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Claim that warm water is effective in curing epilepsy, others is FALSE

FactCheckHub
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Claim that warm water is effective in curing epilepsy, others is FALSE

By Olayinka SHEHU.

A VIRAL post on WhatsApp retrieved on August 16 claims that drinking warm water ‘will resolve’ many health conditions, including epilepsy and high blood pressure.

The claim read thus: “a group of Japanese doctors confirmed that warm water is 100 percent effective in resolving some health problems such as epilepsy, high blood pressure, migraine, pains of joint, asthma and others.”

According to the claim, epilepsy and paralysis could be resolved in nine months, while diabetes and high blood pressure could be resolved in 30 days with two glasses of warm water daily.

“Get up early in the morning and drink approximately 2 glasses of warm water when the stomach is empty. You may not be able to make 2 glasses at the beginning, but slowly you will. Do not eat anything for 45mins after taking the water,”  the message on the pamphlet shared on WhatsApp reads.

The pamphlet also claimed that drinking cold water is “bad for you”. ‘If cold water does not affect you at a young age. It will harm you at old age.

It further claims that cold water closes four veins of the heart and causes the attack.

Cold drinks are the main cause of heart attack. It also creates problems in the liver. It makes fat stuck with the liver. Most people waiting for liver transplant are victims of cold water drinking.

Cold water affects the internal walls of the stomach. It affects the large intestine and results in cancer.

The claim on the pamphlet was said to be from Dr. D. Mensah-Asare.

FINDINGS

The ICIR found that the claim about warm water as a cure for several diseases has been available since 2017 and has been shared widely on social media and blogs.

Dr. Richard FRU, a Cameroon-based naturopathic doctor and researcher also posted the claim on Facebook on the 9th of July, 2017.

Yuppy’s Inspector Facebook Post

Also, a Facebook user Yuppy’s Inspector shared it on the 25th of January 2017 generating 85 comments and 110 shares.

The ICIR also found that the message attributed to a group of Japanese Doctors’ or ‘Dr. D. Mensah Asare is shared on Pinterest, Twitter, Nairaland and Reddit.

Daily Times, a Nigerian based Newspaper was also discovered to have run a report with the title “Cold Water and Your Health: Doctors reveal health benefits of warm or cold water”, that included Dr. D. Mensah-Asare claim about the benefit of warm water.

They attributed the source of the report to “message trending on Whatsapp”.

A message to the Editor of Daily Times, Omokioja Julius Eto about the report was not responded to after nine days.

Multiple searches by The ICIR to discover the identity of Dr. D. Mensah-Asare, the doctor to whom the claim was attributed to or any hospital with the name through a google search proved abortive.

A blog post by scurrimania.blogspot.com used an image that The ICIR through a google search discovered to be of a Ghanian Businessman, Asare Akuffo, the former Managing Director of HFC Bank.

Scurrimania 2017 Post

Dr. Opeyemi Adeyemi, a medical practitioner at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu, Ogun State in an interview with The ICIR said warm water has benefits but doesn’t cure any ailment.

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She said though warm water has health benefits, but saying that it cures an ailment, like a disease that is where it is wrong.

“Warm water has benefits but doesn’t cure an ailment. Once somebody has been diagnosed with an ailment, warm water is not going to have any effect or say curing the disease”, she said.

Also, Dr. Femi Ajose of the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching University Hospital, Shagamu (OOUTH) in an interview with The ICIR said the claim in the pamphlet is a palpable display of folly.

He said, “this is a palpable display of folly! How will just one remedy be a panacea to various ailments? This is highly non-scientific and hence doesn’t hold water, at all. These are just some Myths they sell to people to collect their hard-earned money.”

“This is not to rule out what warm water does, but it hasn’t been proven to be a treatment alternative for any of the above listed.”

“There’s another one they call cellegivity. It’s an antioxidant. Which of course is a good one. But people marketing it went as far as saying it cures Diabetes and Hypertension. They convinced people to stop their routine medications for cellegivity and that caused more harm than good.”

