Some Eye-catching Events Of 2016: Nigeria

The year 2016 has been an interesting time, with remarkable things that defined it. By all measure, it was a memorable year with all the ups and downs that might have inundated the whole lots of the 365days that is today been rounded off. In Nigeria, here, the year has seen most of its moments defined very clearly by political, social and economic rigmaroles. Some of the eventful moments are highlighted below:


1. Removal of Subsidy
On May 11, Nigerians were jolted by the realization of the increment in the price of the commodity to which they produce, following the federal government acclaimed withdrawal of subsidy. The announcement of the hike in pomp price from N87 per litre to N145 per litre was greeted with mixed feelings, of support and rue.

The petroleum minister in a statement said the decision was taken based on the current challenges and that Nigerians have been paying exorbitant prices for fuel. "We have just finished a meeting of various stakeholders presided over by His Excellency, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" he said in a meeting with the Leadership of the Senate, House of Representatives, Governors Forum, and Labour Unions (NLC, TUC, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN).


2. Rescue of 21 Chibok Girls
The many Nigerians who had looked forth in hope for the return of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, were cheered with the news of the rescue of over 21 of the girls on the 13th of October in what was rumored as a swap deal between FG and the captors.

According to Premium Times, the release of 21 Chibok girls by the terrorist Boko Haram group was the culmination of more than two years of negotiation and perseverance by a team which first assembled about two years ago.

Some of the released girls

However, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, dismissed reports that the girls were rescued in exchange for top-level suspected Boko Haram detainees across the country. "The release was a product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides,” Mr. Mohammed said at a world press conference the following afternoon. “Please note that this is not a swap. It is a release.”


3. The Missing of the 2016 Budget

The twist was again recorded, this time, it was the news that the 2016 budget earlier presented to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Buhari was said to have mysteriously disappeared. Mr President had submitted the budget on the 22nd of December, 2015.

The Nigerian Senate was scheduled to commence deliberation on the proposed budget Tuesday, Jan 12. But Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, shocked lawmakers at a closed-door session, when he told them the budget documents had been stolen. Mr. Ndume, explained that deliberation on the budget could therefore not begin until fresh copies of the documents were obtained from the presidency, the Ministry of Finance or that of national planning.

The Chairman, Senate Committee of Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, was subsequently mandated to lead a search for the documents and liaise with the presidency, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, and the national planning ministry on the matter.

The Senators also resolved that the matter be kept under wraps, saying making it public could embarrass the presidency, the National Assembly and the country.
Premium Times' sources had gathered that the senators of the Peoples Democratic Party accused the presidency of being behind the theft of the documents, an accusation rejected by their All Progressives Congress’ counterparts, who reportedly said it was too early to speculate.


4. Budget Padding Scandal

After the drama of the missing budget, and shortly before the official assent to the Appropriations bill by Mr President, the lid was blown open as to how some figures were injected into the fiscal proposal by some high ranking members of both the red and green chambers.

The scandal led to the suspension of Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin as chairman of the House Appropriations committee. With his suspension, Jibrin opened up the can of worms, letting in Nigerians to the shoddy deals of our dishonored honorable members, indicting even himself and the speaker, Yakubu Dogara.


5. My wife belongs to the Kitchen, Bedroom-Pres. Buhari

The media once again saw it an item of wide sale the comments by the president that his wife, the first lady belongs to the kitchen and the other room in apparent rebuttal of the wife's claim of the government being taken over by some 'alien' cabals. Indeed, the news found acceptability to most Nigerians, some of who saw it as a disparage to the Nigerian women.

There were outrage against that comments, who many saw as one big antithesis having been made when he was side by side with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, in Berlin. However, the presidency came out to refute the statement, claiming it was one softly spoken.


6. Arrest of Judges by the DSS

Nigerians woke up to the news on Saturday, October 8 that the country's foremost intelligence agency, the Department of State Security (DSS), raided home of Supreme Court judges overnight

The DSS had pulled a surprise stunt on some five judges in what it claimed was a sting operation, following allegations of financial impropriety. The operations were simultaneously carried out in the dead hours of the night. Some of the Supreme Court Justices arrested were Ademola, Sylvester Ngwuta, Okoro Inyang. Others were Nnamdi Dimgba, Kabiru Auta, Umezulike.

The invasion of the judges houses drew condemnation from some Nigerians who described it as ultra vires and an usurpation of the duties of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. While others applauded the measure, describing as an act that would go a long way at sanitizing the judiciary.

In a reaction, the NBA had enmeshed itself in what was likely a confusion when it asked the NJC to suspend the accused judges against its earlier stance that the raid was interfering.


7. Nigeria Officially in Recession

Following the negative rating of the economy consecutively for the first and second quarters, the economy was officially declared to be in a recession. Nigeria has slipped into recession, with the latest growth figures showing the economy contracted 2.06% between April and June. Prior to this declaration by the NBS, the minister of finance had indicated of the economy being'technically' in recession.

The former No. 1 economy in Africa lost the position to South Africa just after a year it bounced to top position following the rebasing in 2015. The National Bureau of Statistics had recorded a slump in the overall GDP with unemployment dozing off to a slumber 25% with the the naira shedding 38% of its value to the US Dollar in the end of the second quarter.


8. Retake of 'Camp Zero' by Nigerian Forces

The year was eventfully rounded off in what was to be a hilarious note with the ground breaking taking over of Camp Zero, the enclave of the dreaded Boko Haram terror organization which has been claimed to have killed over 2000 people since 2009.

The terrorist group has started its antagonism against the Nigerian state in a guerrilla warfare, bombing and attacking churches, mosques, markets and government institutions. With the abduction of the over 271 schoolgirls in April, 2015, girls became their major means of attacks.

But in a swift reaction, the elusive leader of the sect, who the military have claimed to have killed several times, Shekau, dismissed the report. “If you indeed crushed us, how can you see me like this? How many times have you killed us in your bogus death?” he asked. "
We are safe. We have not been flushed out of anywhere. And tactics and strategies cannot reveal our location except if Allah wills by his decree,” Mr. Shekau said in the 25-minute video.

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