Talk should be cheap
SERAP is dragging Tinubu to court over the not-so-free speech his administration is promoting
Good morning, Big Brains. I can’t believe that it’s the same ekele I used to do Christmas and birthday party that I’m still using to do the rest of January. My bank account sat me down yesterday and said, “Girrllllll”. It is well o.
- Margaret
Word count: ~ 1, 000
Reading time ~ 4 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
SERAP is fighting for your right to speak freely
Nigeria’s Ihovbor power plant is back after 10 years
The Big Deal
SERAP is fighting for your right to speak freely
If it barks like a dog, it’s probably a dog, and if it moves like a dictator, it’s probably a dictator (resist the urge to roll your eyes if you notice an overly generous use of reportedly or allegedly, we’re not trying to go to jail abeg).
We’re starting the week with a very interesting lawsuit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against Nigeria’s President, Ahmed Tinubu and state governors.
If you’re wondering what they said your leaders did this time, it ranges from human rights abuse to the criminalisation of freedom of speech. In SERAP’s words, our leaders are guilty of the“ repressive use of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 to criminalise legitimate expression and violate the human rights of Nigerians, including activists, journalists, bloggers and social media users.” So basically everybody, no?
Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution states that every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference. But that part of the constitution has become more stale than yesterday’s bread. What we’ve been seeing recently is a rise in not-so-lawful arrests justified by a loose translation of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act under the Tinubu-led administration, and SERAP seems to be sick of it (as we should all be).
The legal and advocacy organisation read the Nigerian government for filth. They said that “rather than using the amended legislation to make cyberspace and its users safer, Nigerian authorities are routinely weaponising it to curb Nigerians’ human rights and media freedom.”
Why is this a big deal?
Tinubu’s administration has had a noticeable clash with freedom of speech and ethical journalism. In May 2024, the arrest of journalists like Daniel Ojukwu, who was arrested for “violating” the Cybercrime Act left Nigerians in disbelief. Daniel’s mobile devices were reportedly seized, and his arrest (or abduction as the Foundation For Investigative Journalism describes it) was unknown to his friends and family until FIJ’s private investigators tracked the last active location of his phone.
On December 20, 2024, another social media user and activist, Olamide Thomas, was arrested and accused of committing a cybercrime for reportedly cursing the children of President Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun on Facebook Live. The live stream was recorded on October 20 after Olamide was reportedly harassed at the #EndSARS memorial held in honour of dead protesters. She was released on January 9 after meeting the conditions of her ₦10 million bail.
These are interesting cases, especially given the fact that PT (your president), promised to promote freedom of speech and free press in December 2023. We’re not the best at rating performances but the promised “promotion” effort seems to be a D1 at best.
SERAP’s lawsuit is great for two reasons – it raises awareness about the loopholes in the CyberCrime Act and calls the government to order.
You know we’ll always come through with friendly advice to keep your expectations low. We’re saying it again, and here’s why: A similar lawsuit was filed in 2022, and even though the court ordered “Nigerian authorities to stop using section 24 of the Cybercrime Act 2015 to prosecute anyone on the grounds of insulting or stalking public officials online.” Even thought it was a legal order, nobody gave two shits. It gives you a pretty solid idea of how this current lawsuit might end, but hey, keep those fingers crossed.
Nigeria’s Ihovbor power plant is back after 10 years
Like that one generator that has been in one spot in your parents’ house for too long, a 230MW power plant called Ihovbor power plant has been out of operation for 10 years. But something about 2025 forced it to take its life seriously and rejoin the national grid. This power plant’s resurrection is Nigeria’s energy sector’s latest attempt at a glow-up that promises to boost electricity generation.
The brains behind this revival, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), dropped the news during a visit to the facility in Benin on January 8, 2024. Jennifer Adighije, the company’s managing director/CEO, and its Executive Director, Abdullahi Kassim, are treating this as a major flex under President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.” They swear that the power plant’s addition to the national grid will bring reliable, affordable, and accessible electricity to all Nigerians. We’re rooting for them, but we’re also side-eyeing the sweet-mouthed promise because Nigerians have been bitten more than a thousand times.
What does this mean for the national grid?
Nigeria’s national grid has collapsed more times than anyone cares to count. Adding 230MW from Ihovbor might not completely rescue us from darkness, but it’s definitely something.
At the same time, we don’t want to get too excited because Ihovbor was designed for 450MW output, and even with the new repairs, it’s still operating below capacity. Operational challenges like gas shortages and inefficiencies could easily send it back to another 10 years of sleep.
Nigeria’s energy sector doesn’t need sleeping-turned-resurrected beauties; we need at least twenty people sacked from the power sector, and a permanent solution to the constant grid collapses. So, while Ihovbor’s revival might spark some hope, we’re still one nasty fall away from a national blackout. You might find the repair pointless after reading this, but the barest minimum is better than nothing.
This Week’s Big Question
“One-way ticket to Canada or 24 hours with Tinubu?”
Abiola’s response - “Tulumbu go like do video call with me from Ontario when I reach there. Who knows? He may even come on one of his *residential visits.”
You can also share your response here, and if it’s as interesting Abiola’s, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
Tax Reform Bills Nearing Passage As Senate Committee Finalises Discussions: The Senate is getting ready to hold a public hearing on the Tax Reform Bills. The goal is to review them and move forward with a final reading before passing them into law.
Mojisola Meranda Emerges As First Female Speaker Of Lagos Assembly: For the first time in history, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda has become the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, making her the first woman to lead the legislative body in the state.