“Anything NOT scientifically proven is HERBAL (alternative) Medicine.”

VERDICT: Based on the above findings, the claim that warm water is 100 percent effective in resolving some health problems is FALSE as The ICIR couldn’t find any medical records to support the claim.

Can walking barefoot increase the size of a man’s genital?

Opeyemi Kehinde
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Can walking barefoot increase the size of a man’s genital?

A viral blog post claims that walking barefoot may increase the size of a man’s genital.

The report, published on June 3, 2020 on Globalnea.com, has been shared severally on social media including Facebook, Twitter and many WhatsApp groups.

It has also been reposted by a number of other blogs from Ghana, Uganda, and Nigeria etc, including ihlayanews.com, GbetuTV.com, Gistvic.com, Naijapledge.com, Spyuganda.com, naijanewspapers.com.ng and Hypercitigh.com, among others.

THE CLAIM:

That walking barefoot can increase the size of a man’s genital.

THE FINDINGS:

The report which started with a question “Did you know that simply taking your time to walk barefooted can significantly increase the size of your p***s (man’s genital)?” did not provide any verifiable medical and scientific sources for the information it presented.

It, however, made vague attributions to “Canadian researchers who spent two years in the Democratic Republic of Congo trying to bust the myth of natural p***s (man’s genital) enlargement went back home with newfound length and girth”.

The report went on to categorically state that  “Yes, walking on the natural ground with your bare feet for thirty minutes a day would give you one inch per year ballpark.”

Findings by the FactCheckHub revealed that the claim is not supported by any medical or well-studied scientific research.

Contrary to the blog’s claim, the parents’ genes play significant roles in the formation of a person’s male member since it is genetic, Adrienne Santos-Longhurst wrote in an article published by healthline.com.

 

“People assigned male at birth (AMAB) inherit the Y chromosome from a parent who was born with a p***s (man’s genital), just like people assigned female at birth (AFAB) inherit the X chromosome from a parent who was born with a vulva,” she said.

She added that “Hormones play a role in your p***s (man’s genital) size from the start. Androgens determine p***s (man’s genital) size during early foetal development. Throughout puberty, testosterone and growth hormone regulate p***s (man’s genital) growth, including length and girth.”

A study also finds the average growth rate of the male genitalia to be less than half an inch per year from ages 11 to 15, adding that they do the most growing during puberty, but puberty and p***s (man’s genital) growth happen at different times and speeds for everyone.

“Typically, your dong’s as long as it’s going to get by the age of 18 or 19, and it reaches maximum girthy-ness shortly thereafter.

“For some, the p***s (man’s genital) can stop growing a year or two later than that, depending on when puberty starts. For reference, puberty usually begins between the ages of 9 and 14 and lasts up to 5 years or so,” Santos-Longhurst said, adding that there’s nothing a man can do to make his genital grow bigger or smaller, aside from surgery.

Similarly, Jerry Kennard, PhD, a psychologist and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, in an article warned that men should be wary of exercises claiming to increase penis size.

“Because there are no muscles involved, there are no exercises able to build either the p***s’ (man’s genital) girth or length,” Dr. Kennard wrote on a medical blog.

He also corroborated Santos-Longhurst’s view, noting that: “P***s (man’s genital) growth is influenced by the hormones of puberty. As such, the p***s (man’s genital) begins to grow more rapidly than usual between ages 10 and 14 and can continue to grow until ages 16 to 21.”

“Many young men become concerned or self-conscious about p***s (man’s genital) size during adolescence, but the vast majority reach a completely normal p***s (man’s genital) size by the late teen years,” Dr, Kennard noted.

In a telephone chat with the FactCheckHub, Dr. Obi Okechukwu (MBBS ABUAD), a Medical Officer at the Chiver Specialist Hospital & Urology Centre, Abuja in Nigeria said the claim should be disregarded.

“I think that’s built on ignorance and it should be disregarded. I’ve never seen that in any textbook or any journal. The size of p***s (man’s genital) is determined by several things but definitely not walking barefooted. One of them is race and genetics; and the size of a father’s p***s (man’s genital) will affect the size of the child’s own.

