexico in 2018.
“Video shot by a passenger shows the stormy weather an Aeroméxico flight encountered before crashing Tuesday. In the moments after, panicked passengers screamed and looked for the exits. CBS News national correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports,” the report read.
The news of the Mexican plane crash was also reported here by BBC.
According to the report, the plane crashed just moments after take-off.
“All 103 passengers and crew on board the Aeroméxico flight survived the crash but 97 of them are injured,” the report added.
VERDICT
The image of aircraft wreckage used to portray the plane crash in China by the Facebook page is MISLEADING; the image is that of a 2018 plane crash in Mexico.
A FORMER Nigerian Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 claimed that the gesture of the young professionals who raised money for his political party’s presidential nomination forms is “a first of its kind in the history of Nigeria.”
Following Saraki’s official declaration to contest for the position of president in Nigeria’s 2023 general election, a group of young professionals led by Abubakar Danmusa had on Monday, March 21, 2022 paid N40 million to obtain the expression of interest and nomination forms for him to contest the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential primary election.
Saraki, who reacted to the development in a social media post, published on his verified Facebook and Twitter handles, as archived here and here, described the gesture as “a first of its kind in the history of our nation.”
Recall that, on the 17th of March 2022, the PDP commenced the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms for members of the political party wishing to contest in the 2023 general election. The presidential expression of interest form was pegged at N5 million while the nomination form goes for N35 million; thus making it a total of N40 million.
Saraki receiving the form from a representative in the group | PHOTO CREDITS: Saraki’s Facebook Page
“This symbolic gesture, a first of its kind in the history of our nation, is also a challenge to me. Now, I promise to work twice as hard as I originally intended. I promise to meet the yearning and aspirations of all our young people to run a modern government that can achieve sustainable development,” Saraki said in the post.
THE CLAIM
First time in Nigeria a group of people crowd-funded to buy the expression of interest and nomination forms for a politician.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by the FactCheckHub show that before Saraki, there have been many groups who reportedly raised funds to purchase nomination and expression of interest forms for Nigerian politicians to contest elective positions.
Here are a few instances of politicians who received the same gesture to contest for a presidential seat:
(1) Atiku Abubakar: On the 18th of March, 2022 – a few days before Saraki’s announcement, a business forum named North East Business Forum purchased the 2023 Presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms for the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
The group, who later presented the forms to Atiku, a presidential hopeful at his Abuja residence, said the gesture was in fulfilment of their promise in 2021 to purchase the forms for him.
The former president reportedly received the same gesture in 2018.
(2) Muhammadu Buhari:The FactCheckHub recalled that in 2018, the incumbent Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, also received the same gesture from a group called the National Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN).
The group paid a sum of N45 million for his nomination and expression of interest forms in 2018 to contest under the aegis of All Progressives Congress (APC).
(3) Aminu Waziri Tambuwal: In 2014, some friends and political associates of the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal also bought him a nomination form to contest in the 2015 presidential election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
There are also several instances of Nigerian politicians who received free nomination forms from support groups to contest for other elective positions as can be seen here and here.
THE VERDICT
Saraki’s claim that the group’s gesture (of buying him presidential nomination forms) is the first of its kind in Nigeria is MISLEADING because it has happened multiple times before.
A VIRAL photo showing a man in uniform while holding a catapult with his two hands has surfaced on social media alongside a claim that it shows a new Ugandan police spokesman shooting a catapult at a journalist for asking an ‘irrelevant’ question.
In the photo, the man who wore a cornsilk brown-coloured uniform with a black cap sat down with microphones and other gadgets placed on his table. He was seen pulling back the elastic band of the catapult while targeting a certain direction.
A Twitter user, Fully Vaxxed G!, with the handle @_Sir_CharlesR tweeted the photo with a caption: “Newly appointed Uganda police spokesman hits News reporter with a caterpult for asking irrelevant question (sic).” The tweet was shared more than 9,000 times on Twitter as of 11PM on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
The tweet was also shared on other social media platforms, including Facebook and blogs in Nigeria, among other countries as archived here and here.
CLAIM
“Newly appointed Uganda police spokesman hits news reporter with a catapult for asking irrelevant question.”
