The Brief: Fake news in Jos crisis; Hisbah double standards; PDP arrangement

Fake news alert! Two buses conveying 230 travellers burnt in Jos, and Imo governor Hope Uzodimma declaring free wedding of Imo women to Fulani herders are two ridiculous stories that have popped up last week.

As if the profiling didn’t count, an entire cover of fake THIS DAY was sleekly produced and circulated, forcing the publication to clear things up. Fake news is feeding off crisis, if not stoking it.

Many worry when Hisbah declared war on mannequins, arrested girls for indecent dressing and posts on social media, all the while wondering why the scantily clad rich are untouchable. Hisbah says its reading of Islamic teachings forbids it from criticising leaders in public, even whey they go wrong.

An embattled opposition PDP has reached a concession ahead of 2023: the north gets the presidency, and the south gets chairmanship of the party. How that agreement works out in future is yet to be seen.

Podcast: Fake news stokes violent crisisIn the midst of the tense situation that resulted from the killing of some travellers in Jos and the imposition of a 24-hour curfew, the Plateau State Government warned that it would arrest purveyors of fake news.

Often, fake news, especially spread through social media, is blamed for causing or stoking the embers of violent crises. In this episode of Nigeria Daily, we look at how fake news sets societies on fire and what needs to be done to avert its impact. Listen to or download the podcast here.

Buhari recalls 11 DPR directors ‘wrongfully’ retiredPresident Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to immediately recall 11 deputy directors who were asked to proceed on retirement in March this year, documents seen by Daily Trust indicate.

This followed a petition by the affected directors seeking the intervention of the president over their retirement on grounds of “incompetence and disloyalty”.

Zenith Bank profits defy pandemicZenith Bank Plc has recorded a growth in profit before tax of 3% from N114 billion reported in half year of 2020 to N117 billion in half year of 2021.

The bank’s audited half-year financial results presented to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) saw the lender recording positive growth across key financial metrics despite a challenging macroeconomic environment exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why Hisbah treats rich and poor differentlyThe Kano State Hisbah Board has revealed why it gives different treatment to the rich and poor people whenever they commit an offence. Hisbah recently came under fire for turning blind eyes to wedding events involving the rich, especially that of the bride of Yusuf Buhari, the son of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking on the matter, a director at the board, Aliyu Kibiya, told Freedom Radio that it is against the teachings of Islam to criticise a leader in public. “It is against the tenets of Islam to mount the podium and call out leaders. There are ways to caution a leader without criticizing him in public,” Kibiya said.

Omolayo takes Nigeria’s 2nd gold at Tokyo ParalympicsNigeria’s Bose Omolayo won Team Nigeria’s second gold medal yesterday at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Paralympics after she lifted 141kg in the women’s 79kg powerlifting competition.

Her victory came hours after Latifat Tijani won Team Nigeria’s first gold medal in the same event in the 45kg category. Omolayo who had broken a world record at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, Brazil where she lifted 138k to win gold also set another world record with her lift of 141kg in Tokyo.

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The PDP arrangement for 2023There is a high likelihood that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will pick its presidential candidate for the 2023 elections from the northern part of the country as stakeholders are set to zone the chairmanship position of the party to the South.

During its 92nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the weekend, the party had announced that it will arrive at a zoning formula for the National Working Committee (NWC) at a meeting billed for September 9.

Ortom, APC fight over BuhariThe Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Samuel Ortom, yesterday, traded blames over President Muhammadu Buhari following the recent altercation between the governor and the presidency.

Ortom had invited the opposition APC to the state’s regular stakeholders meeting scheduled for Monday when the party in response lambasted him for his brawl with the presidency.

NAFDAC destroys N5b seized products in 5 months The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said it has destroyed over N5 billion worth of seized unwholesome products in the last five months.

The destroyed products include drugs such as antibiotics, antihypertensive, antimalaria, herbal remedies, psychoactive, and controlled substances. It also comprise food products such as spaghetti, vegetable oil, non-alcoholic beverages, sachet water, noodles, as well as cosmetics such as creams, pomade, and insecticides.