The Effects of COVID19 on the Nigerian Agricultural Sector

Ever since the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus in Wuhan, China late last year, the world's attention has shifted to this infectious disease ( although many world leaders didn't take full cognisance of it until this year when it move from the problem of a nation to the problem of the entire world).

Since then, this pandemic disease has brought the entire world to a stand still, Many economy of great nations has been badly affected with world leaders seems  clueless on how best to deal with this rampaging infectious disease.

Nigeria as one nation which has suffered from the effects of this infectious got no fair deal on her economy. The nation confirmed her first case of Corona virus on 28th, February, 2020, with the case being an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos, Nigeria on the 25th of February 2020.

Read: Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola Celebrates Post humous Birthday

Since then, the number of infected people has increased rapidly. This has forced the country to adopt necessary measures to curtail the spread of this disease with the notable lockdown order which restricts the movement of the citizens. This in turn, has affected the Agricultural sector of Nigeria in many regards.

Agriculture is one of the main practices many Nigerians engage in. Every farmers looks forward to the raining season to cultivate their land and plant food crops which are consumed by households in Nigeria and the rest of the produce even exported to other countries as a source of  revenue generation for the country. But ever since the lock down as taken effect, many farmers are unable to venture to their farm land to cultivate even though the raining season has began. This has been a source of great pain to Many farmers as they are unable to do what they love to do most.

Purchased seeds with the farmers are left to spoilt due to inability to plant in due time and since there is no adequate means of storage, the farmers are left to count their loss. Plants in nursery are unable to be transplanted to the main field at the right time and this has resulted into overgrown and unusable plant.

Breaking: Ondo State Confirms Three Other COVID19 Cases

It is well known that agriculture is not complete until farm produce gets to the final consumer in form of finish products and this is achieve through a chain of many activities like storage, transportation, distribution, marketing etc. Due to the lockdown in the country, stored finish products with the farmers are unable to get to the consumers. Although measures are put in place to allow the movement of essential food products across the country but this has only resulted into a little success.

All is not dark and gloom, the Nigeria government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has realize the importance of agriculture in this present time and offer a lively hope to all Agriculturist in Nigeria and I must say a  hope to all Nigerians as well by the measure He intend to put in place concerning agriculture which he said in His recent speech to the nation.

He said  "We reviewed how our farmers can safely plant and harvest in this rainy season to ensure our food security is not compromised. Furthermore, we also discussed how to safely transport food items from rural production areas to industrial processing zones and ultimately, to the key consumption centers."

With this, farmers and Nigerians can hope for the better as HOPE is what we all need in this trying times.

My Eye - Witness Daylight Burial of Criminal Justice by Daniel O. Adedigba

Today, I saw a new twist to the Administration of Criminal Justice. I was on the queue at a Gtbank ATM just in front of a major road linking Ogbomoso to Oyo when I saw a naked man running and gasping for air. The poor guy (hereinafter addressed as the accused person) had been alleged of stealing two hundred thousand naira (N200,000) in a shop nearby, stripped naked and in the course of being beaten, took to his heels. In the twinkle of an eye, I saw some young men as well as some motorcyclists in pursuit. As though the accused had a special training in 'escaping', the long list of chasers could not catch him. At some point, he made a U-Turn, ran into the ATM section of the bank, receiving beatings on the run yet not caught. The occasioned ruggedness of the accused had already awakened more pursuers to the extent that it became obvious the guy would be caught. 

Given the nature of the scene, I was sure if the accused was not eventually killed, he would be closed to death when they get him down. In my firm position that Justice is for the tripartite of the Victim, the State and the Accused, I woke the consciousness of some persons close to me to the legal aftermath of what is happening and luckily, one of them linked the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Oyo Command. In what was to me a commendable response by the SARS team, there was blasting of siren in few minutes. The team was however clogged by the heavy traffic on the road which led to a little delay to the scene where the accused was held down.  

Before getting to the scene where the accused person was pinned down, the accused had already been brutalised to the expense of losing blood from his palm, head and shoulder. The SARS team condemned the brutality of the accused person and told the league of complainants that they (SARS) cannot go with the accused person; this was of course to avoid fundamental human right issues with public interest lawyers in the event that anything happen to the accused. The SARS team mentioned that in the instance that the accused die before they get to their station, who will be held responsible? No one was ready to answer that question. 

