This is Zikoko Citizen’s Game of Votes weekly dispatch that helps you dig into all the good, bad, and extremely bizarre stuff happening in Nigeria and why they’re important to you.
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Roses are red, violets are blue, It’s 2023 and Buhari’s still making promises. On January 2, 2023, the Burundian government sent their good wishes to Nigeria regarding our upcoming general elections.
They also requested that we help them with energy supplies, particularly fuel. President Buhari, like a knight in shining armour, promised to get the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to look into their request, which is mind-boggling, seeing as the Nigeria has been facing fuel scarcity for a while now.
Fuel shortage has become almost normal in Nigeria, and 2022 was no different. For a good part of the year, queues persisted in filling stations despite the many promises from the government to find a lasting solution. Instead, the situation has worsened, and many Nigerians are now forced to buy fuel at the rate of ₦250 to ₦270.
Despite the prayers held across the country on December 31, 2022, the problem of fuel scarcity crossed over into the new year with us.
This makes Buhari’s promise to Burundi almost laughable but again, lies are nothing new, especially to Nigerians, and Burundi might soon experience this too.
What else happened this week?
Benue Government Shies Away From Paying Teachers’ Salaries
A new year is upon us, and while some people are still complaining about not being paid a 13th-month salary, primary school teachers in Benue state haven’t received salaries for 13 months.
Some of these teachers have been owed as far back as 2017.
This hardship has pushed many of them into after-school farming or petty trading. According to the National Union of Teachers (NUT), no strike action has been called, but the union recently told teachers to stay home for a while as some of them couldn’t afford transport to the schools.
While presenting its bill of ₦179 billion to the House of Assembly, the Benue state government promised to pay the salaries of workers, including retirees. But hopes aren’t particularly high because, at this point, the government is beginning to sound worse than a broken tune.
Video of the week
Question of the week
With less than three weeks left to collect your Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC), have you decided on the candidate worthy of your vote?
Ehen one more thing…
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo ruffled many feathers with his endorsement of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Here are the major points from his letter.