“Then, there are some other things like the maternal estrogen level; for instance, if the child is exposed to excessive estrogene level, it may shrink the size of his p***s (man’s genital) and caused reduced differentiation. So, if a male child is exposed to excessive estrogene level, the p***s (man’s genital) might not develop as it should,” Dr. Okechukwu said.

Also speaking with the FactCheckHub, Dr. Bolaji Ahmed, a Medical Advisor with the Damien Foundation, Nigeria, opined that the claim is untrue.

“Not true. There is no correlation between walking on bare feet and the size of the p***s (man’s genital). There is no known study at the moment that states that walking on bare feet will increase the size of the p***s (man’s genital),” he said.

THE VERDICT:

From all information available, the claim that walking barefoot can increase the size of a man’s genital is FALSE.

 

EDITOR’S NOTE:

The word p***s has been replaced with man’s genital all through the report; whereas, wherever it appeared in a quote, its three middle letters have been replaced with *asterisks to comply with Google’s standard.

Claim that Nigeria ranked 3rd on Global Terrorism Index 2020 is MISLEADING

Niyi Oyedeji
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Claim that Nigeria ranked 3rd on Global Terrorism Index 2020 is MISLEADING

ON September 10,2020, a report by a television news station – Television Continental Nigeria (TVC News Nigeria) –  claimed that Nigeria has emerged the third most terrorised country in the world.

This claim which has been republished by several blogs including hallmarknews and Salonedaily  has also  gone viral on social media.

A screenshot of the infograph used by the TVC to present the report has been tweeted by several Twitter influencers  including PDPVanguard, Charles the 1st,  Chidi Odinkalu. and  Ayemojubar – these Twitter handles have large followings on the social media platform.

For instance, the tweet by Ayemojubar has garnered over 6,600 likes, 3,900 retweets and 648 comments as at 2:30PM on September 15, 2020.

 

THE CLAIM

That Nigeria ranked third as the most terrorised country in the world in the 2020 Global Terrorism Index.

 

 

THE FINDINGS:

The FactCheckHub verified that the claim emanated  from a  TVC programme tagged Journalists Hangout which is anchored by Ayodele Ozugbakun.  The episode where the claim was made was published on the TVC’s YouTube channel on September 10, 2020 with the headline “Nigeria emerges most terrorised country in Africa, ranks worse than Syria, Yemen, Somalia”.

The episode focused on discussing the index as a 2020 ranking.

The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) is a ranking report published annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). It was developed by IT entrepreneur and IEP’s founder, Steve Killelea. The index is often used to systematically rank the nations of the world, according to terrorist activities.  It has been in existence since the year 2000.

The GTI ranks based on data gotten from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).

Checks by The FactCheckHub shows that the GTI is released in November annually, and the most recent index is still the one released  in November, 2019, while no data has been released for the year 2020.

A screenshot of the 2019 Global Terrorism Index

Similarly, The FactCheckHub reached out to the Institute – IEP-  to confirm if the 2020 Global Terrorism Index has been released. The insititute, on September 15, 2020,  in response to the enquiry stated that the 2020 global terrorism index is yet to be released.

“The Global Terrorism Index 2020 will be released in November 2020 on a date still to be confirmed,” the mail reads.

A screenshot of the 2018 Global Terrorism Index.

A look at the previous records shows that Nigeria ranked 3rd in the 2018 and 2019  but the data for the 2020 as put forward by TVC has not been released, thereby making the claim MISLEADING.

 

THE VERDICT:

Based on information presented above, the claim that Nigeria ranked third as the most terrorised country in the world in the 2020 Global Terrorism Index is MISLEADING.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is the number of worldwide coronavirus deaths over 900,000?

Niyi Oyedeji
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Is the number of worldwide coronavirus deaths over 900,000?

Aith the name War Desk . The page has over nine thousand  (9,740)  likes as at September 9, 2020 when the claim was made. social media post claims that the number of worldwide coronavirus deaths has surpassed 900,000.

