Thursday, May 11, 2017
Video - Can Nigeria's Chibok girls ever be truly free?
Eighty-two of Nigeria’s Chibok schoolgirls are free thanks to a prisoner swap between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram. The release is the biggest since the armed group swarmed a school in northern Nigeria in April 2014, kidnapping 276 girls. News of the deal has brought both happiness and anxiety as families wait to hear if their relatives are among those freed.
Aisha Yesufu, of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, told Al Jazeera that counseling and rehabilitation must now be a priority.
"At the end of the day, we want to have world leaders out of every one of them so that they can be what the terrorists did not want them to be," Yesufu said.
But critics of the campaign say the girls have become too famous to ever truly be free. Writing in the New York Times, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani said: "The campaign made them famous and, as a result, precious to the jihadists. The military says it can't guarantee their safety if they go home, so they remain essentially prisoners of the state."
Peter Joseph, a family member of one of 21 girls released by Boko Haram in October 2016, agrees. Those girls are in a government rehabilitation camp where they rarely see their families.
"I think it’s another kind of imprisonment," Joseph told The Stream.
So when it comes to rehabilitation, what is the best way forward? And can the Chibok girls ever really be free?
Video - Nigerian entrepreneur finds muse in hand-pressed coconut oil
A Nigerian entrepreneur has found her muse in hand-pressed coconut oil. The former banker and actor is so comfortable in her new skin, she is confident of exploring markets beyond Nigeria.
Video - Nigerian government struggles to harmonize forex rates
Nigeria's Central Bank is facing the difficult task of harmonising the multiple foreign exchange rates in the country, some of which it ironically created. There are at least six exchange rates for various market segments in the country and the apex bank has been opening more windows in an attempt to bridge the gap between the official rate and that of the black market.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Video - China donates $5 million for emergency food aid to Nigeria
China has provided Nigeria with 5 million dollars in emergency humanitarian aid to support relief efforts in the north-east. The contribution is to help purchase food and support for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons in Borno and Yobe States. The World Food Programme says the aid comes at a crucial time. The governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, has thanked the Chinese government for its invaluable support to Nigeria.
BBC apologizes to Emir of Kano for false report
The British Broadcasting Corporation has apologised to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over claims that he was under probe by anti-graft officials for alleged mismanagement of Kano Emirate fund.
Jamie Angus, editorial director at BBC, informed Mr. Sanusi that an April 24 story that said the traditional ruler was amongst those being investigated in connection to alleged misappropriation of about N6 billion Emirate Council fund was "not correct."
Mr. Angus explained that the station's editorial staff in Abuja had inaccurately translated an April 24 interview with Muhyi Magaji, the Chairman of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, who allegedly stated that Mr. Sanusi was under investigation.
"The recording of the interview was passed to another colleague in Abuja office, summarised in a despatch and then sent to London where the online report was written and published.
"It is now clear from our investigations that the reports did not accurately reflect what we were told by Mr. Magaji, who had, in fact, made clear to our reporter that you had not been invited in for questioning and indeed that it was unlikely that there would be a need to invite you for question.
"Accordingly, the report we published suggested that you were under personal investigation was not correct and for that I offer my sincere apologies," Mr. Angus said.
In the apology letter, dated April 28, 2017, Mr. Angus said the BBC removed the inaccurate interview from its website on April 26, but PREMIUM TIMES' check revealed that Hausa version of the report was still live as at 9:06 p.m. Tuesday.
Mr. Magaji said his commission was investigating the Kano Emirate Council as a body over alleged misappropriation of up to N6 billion, but not Mr. Sanusi as an individual.
But the Emirate Council denied allegations of fraud and said the amount involved was only N4.3 billion.
Jamie Angus, editorial director at BBC, informed Mr. Sanusi that an April 24 story that said the traditional ruler was amongst those being investigated in connection to alleged misappropriation of about N6 billion Emirate Council fund was "not correct."
Mr. Angus explained that the station's editorial staff in Abuja had inaccurately translated an April 24 interview with Muhyi Magaji, the Chairman of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, who allegedly stated that Mr. Sanusi was under investigation.
"The recording of the interview was passed to another colleague in Abuja office, summarised in a despatch and then sent to London where the online report was written and published.
"It is now clear from our investigations that the reports did not accurately reflect what we were told by Mr. Magaji, who had, in fact, made clear to our reporter that you had not been invited in for questioning and indeed that it was unlikely that there would be a need to invite you for question.
"Accordingly, the report we published suggested that you were under personal investigation was not correct and for that I offer my sincere apologies," Mr. Angus said.
In the apology letter, dated April 28, 2017, Mr. Angus said the BBC removed the inaccurate interview from its website on April 26, but PREMIUM TIMES' check revealed that Hausa version of the report was still live as at 9:06 p.m. Tuesday.
Mr. Magaji said his commission was investigating the Kano Emirate Council as a body over alleged misappropriation of up to N6 billion, but not Mr. Sanusi as an individual.
But the Emirate Council denied allegations of fraud and said the amount involved was only N4.3 billion.
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