THE FINDINGS
A Google Reverse Image Search of the photo by The FactCheckHub revealed that the image was from a press release published on the website of the Uganda Police Force on April 12, 2021.
According to the release, the catapults were confiscated during a military operation by the country’s Directorate of Crime Intelligence, noting that they were capable of firing metallic projectiles or bearings.
Video footage seen by The FactCheckHub on YouTube shows that the official spokesperson for the Uganda Police Force, Fred Enanga, was demonstrating how to use a catapult while addressing a press conference, saying it poses serious danger to the safety and security of Ugandans.
This is contrary to the viral claim on social media that he shot a journalist for asking irrelevant questions.
While demonstrating how dangerous the catapult might be, the spokesman was partly heard saying “It is very dangerous, you do like this and target somebody. So, you can see how dangerous this thing is;” he said as he fired the catapult to show how it works.
The Ugandan Police also debunked the claim under another post of the image tweeted by one Twitter user, Ahmednasir Abdullahi SC with the handle @Ahmednasirlaw on March 12, 2022. The tweet which has now been deleted was archived here.
Similarly, the claim has also been debunked by another fact-checking platform, AFP Fact Check as seen here.
THE VERDICT
The claim that the Ugandan police spokesman hits a news reporter with a catapult for asking irrelevant questions is FALSE.
THE AMERICAN multinational technology conglomerate Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook, Inc., has visited the head office of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja to pledge its support in a bid to strengthen the fight against misinformation in Nigeria.
The Head of Public Policy (West Africa) Meta, Adaora Ikenze, during the meeting led by the NITDA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Kashifu Inuwa, described the agency as its principal regulator in Nigeria.
“We recognised the importance of this Agency, and as the catalyst for the sector and economic development in Nigeria, we equally recognised the importance of the vital regulatory role you are providing in this space,” she said.
Ikenze added that Meta’s visit to the agency is the beginning of a more cooperative and collaborative relationship.
“We are fortunate enough to be one of the most supportive platforms in the country; we understand the importance and value that our platforms and products bring to the country; by that, we would like to have a more open collaborative relationship with our regulators,” she added.
Inuwa described the collaborative effort between NITDA and Meta as apt, given the continued circulation of fake news and misinformation on social media, which he said poses threat to the nation’s stability.
Inuwa applauded Facebook/Meta for being a leading partner in the fight against fake news, adding that the platform must ensure it checkmates the excesses of the perpetrators known to the public.
“How can we make it better to make sure that the menace of fake news is reduced to the barest minimum? Many people do not read their messages talk more of verifying their authenticity. Therefore, adopting a Simpler Verification Mechanism will reduce the spread of unsubstantiated news,” Inuwa said.
He also urged the platform to consider bringing its investment to Africa
“We know Metaverse is coming and is coming big, and you are investing in Europe; what are you doing for Africa?” he enquired.
“We need to look at the laws in our country, what can we do to make sure whatever you are doing is following the rules and carrying our people along in building the Metaverse in the same way you are talking to the Europeans,” he added.
On Nigeria’s journey to the realisation of Digital Literacy by 2030, the NITDA boss said the target remains sacrosanct, adding that it is critical to President Muhammadu Buhari-led’s administration.
Inuwa, however, appealed for collaborative support from Meta.
“We cannot do it alone; we have an ambitious target where we need partners like you to achieve that. It would help if you equally had people that will consume your services, and they need to be digitally literate before they can access your services,” he noted.
A WHATSAPP post in circulation says Bola Tinubu Support Organisation (BTSO) is giving out N25,000 to every Nigerian citizen.
The post, retrieved from a WhatsApp group, claimed that the newly increased fund is part of the Tinubu Support Grant, adding that it is available for all Nigerians who click the link and fill out the form.
The claim reads:
TINUBU SUPPORT ORGANIZATION 2022
Hurry Now and Check if You are Eligible to Receive N25,000( Newly Increased ) Support Fund As Part Of TINUBU Support Grant.
This Grant Is Available To All Nigerians
Apply Here
A national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, had on January 10, 2022, declared his intention to contest the presidential poll in Nigeria’s 2023 general election, Premium Times reported.
Earlier in March 2021, the Bola Tinubu Support Organisation (BTSO) was inaugurated in Abuja, The Nation newspaper had reported.