The post was retrieved from a Facebook page w

The post reads: “BREAKING: Number of worldwide coronavirus deaths pass 900,000”.

 

THE CLAIM:

That the number of worldwide coronavirus deaths has passed 900,000 as at September 9, 2020.

 

THE FINDINGS: 

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the first human cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, subsequently named SARS-CoV-2 were first reported by officials in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019.

Since the outbreak of this pandemic, the coronavirus has spread to several countries of the world with the current confirmed cases standing at over 27 million (27,417,497) as at September 9.

The FactCheckHub checked the WHO website for the official statistics of the current number of worldwide coronavirus deaths. From the WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard, it was stated that total number of worldwide coronavirus deaths is 894,241 across 216 countries, areas or territories with cases. The WHO data is as at September 9, 2020.

A screenshot of WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) dashboard

Similarly, The FactCheckHub checked to see if there is any media report backing the claim but found none.

The only major figure of worldwide coronavirus deaths reported was when the death toll climbed to 800,000 on August 22, and was reported by several major news organizations like  Aljazeera, Washington post and The New York Times.

 

THE VERDICT:

Based on the checks above the claim that the number of worldwide coronavirus deaths has passed 900,000 as at September 9, 2020 is FALSE.

 

 

 

Report that Nigeria plans to power 5 million homes with N2.3 trillion is MISLEADING

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Report that Nigeria plans to power 5 million homes with N2.3 trillion is MISLEADING

THE Vanguard newspaper, one of Nigeria’s national dailies had on September 3, reported that the Nigerian Government  has concluded arrangements to expend N2.3 trillion on electrification of rural communities, targeting five million homes, under the Economic Sustainability Plan, ESP.

The report has the headline “Rural electrification: FG earmarks N2.3tn for 5m homes”. A similar version of the article was reported two days earlier by the newspaper with the headline “FG to electrify rural communities with N2.3trn under ESP”.

This assertion was repeated in the lead – first paragraph – of both reports and was attributed to Goddy Jedy-Agba, the Minister of State for Power.

He was said to have allegedly made the assertion in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital at the inauguration of a 12 KiloWatts Peak (KWP) Volsus Solar for Health (VSFH) Mini-grid, alongside a 58 KWH Battery Bank at Karu Primary Health Centre.

Since the report was published by the newspaper, it has been shared and reported by several online publications.

Breaking.com, latestnigeriannews.com also reported the story, both crediting Vanguard newspaper, except newswirenigeria.com which did an independent report.

More so, Vanguard newspaper, with over 2.6 million followers on its verified social media account further tweeted the article.

 

THE CLAIM

That Nigeria will spend N2.3 trillion from the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) to power 5 million homes.

Published report by the Vanguard newspaper on FG’s plan to power 5 million homes with N2.3 trillion

 

THE FINDINGS

Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC) was introduced by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration at the wake of the Coronavirus  (COVID-19) pandemic.

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was appointed Chairman of the committee and part of their responsibilities was to see how the nation’s economy could survive through the pandemic, convert the threats posed by the disease to opportunities and create more jobs.

“We must communicate to our people where we are now, and that we can no longer assume we are still where we used to be,” Osinbajo stated on April 2, at the inaugural meeting of the committee.

“We are faced with a challenge that no government in the history of Nigeria has ever faced. So, we have to redesign our economic planning and change our thinking.”

A page from the Economic Sustainability Plan, ESP document showing the total budget for the ESP to be N2.3 trillion.

On June 11, the vice president submitted a 76-page Economic Sustainability Plan produced by the committee. It was titled: “Bouncing Back: Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan.”

In June, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) eventually approved the N2.3 trillion stimulus plan for the entire economy, but not just for one project as claimed by the Vanguard newspaper report.

The ESP which can be found on the country’s Budget office website gives the total budget  to be N2.3 trillion. The document further detailed how the sum would be expended on different project across different  sector of the economy. Solar power energy targeting five million homes is one of such projects.