In no time, the SARS team drove off and mentioned that if the victim of the theft was ready to pursue the matter, she should treat the accused of the sustained injuries and bring him to their station. The team drove off leaving the accused behind. The matter was then left in the hand of several public commentators, self-acclaimed judges and opinionated rabble rousers throwing different opinions and options. In the long run, they agreed in unison that the accused person be left to go on his own as no one was ready to treat him for the matter to be prosecuted. 

What follows quickly is where lies the fate of the barefooted blindfolded woman holding a sword and a scale - Justice. Given this instance, was there Justice for the accused? Who was brutally beaten without been heard, without being tried, without the sledge hammer of the court convicting him of theft contrary to our criminal laws. Was their Justice for the Victim of theft? Who within minutes was stripped of a whopping and hard-earned two hundred thousand naira, who could not get her money back and who could not give information to prosecute the suspect. 

Was their Justice for the State? Perhaps NO, NO, NO. The overriding question then is Why? At what point was Justice buried and at what point was Justice made impossible? The quick answer is at the point where the empathetic passersby started the rounds of beating on the accused, subjected him to torture, inhumane treatment and stripped him in entirety of the dignity of his human person as entrenched in Section 34, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) 1999 and immediately condemned him guilty without trial in contravention of Section 36(5) CFRN 1999. 

It is a twist to the Administration of Criminal Justice and a deep stab in the back for the message of Justice. The massage remains evergreen. "Every person who has been charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until he is proven guilty". In this instance, the presumption of innocence was raped and Jungle Justice prevailed. It is, I suppose, that the long list of torturers of the accused person should be apprehended for criminal assault. 

By the directive of the Legal Maxim; Fiat Justitia, Ruat Coelum, Justice must be done even though heaven falls. In this instant case, the heaven did not even fall yet Justice was not done.

It was indeed a tripartite loss! A tragedy of monumental proportions!

Daniel Adedigba

[email protected]

The Binoculars: Seeing Beyond The Present

Sometimes, we look at the year and ask many questions. If you had known the uncertainties in this year, you'd probably not bother laying out any plans or visions of hope at the beginning of the year. In 2020, it was the COVID-19 Pandemic and the National unrest in October. In 2022, it is the prolonged ASUU strike. Each time, your expectations and calculations are nothing but a mirage. If you do not use the binoculars of the future, you may end up feeling so unfufilled and pained.

Sophia soliloquizes bitterly as she waits for the salesgirl to package the groceries her mum had sent her to buy. She sighs and sights a newspaper on a crate of soft drink. She exclaims at a shocking headline that caught her attention. Two of her Faculty's old lecture theatres which had still been in use while in session, were reported to have collapsed into crumbles and some passersby were seriously injured in the process. 

''I think you might now want to add, 'Scholar with a gratitude in the heart' to your business card' the salesgirl says, chuckling as she hands over the groceries to Sophia. She had overheard Sophia's lamentations. 

Sophia takes a deep breath, maybe it's time she started viewing certain situations with a new lens.

It is a common belief that human beings tend not to see beyond their nose, such that every situation always seem like the end of the road. This feeling tends to cause worry and anxiety about what the future holds. When you find yourself worrying about a situation because you are picturing a negative outcome, you are, in effect, saying, “I can predict the future.” But, the fact is, you can't, and you are worried about what may happen, or what may not happen. 

However, when you begin to see beyond the present situation, you save more energy to engage in other profitable ventures and make the best out of a weird situation. 

I'll be sharing some tips that can help you wear a 'binocular lens' that will aid your seeing beyond the present and help you act accordingly.

1. Be optimistic

Nigeria can make you lose hope but you must understand that it is only those who see the positive side of a bad situation that make the best the possible best out of it. Have maximum conviction and confidence that things will work out in your favour. Don't be that person who is always carrying about negative vibes. Optimism will actually help you think and perform better.