The BTSO claimed on its website that it is “a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the aim galvanizing support round the country for the actualization of 2023 Presidential Candidature of His Excellency, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, The Asiwaju of Lagos and The Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom.”
THE CLAIM
Tinubu [Bola Tinubu Support Organisation] is inviting Nigerian citizens to apply for the Bola Tinubu Support Organization Funds.
A screenshot of the phishing website.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
A click on the link, archived here, directs users to a website with an image of Bola Tinubu and some texts about BTSO alongside an instruction: “Get Your Own ₦25,000 Which Was Previously ₦19,800 By Filling The Form Below”.
It directs users to fill in their names, mobile number, home address and email address. Once those details are filled and submitted, it directs users to a totally different website archived here.
When the redirected website was subjected to verification on Whois lookup – a platform for researching domain ownership, it revealed that the website was registered by one Shadrack Ebimodeinghan Ebisco.
A look at the website the claim directs users to has similar features with the websites The FactCheckHub has verified and found to be false here, here, here, and here.
Similarly, Comrade Abubakar Kuso, the National Coordinator of BTSO had earlier in a post on its official website debunked the claim.
“This is to inform the general public that at no time did Bola Tinubu Support Organization (BTSO) gives out any N25,000 or any amount as grant to Nigerians. The link circulating on social media is FAKE and NOT TRUE.
Please kindly disregard the link and don’t provide your details by applying for any grant,” he wrote.
When The FactCheckHub reached out to Ebisco via his mobile number retrieved from the database of Whois, he denied creating the phishing website.
“I’m not the person that created it. Someone just used my name to create it. I don’t know anything about it. I registered my website on namecheap and not whogohost,” he told The FactCheckHub via phone.
Avoid falling victim to phishing scams
Over time, The FactCheckHub has debunked several of such claims hiding under the guise of recruitment, support fund, empowerment programme, a government activity or free internet data.
These claims usually follow a similar modus operandi by targeting areas that would be of interest to a lot of persons.
They are often shared via the WhatsApp platform. Oftentimes, they impersonate a group, person or organisation and they all have a link they ask people to click.
The claim that Tinubu [Bola Tinubu Support Organisation] is inviting Nigerian citizens to apply for the Bola Tinubu Support Organization Funds is FALSE.
ON September 7, 2021, the PODE published what it called ‘a compendium of President Buhari’s ongoing and completed infrastructure projects in South-East Nigeria.’
The list was released two days before Buhari’s visit to Imo State, one of the five states of South-East Nigeria.
You can read the first part of this fact-check here.
The PODE claimed that the Buhari administration was rehabilitating sections 1 and 2 of Abakiliki-Afikpo Road. The FactCheckHub reporter travelled through this road and confirmed that the work was ongoing.
Onueke, along Abakiliki-Afikpo Road, Ebonyi State.
According to information obtained from the website of the Ministry of Works and from online sources, the work is handled by several contractors, including Uniglobe, Builettine, CCEC, and Kemmasphere Realty Company.
Findings showed that work was going on at Abomegga, Abakiliki, Amuzu and Igboruma axes when The FactCheckHub visited the site, but it was found that Afikpo and Amasiobi areas were wearing off.
However, the Ebonyi State government lays claim on the project. In 2017, President Buhari flew into Ebonyi State and commissioned a 14.5 Kilometer Abakaliki-Afikpo Road, which is exactly the project the Federal Government claims to be rehabilitating. In Nigeria, federal roads are handled by the Federal Government while state roads are repaired or built by the state or subnational governments.
It, therefore, means that neither can claim projects done by the other.
The FactCheckHub sent the Freedom of Information (FOI) letter to the Federal Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola on January 25, 2022, regarding the status of this project and why it was so. Still, he did not reply to questions posed by this organisation more than one month after.
One of the workers on-site, nevertheless, told The FactCheckHub that the project embarked upon by the state government was a smaller part of the contract being executed by the Federal Government.
Mbaise axis of Owerri-Umuahia Road.
The PODE also named the rehabilitation of sections 1, 2 and 3 of Owerri-Umuahia Road among the projects executed by the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the South-East region. This road connects Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, to Owerri, the Imo State capital, through Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area.
According to information on the Federal Ministry of Works’ website, the project is handled by Zerock Construction Nigeria Limited.