A part of the document reads: “Given our limited fiscal space and the scale of our economic challenge, the Federal Government has opted for the stimulus package of N2.3tn. It will obtain the resources for the stimulus from Special Accounts – N500bn; CBN structured lending – N1.11bn; as well as portions of the resources to be obtained from external bilateral/multilateral sources – N334bn and other funding sources –N302.9bn.”

A page from the Economic Sustainability Plan, ESP document showing the total budget for the Solar power strategy for five million households to be N240 billion.

 

From the ESP it can be seen that N240 billion  was budgeted to provide solar power to 5 million households by 2023, not N2.3 trillion as reported.

In addition, the FactCheckHub got a copy of the Minister’s speech read at the solar power project commissioning, dated September 1, 2020, where he reiterated government’s plan to utilise part of the N2.3 trillion fund for the solar home system project.

The minister said: “To emphasise the focus government is giving to electrifying rural communities, there are plans under the 2.3 trillion-Naira fund for the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) being coordinated by the Office of the Vice President, to provide Solar Home Systems (SHS) to five million homes across un-served rural communities in Nigeria”.

Incidentally, this same quote was included in the sixth paragraph of the Vanguard’s report.

The minister clearly stated that the SHS is part of the 2.3 trillion ESP project and not that the government earmarked N2.3 trillion as  reported.

 

THE VERDICT: 

  • From the information presented above, the report by the Vanguard newspaper that Nigeria will spend N2.3 trillion from the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) to power 5 million homes is MISLEADING. N2.3 trillion is the total budget for the ESP while N240 billion is the budget to power 5 million homes.

FALSE claim circulates online that NUPENG will shut down all fuel stations in Nigeria

Bamas Victoria
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FALSE claim circulates online that NUPENG will shut down all fuel stations in Nigeria

Multiple Twitter and WhatsApp posts shared numerous times between September 5 and 6, 2020, claim that the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) will be shutting down fuel stations starting from Monday, September 7 across the country.

It added that other unions including shops will join in the mass protest against the government.

It went on to ask the public to “take note and stock up on fuel and other essentials”.

The post which  flooded WhatsApp groups was also tweeted by Nigerian singer and activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as ‘Charley boy’ or ‘Area Fada’.

Charley boy in the past had led several protests and rallies under the ‘Our mumu don do’ platform.

Nigerian actress, Kate Henshaw,  also tweeted  the same post; she, however, was seeking confirmation if the post was accurate.

 

THE CLAIM:

That NUPENG will shut down all fuel stations starting from Monday.

 

THE FINDINGS:

This claim is coming on the heels of the increase in pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol or ‘fuel’. The  Nigerian Government had announced the price increase  from N149 per litre to N151.56. But media reports however indicated that it is selling for as high as N161 at some fuel stations.  The government made the announcement on Wednesday, September 2 but by Saturday (September 5), the claim on NUPENG’s planned action has flooded the social media.

The claim did not specify where the action will take place,  but the use of “all fuel stations” connotes the whole country.

The FactCheckHub reached out to NUPENG on the viral post and the union’s Principal Assistant General Secretary for Public Affairs, Adamson Momoh, debunked the authenticity of the claim.

He said: “It is fake news.”

“We only have an action in Rivers state starting from Monday. And Rivers is just one state out of  the 36 states, so it is fake news,” Momoh said in a phone interview with the FactCheckHub.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and several of its affiliate associations and unions –  of which NUPENG is part of –  have a planned  action slated to hold on Monday, September 7, 2020 in Rivers state, according to media report.

The action is directed at Rivers state government. The unions  would visit Port-Harcourt, the state capital to protest against alleged clampdown on labour activities by the Governor, Nyesom Wike, the Guardian newspaper also reports.

In addition, the President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba  listed non-payment of outstanding salary arrears as part of the reasons for the proposed action.

 

THE VERDICT:

From the information presented above, the claim that NUPENG will be shutting down all fuel stations starting from Monday is FALSE.

