Talk to me nice
FG tells international reporters to stop reporting only the government’s wrongs
Good morning, Big Brains. If you’re reading this on Monday morning in your PJs, I want to be like you. Today’s a great day to be world-class, start by catching up on the big news you probably missed over the weekend.
- Margaret
Word count: ~1,000
Reading time ~3 mins
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Let’s get into the news you missed during the weekend:
FG tells international reporters to stop reporting only negative Nigerian news
Botswana faces criticism after asking for donations to reward Olympic heroes
Amosun warns FG to avoid negotiating with Chinese firm over seized aircraft
The Big Deal
FG tells international reporters to stop reporting only negative Nigerian news
One thing the Tinubu-led administration hates more than protests is international media and they’re not even trying to hide it.
Over the weekend, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, “advised” some representatives from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to practise balanced and unbiased reporting and focus less on the negative things happening in Nigeria.
Idris said Nigeria is not the only country facing challenges in the world but international reporters don’t usually bother to “hear their [Tinubu’s administration] side of the story”. Tinubu reportedly has no issues with the freedom of the press, but Minister Idris says the president wants to see more international reports that focus on the “joys” of the country which are lowkey nonexistent.
This is not the first time Tinubu’s guys are calling out international reporters. In June, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, faulted a New York Times report titled “Nigeria confronts its worst economic crisis in a generation”. He accused the reporters of being biassed and painting a picture that is all “gloom and doom”. Most Nigerians acknowledged the report as accurate while others insisted that the reality is worse.
Why is this a big deal?
Many Nigerians are starting to call Tinubu a tyrant, especially after Amnesty International reported that over 1,000 #EndBadGovernance hunger and hardship protesters are being held in various prisons across the country. This report alone suggests that the Tinubu-led administration is opposed to criticisms or an accurate portrayal of reality itself.
There's no shortage of drama in the country these days, and most of it isn't the good kind. Sure, foreign media love to paint Africa with a biassed brush sometimes. But two truths can co-exist. It’s one thing to oppose bad PR, but it’s another to be completely tone-deaf to the struggles of your own people.
Botswana faces criticism after asking for donations to reward Olympic heroes
Botswana has been one of the most unproblematic countries in Africa for a while now but we’ve already established the fact that 2024 is the year of plot twists.
Remember Letsile Tebogo, the guy who secured the country’s first-ever gold-medal by becoming the first African Athlete to win the men’s 200m race? To reward the iconic win, the government of the country has asked citizens to donate money.
It’s not every day we see a state-sponsored GoFundMe so obviously, this announcement forced a lot of people out of their celebration mood.
Now, people are not against rewarding the Olympians, they just want to know why the government isn’t doing that with the taxes they already charge citizens.
But since the donation is the only option the Botswana government is willing to consider to reward the athletes, citizens have asked them to lead by example by donating 25% of their salaries.
Botswana boasts one of the highest incomes per person in Africa, yet its youth employment rate is about 35% which is considered one of the highest in the world according to Afrobarometer. The country isn’t poor but something about the donation still feels off to Batswana.
Amosun warns FG to avoid negotiating with Chinese firm over seized aircraft
The aircraft seizure drama took a different turn this weekend. Former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has advised the government not to pay any attention to Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited regarding the controversial seizure of three presidential jets in France. Amosun called the Chinese firm an "impostor" and said that any negotiations could lead to Nigeria being scammed.
The jets were seized after a French court ruled in favour of Zhongshan after a long legal fight. The Presidency claims the Chinese firm is attempting to "take over offshore assets of the Federal Government through subterfuge” which pretty much means deceit.
Amosun also mentioned that in 2011, while he was governor, two Chinese companies fought over management rights to the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, leading to tensions and halted business activities. Zhongfu, one of the companies, was found to have lied about its claims and had lost several court cases.
Amosun also emphasised the need for FG to stand on business and not give in to any pressure to negotiate.
What about the seized aircraft?
So far, Nigeria’s seized properties have not been recovered but if FG is listening to what Amosun is saying, they are most likely preparing their best lawyers for another intense round of legal fights.
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