The reporter did not see any contractor on-site when he travelled through this road in December 2021. The Umuahia section of the road was tarred, but Ubowo to Ahiara in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government did not look rehabilitated.
Residents said they saw contractors in 2019 working at Nguru, Aboh Mbaize Local Government Area, but one of them concluded that the company did a shoddy job. The reporter saw several potholes along the Mbaise axis.
“Well, you can see the state of the road now. We need to start taking infrastructure projects seriously in Nigeria if we want to change the poor state of our nation,” Ugo Amanze, a secondary school teacher from Mbaise, said.
The PODE also listed the rehabilitation of Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Road as one of the activities of the Buhari administration in the region. The road links Okigwe in Imo State from Traffic Light in Nnewi, Anambra State.
The reporter travelled through this road but did not see any contractor or road rehabilitation equipment. Residents, however, testified that a contractor rehabilitated the Nnewi part of the road in 2020.
The rehabilitated part of Nnewi-Okigwe Road.
But there was no evidence that the road was rehabilitated in any way, as potholes dotted the Nnewi North Local Government axis and several other parts of the road.
“It was a poorly executed project,” a resident of Nnewi, Daniel, said.
The Ozubulu portion of this road wore a bad look, and two residents dismissed the question when the reporter asked them whether work was done on that axis by a Federal Government contractor or not.
“You journalists are the problems of this country,” retorted one of them, Anyanwu Josephine, a native of Ozubulu.
“Does it look like a project was done on this road?” she asked, scurrying away.
The PODE cited ‘more than 60 federal road and bridge projects’ being executed in South-East by the Buhari administration. Simple checks showed that the presidential office repeated exactly the claims made by Lai Mohammed in 2018, which were fact-checked here.All the roads listed by PODE in the new claims had earlier been named in Mohammed’s claims.
The FactCheckHub travelled through all of those roads again to ascertain whether they had been rehabilitated. One of such roads was Olokoro-Alaukwu-Itaja-Okwu-Obuohia-Ikwuano Road, contracted to Abia Rhas in 2010. The contract was awarded at N990.673 million, according to information on the Federal Ministry of Works website.
Umuahia-Ahiakwu Road.
Findings showed that this project was started and completed by the immediate past government of Goodluck Jonathan. It was not ongoing and was not done by the Buhari government, which makes the claim MISLEADING.
Next was the Olokoro-Isiala-Oboro-Nnono Road Junction Road. This road was awarded to Abia Bok Company at N515.315 million by the immediate past government of Goodluck Jonathan. Residents said it was completed in 2013, meaning that the Buhari administration neither awarded it nor was it ongoing when the reporter visited it. Also, Umuahia-Ahiakwu-Amangwo Road was started and completed by Jonathan, and not Buhari.
“This road was done by the last administration. It was completed around 2014. It has nothing to do with Buhari,” 71-year-old Thadeaus Ohima, who is a native of Umuahia, told The FactCheckHub.
Next is the Umuna-Ndiagu-Agba Umuna-Ebenebe-Amasi Awka Express Road with Spur from Umuna – Ndiagu. The Amansea section of this road was supposed to be constructed by Conduc Nigeria Limited, the contractor listed by the Federal Ministry of Works, but this was not the case.
Part of the Ebenebe town was rehabilitated, but work stopped mid-way. The road from Ebenebe to Umuna was abandoned, so it was not ongoing as claimed by PODE.
“We have suffered on this road, but it gets worse during the rainy season. People can tell you anything they want, but the truth is that this road has been abandoned for many years – even before 2015 when Buhari came to power,” Sunday Ede, who hails from Amansea, told The FactCheckHub.
Ebenebe axis of Umuna-Ndiagu-Agba Umuna-Ebenebe-Amasi Awka Expressway.
The PODE also referred to Mbaise-Ngwa Road, which connects the Imo River. The reporter saw no contractor when he visited, though the project was listed on the website of the Federal Ministry of Works as being executed by Mangrovetech Nigeria Limited. The FactCheckHub was told by residents that it was completed by the immediate past government of Jonathan.
“It was completed before 2015. Anybody who tells you otherwise is deceiving you,” a passer-by, Okechukwu, who hails from Ngwa, said.
Ngwa-Imo River.