 

 

 

 

 

FALSE claim circulates online that N-Power has shortlisted names for its 2020 programme

Niyi Oyedeji
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FALSE claim circulates online that N-Power has shortlisted names for its 2020 programme

A post has been shared repeatedly on social media claiming that the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHDS) in Nigeria has shortlisted candidates for its 2020 N-Power programme.

The post retrieved from a WhatsApp group on 3 September 2020 directed people to check for their names via a link.

The post reads: “Npower 2020 has shortlisted for its second stage. Check if you are included or forward to your loved ones who applied.”

THE CLAIM

That N-power has shortlisted names for its 2020 programme and that people can check via a particular link.

A screenshot of the claim as shared on WhatsApp.

THE FINDINGS:

The N-Power is a scheme set up by the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, meant to address the issues of youth unemployment. It was created as a component of the National Social Investment Programme.

In a bid to verify the claim, The FactCheckHub  observed that the website in the post is different from the website created for the programme by the FMHDS.

A close look at the website shows that it is a duplicate site trying to clone the original website. While the original website address  is https://npower.fmhds.gov.ng, the fake website changed the dots after ‘Npower’ and after ‘fmhds’ to hyphens.

The FactCheckHub also reached out to the FMHDS to confirm if a shortlist for the N-Power programme is out as asserted.

Halima Oyelade, a Special Assistant on Media to the Humanitarian minister noted that the claim in circulation is false and that the ministry is yet to shortlist people for the N-power programme.

”This is not true,” she replied The FactCheckHub‘s enquiry via a text message.

Similarly, the minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, in a report by Guardian Newspaper  noted that the selection process is still ongoing.

She said “We have also received over 5 million applications from proposed N-Power Batch C and we are currently in the process of selecting the qualified beneficiaries coming into the programme”.

“I assure all the applicants and Nigerians that the selection process will be transparent.”

The minister spoke on 3 September 2020 in Abuja during an interaction with National Social Investment Program (NSIP) Focal Persons, Programme Managers and State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU) officers from all states of the country.

The N-Power programme falls under the purview of Farouq’s portfolio.

THE VERDICT:

Based on the information presented above, the claim that N-power has shortlisted names for its 2020 programme is FALSE.

 

Gaining Trust for the Media in the Fake News Era – ICFJ Knight/ICIR/FactCheckHub webinar series

FactCheckHub
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Media experts take a look at the role of the media in combatting misinformation in the fake news era.

Is voting compulsory in Australia?

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Is voting compulsory in Australia?

An image has been shared repeatedly on social media alongside a claim that voting is compulsory in Australia.

The post as seen on WhatsApp on Thursday, September 3, says there is a penalty for not voting in the country.  The image shows four individuals,  each standing in front of what looks like a voting booth.

The text “Voting is compulsory in Australia and that citizens are fined if you do not vote” is written on  it.

 

THE CLAIMS:

Claim 1:  That voting is compulsory in Australia.

Claim 2:  That Australian citizens are fined if they don’t vote.

 

THE FINDINGS:

Claim 1

The FactCheckHub subjected the viral image to an internet search through TinEye, an online tool to verify images. The search result showed the viral picture is original, though resized and text added. The image was first published on the internet on October 9, 2014, by Getty Images.

The Australian Electoral Commission, AEC, a body that maintains the country’s  electoral system notes that the eligibility for voting is from 18 years old.

The commission under  ‘Enrollment under the Electoral Act‘ states that “An ‘elector’ is someone whose name appears on the electoral roll. The Electoral Act requires Australian citizens aged 18 years and over to be enrolled.”

It also added that voting is compulsory “Failure to vote in an election is an offence under subsection 245(15) of the Electoral Act unless the elector has a valid and sufficient reason for that failure (see subsection 245(15B) of the Electoral Act.

Similarly, subsection 45(1) of the Referendum Act provides that: ‘it is the duty of every elector to vote at a referendum’.”

