Phone Leaks and Fashion choices – The Weekly News Quiz

The Nigerian government has secured $800 million from the World Bank to provide financial support to 10 million households, which would equate to 50 million vulnerable Nigerians after the removal of petrol subsidies, currently planned for June 2023.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, stated that negotiations are ongoing to raise additional resources for the palliative measures. She also said the government is exploring non-cash palliatives like a mass transit system for workers’ daily commutes.

People’s Gazette claims that in the recording, the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, is heard calling the elections a “religious war”. Obi says it is untrue, the recording is not his voice and that he will take legal action against the publication.

The NCC said tapping phones is against the Nigerian Communication Act (NCA) 2003 and other laws of the Federation and the government does not break the law. The commission said they’ve reported the allegations (made by People’s Gazette) to the relevant security agencies for proper investigation and necessary action.

People’s Gazette has no intention of retracting the accusation and has said that they stand by the reporter, Ayoola Babalola. The publication suspended him for a month because his responses to attacks on social media violated their social media policy. 

Nnamdi Kanu is a leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that wants the south east to break away from Nigeria. He has a history of being arrested and detained by the Nigerian government. Kanu was released on bail in 2017, but fled and went against the terms of his bail. He was re-arrested in 2021 and charged with treason. Recently, a court ordered his release and the payment of compensation, but the government has not released him. The Attorney General provided reasons why Kanu should not be released, including concerns about his potential to incite people and launch an attack against Nigeria. Kanu’s legal team has also requested access to a physician.

On the 15th of April, terrorists kidnapped another 80 people, this time children aged 12 to 17 in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The Nigerian House of Representatives is considering amending the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act to prevent Nigerian-trained medical practitioners from leaving the country. The amendment proposes that Nigerian doctors must work in the country for five years before getting a full practising license. Some members of the House of Representatives support the amendment, arguing that medical practitioners should give back to society after receiving taxpayer subsidies for their training. However, others oppose it, saying it infringes on doctors’ rights to move freely. Nigeria is experiencing a mass exodus of healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, despite a shortage of medical personnel in the country.

According to the Nigeria Medical Association, there are about 24,000 doctors actively licensed to practice in Nigeria to cater to over 200 million people. This is due to brain drain, as many doctors have left the country. The ratio of doctors to patients in Nigeria is about 1:10,000, which is very low compared to the recommended ratio of 23 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 10,000 population.