The PODE equally claimed that the Buhari government was rehabilitating the Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia Road. The FactCheckHub reporter found that work was going on at the site from Ohafia. However, this road is divided into various sections. Contrary to PODE claims that all were being rehabilitated, the Nkporo-Abiriba-Ohafia Road was found to have been executed by Abia State government with evidence hyperlinked here.
Ohafia axis of the Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia Road being constructed.
The Umuahia-Bende axis, as claimed in PODE’s list, was not ongoing.
In line with PODE’s claim, the Ibinta-Okigwe axis was being constructed when the reporter visited. The only challenge was the quality of the road, residents said. Of equal importance is the Nenwe-Mburumbu-Nara Road, which Arab contractors handle. The reporter found that work was going on as claimed by PODE. However, residents said it had been a ‘start-stop project,’ meaning that construction has been irregular.
“They stopped for two years and started again two weeks ago,” a commercial motorcyclist, Chima Anozie, who is from Nara, told The FactCheckHub.
Another resident, Adaku Nnaji, said she was happy that work had re-started on the site.
She urged the contractor to complete the project before the rainy season of 2022.
The Onitsha-Awka Expressway is also one of the projects claimed to be executed by the Buhari administration. The FactCheckHub found that work was ongoing in December 2021. However, this work had been on for close to 15 years now, meaning that two or three previous governments had been involved in its rehabilitation yet could not complete it.
“I remember it was President Musa Yar’Aadua that awarded it in 2008/2009, but it was not completed until he died,” a resident of Awka, who uses the road, Chinwe, said. She regretted that the road had been used to woo voters from the South-East region during general elections.
Ongoing construction of Nenwe-Nara-Nome Road.
“Once election comes, they (politicians) will promise to complete it, but they forget their promise after the votes are cast,” she further said.
The reporter found that only one part of the road was done. Work stopped in 2019 after Arroma Junction in Awka, Anambra State capital. No work was done after the Government House in Awka, resulting in a series of accidents, residents said. The reporter found that the Amansea section of the road had been abandoned, eliciting angry reactions from residents.
“This place has been like this for over 10 years now, no work, nothing,” said Adanna Ihuoma, a native of Amansea, who used a stream of expletives on the Federal Government for ‘abandoning the road.’
She berated the reporter for “not telling the government the truth” even though she was told that the journalist was on a fact-finding mission.
Similarly, PODE claimed that the Second Niger Bridge was ongoing. The claim was found to be TRUE.
More so, Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road claimed to be rehabilitated by Buhari has the signature of the Abia State government. Due to its deplorable state, the Abia State government, in October 2021, “directed the immediate fixing of the deplorable state of the Umuahia- Ikot Ekpene federal road, which has become a death trap.” This was one month after PODE’s claims.
Completed projects
Some of the projects listed by PODE were discovered to have been initiated and completed by Buhari’s government.
Completed Umuahia Tower-Port Harcourt Road.
One is the Umuahia Tower-Port Harcourt Road. This project, handled by Setraco Nigeria Limited, had been completed when the reporter visited. The same result was also found at the Old Enugu-Port Harcourt Road. The PODE claimed it was ongoing, but it was discovered to have been completed.
Similarly, Onitsha-Owerri Road has been rehabilitated as claimed by PODE, including the Okija-Oguta section. This is also the same for Ekwulobia-Oko Road in Anambra State and Uburu Nenwe Road in Ebonyi State.
Also, Enugu-Port Harcourt Road has been rehabilitated.
Conclusion
The PODE claimed that the projects were either ongoing or completed. But out of the 27 projects investigated, only five were completed by President Buhari. Six were ongoing, while two were done by the Abia State government. Three were partially done. No work was recorded on six projects. However, four projects were completed by Goodluck Jonathan, and one was suspended. This means that only 15 out of the 27 projects recorded some form of execution by the Federal Government.
A TWITTER user, #LagosTrafficReports with the user ID @TrafficChiefNG, on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 claimed that an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) was caught with a Point of Sale (PoS) machine.
The user, in a now-deleted tweet, questioned if PoS machine is now a gadget used for traffic control.
Alongside the tweet was a picture of the said LASTMA official with a gadget in his hand.