Those who are unable to vote on the election date at a polling unit are given alternatives such as early voting or postal votes. There is also mobile polling service except the citizen is moving abroad indefinitely. Even, with this exception, the AEC has a system that enables its citizens overseas to re-enrol for voting so far the individual would return to Australia and reside at his or her residence for a month.

A page from an AEC publication ‘Voting in Australia’ meant to support teaching and learning
about Australian civics and citizenship.

Claim 2

Failure to partake in the voting exercise would often attract sanction such as fines.

The AEC produces a range of products and resources to support teaching and learning about Australian civics and citizenship. In one of such publications titled ‘Voting in Australia’, responding to the question What happens if I don’t vote? It states that “After each election, all non–voters will be sent a letter requesting they provide a valid and sufficient reason for failing to vote, or pay a fine.”

It also added that voting was made compulsory in 1924 in response to low voters turnout,  while noting that the country now gets around 94 per cent voters turnout.

A 2018 news report by the New York Times affirmed that voting is obligatory in Australia. A compilation of personal accounts of some Australians published by the United States-based publication, notes how critics held divergent views to the Australian Government’s stance on the compulsory voting.

“I once accidentally missed a local election. I was sent a letter asking me why I didn’t vote. I wrote back, explaining I was commuting out of town for work and missed the local ads, and they didn’t fine me,” Heather Pate from Perth, Western Australia told the New York Times.

Voting, according to the report, is likened to a party at weekends which the locals tag ‘Democracy Sausages’. The election day is also usually fixed on Saturdays.

The AEC has several alternatives to ensure the citizens can vote. It also provides an avenue for a fair hearing in situations where a citizen could not partake in the voting exercise. But, failure to vote attracts fines.

 

Australia Non-Voters Penalty Photo Source: AEC

 

THE VERDICT

The claim  that voting is compulsory in Australia is TRUE.

The claim  that Australian citizens are fined if they don’t vote is TRUE.

Claim that mobile networks in Nigeria are giving free data is FALSE

Niyi Oyedeji
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Claim that mobile networks in Nigeria are giving free data is FALSE

A post have been shared repeatedly on social media claiming  that people can get free 5GB data bundle by visiting a particular website.

The claim which was shared widely in Nigeria, further stated that the free data is available on all the networks.

The post as seen in a WhatsApp group  reads: “Grab your Free 5GB Data Bundle today for the month of August and September. I just received mine now. Get yours now before it Ends…” while directing people to a link.

 

THE CLAIM:

That people can get free 5GB data bundle on all networks for the month of August and September.

A screenshot of the claim shared in a WhatsApp group.

THE FINDINGS

In a bid to verify the claim, The FactCheckHub tried to check the website where the free data is said to be, but got a notification from Avast antivirus  that the website is infected.

 

A screenshot of the notification from Avast anti-virus when trying to access the link in the claim promising free 5gb of data

The FactCheckHub also reached out to network providers in Nigeria to confirm if they are giving out free data bundle as contained in the claim.

Bayagbon Erhumu, the Head of Corporate Communications, Airtel Nigeria, debunked the claim. He said “It is not true, please. Nothing like that from our end.”

Similarly, a customer care representative  for MTN who identified himself as Abidemi said that they do not have such an offer.

“Thank you for contacting us at MTN customer care. I appreciate you for bringing this to our attention. Kindly be informed that the offer is not from us. Do disregard it. Kind Regards,” Abidemi stated in a mail to The FactCheckHub.

A 9mobile customer care representative who responded to The FactcheckHub also said the network provider is not affiliated with the offer.

“Thank you for contacting us. We offer various promotions and incentives to our customers however, we are not affiliated with the below incentive. I can confirm that our data offers of this volume are usually attached to a device purchase from our experience centers or selected outlets,” the 9mobile customer care representative stated in reply to a mail from  The FactCheckHub.

In addition, a Glo customer care representative also debunked the claim, “With respect to your mail below, we advise that you kindly disregard the promo as it is not from our end.”

THE VERDICT:

The claim that people can get free 5GB data bundle on all networks for the month of August and September is  FALSE.

 

 

 

 

 

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