Hello everyone!
Here is our roundup of some top stories from last week.
We did cover corruption allegations against a former state governor in Nigeria, fresh concerns over fuel subsidy removal, and press freedom. In other parts of Africa, Tanzania’s health care funding, human rights in Togo and GBV in Zimbabwe all got our attention.
Subsidy Removal: Mr President, Failure to Reveal Details of Savings Erodes Trust
President Bola Tinubu missed an opportunity to address the recent claims that his administration had resumed the payment of petroleum subsidy. The Nigerian leader, during the Special World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said that the country would have gone bankrupt if his administration had not discontinued fuel subsidy payments. The president has to urgently respond to claims that his government has resumed fuel subsidy payments. Read more
Alleged Money Laundering: Our Message to People of Kogi, Lawmakers
In light of the alleged misappropriation of public funds in Kogi State, north-central Nigeria, the people of the state need to demand accountability, transparency, and ethical leadership from public officeholders. The people of Kogi and other Nigerians should demand these measures to send a strong message to public officeholders that corruption and misuse of public funds will not be tolerated and that accountability and transparency are non-negotiable principles of governance. Read more
Nigeria Election Findings: Need to Restore Electoral Trust
Despite efforts to improve transparency and credibility in the electoral system, widespread concerns about the integrity of the electoral process persist, contributing to a continued erosion of trust in government institutions. Confidence in electoral bodies across most African countries, including Nigeria, is declining, according to a recent Afrobarometer survey. We join Yiaga Africa in calling on INEC to publish the report of the commission’s review of the 2023 general election with details on the administrative and legal reforms needed to improve the quality of Nigeria’s electoral process. Read more
Press Freedom Day: Stop Attacks on Journalists
As the world marked another Press Freedom Day, journalists in Nigeria still face intimidation and harassment. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, should work towards creating an environment where journalists can operate freely, hold power to account, and serve the public interest effectively. Read more
Tanzania: Mental Health Care Requires More Funding
While Tanzania’s Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, urged parents and guardians of children with mental challenges to seek advice from health experts, data shows that the country is underinvesting in mental health services. The Tanzanian government should increase its budget for the country’s mental health care services, and create programmes to help educate the citizens on the need for and benefits of accessing mental health services. Read more
Togo: Government Must Respect People’s Right to Peaceful Assembly
The ongoing persecution and intimidation of dissidents by the government of Togo constitutes a violation of their rights to peaceful assembly, association, and speech. The Togolese authorities must end their escalating crackdown on human rights defenders, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, amid political tension surrounding the adoption of changes to the constitution. Read more
Zimbabwe: Tackling Gender Disparities for Women’s Safety
Gender-based violence (GBV) poses significant challenges to Zimbabwe‘s social fabric and development. The Parliament of Zimbabwe has to amend the 2007 Domestic Violence Act to tackle harmful cultural practices and extend coverage to GBV incidents outside the domestic sphere. Read more
Burkina Faso: Suspension of News Media Worrisome
Burkina Faso‘s suspension of news organisations for their coverage of alleged military killings of civilians is deeply troubling. The junta must immediately lift the suspension of media outlets and respect the citizens’ fundamental right to freedom of expression. Read more
That is the roundup of some stories that made headlines last week. More headlines are available on Development Diaries or dev_diaries on IG and X, and development diaries on Facebook.