“[4:16PM] @LAtunwa: @followlastma Today 9th March, 2022 this LASTMA official was captured right at Falomo roundabout with POS in his hand. When has POS machine added to the gadgets to control traffic? #TrafficChief,” the tweet read.
Another Twitter user, Traffic Updates + Useful Info with the user ID @trafficbutter, also repost the same tweet now archived here. However, this user, who is yet to delete the tweet, has over 356,000 followers on Twitter.
CLAIM
LASTMA official caught with PoS machine in Lagos.
FINDINGS
Checks by the FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE.
Findings revealed that the LASTMA officer was holding a Traffic Management Solution (TMS) device and not a PoS machine.
The Lagos State Government had in June 2021 launched the TMS device, which looks like a PoS machine.
TMS, a handheld device, would allow for real-time capture of picture and video evidence of road traffic and vehicle compliance violations as they occur, Premium Times reported.
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor of Lagos State on New Media Jubril Gawat clarified that it was a TMS device and not a PoS.
“That’s NOT a PoS Machine; it’s a Traffic Management Device that captures traffic offender information instead of chasing them around. It captures your plate number, you get an SMS sent to you at home with evidence of your offence, This device is for LASTMA for now,” he said in a tweet via his Twitter handle @Mr_JAGs.
VERDICT
The claim that a LASTMA official was caught with a PoS machine in Lagos is FALSE; findings show he was holding a TMS device.
EMPHASIS has again been placed on the need to empower the citizens with basic verification skills in order to fight against political misinformation and disinformation that could mar Nigeria’s 2023 general elections.
This call was made by experts on Friday during an interactive Twitter Spaces hosted by The FactCheckHub.
In her words, Bamas Victoria, the Editor of The ICIR stated that one of the ways to fight misinformation is to teach the citizens how to interact with any information they come across, particular by indulging in the basic verification process.
“One way we can help as fact-checkers and journalists is to engage the public and teach them media literacy and critical thinking,” she said.
Also speaking, Kemi Busari, the Editor of Dubawa decried how political parties and actors usually contribute to the spread of misinformation during the electioneering period. He said it is important to put some sanctions in place to curb such attitudes from undermining the country’s electoral process.
“There needs to be a sort of deterrence, particularly from the in-house workings of the political parties. A sort of self-regulation has to be in place by these parties to curb misinformation,” he noted.
He also reiterated the need for journalists to go beyond collecting press releases from politicians without subjecting them to proper scrutiny.
“The general public should also be armed to differentiate between genuine information and misinformation,” Busari added.
Speaking on the need to stop disinformation from posing threat to national security, especially in an election year, Dr Akintunde Akanni, the acting Head of Journalism Department, Lagos State University, said that it is important for journalists to always ethically report only what is true to avoid throwing the country into chaos.
“An average journalist who has undergone training must have been told early in the course of his training that ethically, you must learn to report only what it is true because of the impact it might have on national security,” he opined.
Similarly, Hannah Ajakaiye, the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) Knight Fellow (Nigeria) said there is a need to acknowledge the fact that a whole lot of Nigerians rely on social media to get their news due to the fact that the trust they have in the traditional media has diminished.
“This is why it is important to invest in media literacy. We need to sensitize social media users to be able to distinguish what is real and what is fake and the need for them to trust credible media platforms, rather than blogs or social media influencers,” she explained.
Speaking on the need for fact-checkers to be non-partisan, David Ajikobi, the Nigeria Editor of the Africa Check stated that fact-checkers need to realise that their job is to make sure that the quality of the information in the media space is accurate to enable people to make an informed decision at the poll.
He also reiterated the need for people to always check the news they are consuming to ensure they are not falling for parody accounts.
“If people can do a simple verification process on their own, it will save them from falling for all forms of misinformation,” he reiterated.
In his submission, Ajibola Amzat, the Managing Editor of The ICIR said it is almost impossible to stop people from sharing misinformation, adding that “misinformation is, in fact, getting its way into the mainstream media.”
“Journalists, perhaps out of ignorance or poor fact-checking process also share misinformation,” he said.
Amzat added that since it is not possible to stop misinformation, which he said has been in existence from time immemorial, there is a need to improve the quality of information that is being churned out.
“Our goal should be to always counter misinformation with quality and adequate information as fast as possible,” he noted.