 

2. Make Personal Improvement

Take one step at a time towards personal development, everyday. Ensure that this improvement is all round i.e spiritually, academically, financially, socially. At least, those areas you feel still needs some adjustments and only you can discover this for yourself. 

 

3. Be Grateful and Happy

Human beings are insatiable, which means that no matter the rosy situation, we still look for more, thinking that will make us happier. However, no matter how the present situation seems, find a reason to be happy. Just reflect a little, maybe if things didn't turn out the way it did, you wouldn't have thought about that business you started or that job or course you pursued, or that niche you carved for yourself, or those skills you acquired, what about those values you added up? Or those life changing friends you met? And those moments of revelation and self discovery...the list might be endless.

📌 Even if things didn't go perfectly to plan, you must have learned and grown stronger from the experience. The experiences you've had will make you grounded and prepared for what the future has to offer.

Celebrate your small wins and keep hoping for the best.🌹

Women Do not need Permission to Prioritise Our Mental Well-Being; The Quitvation we Can Learn from Simone Biles

Simone Biles has shown us how to effectively reject the "Strong black women tag" and prioritize our mental health and self-first. 

In an ever-chaotic world where we are all dancing to overwhelming tunes, trying to fit in, impress the world and exude excellence , Simone Biles shows us it's okay to quit and quitting sometimes is winning. 

In a system impacted with white supremacy and patriarchy, it’s a double-edged sword being black and being a woman. Throw in the mix of "The Strong Black Women '' tag which creates harmful stereotypes and holds women to astronomical standards, burdened and pressured to be strong always, embrace adversity and never showing vulnerability.

The "Strong" trope's tag stems from raising black women to be incredibly strong and resilient, rooting their identity in how well they persevere in a harmful environment without showing vulnerability. While the 'S' tag shows women's resilience and ability to weather the storms, it has its downside and negative impacts on their health and well-being forcing them to prioritize others, push themselves too hard, seeing vulnerability as weakness, burnouts and rendered zero support. It is empowering to see Simone Biles prioritizing her mental well-being above short-term wins by walking away. Mental health struggles get downplayed and opening up about mental health are seen as signs of weakness. In an overwhelming space of racism, pandemic, femicide and gender-based violence, with women held to higher standards, go through doubts and burdensome emotional load, being self-aware and knowing when to prioritize oneself and take a break is vital for mental well-being. 

While the word "Quitting" is synonymous to failure and has a lot of deeply held stigma attached to it, Simone redefined quitting as being self-aware to prioritize oneself. Quitting is an essential lifesaving skill, knowing when to exit a toxic relationship, crappy job, and saying 'NO' is a sign of strength. Overcoming the fear of criticism, blame , retribution, denouncing the "S" tags and showing vulnerability shows true strength

Four Ways to prioritize your mental well-being.

1. Put yourself first.

It's okay to be a little or too selfish and prioritize yourself every time!!! It's easy to fall into the trap of 'S' tag by putting other needs first, but there's no Olympics awarding a medal for the world's best strong woman. Assert your needs always!!!

2. Prioritize self-care routine.

Secret rituals, Me moment, Self-love, have a self-care routine you indulge in. Take time to nourish yourself , body, mind and spirit with rituals that renew your energy. From listening to music, meditation, reading, yoga, inspiration mantra, movies, a meal with girlfriends, taking a walk, or just an off day lounging on the couch. 

3. Ask for help.

Do not be an emotional hoarder hoarding your emotional baggage and that of others. Asking for support when you need it is not a weakness. Surround yourself with supportive relationships where you can be vulnerable and feel safe to ask for support.

4. Above all, don’t be afraid to quit.

While giving up may be ascribed to failure, quitting can be life-saving. Sometimes, the best option may be to practice intentional quitting, trusting your intuition and taking a leap of faith to end a relationship, quit a job, break off a friendship, and end a project. Quitting can be necessary to make room for positive change, protect your mental health, and can be an opportunity to develop and grow. 

How Tech is Scaling through Coronavirus

At the height of global suffering in the deadly hand of novel Coronavirus virus disease, accusing fingers have been pointed at fifth generation Internet technology (5G) as the main cause of the pandemic.

5G is a fifth generation of mobile technology which is an improvement on today’s 4G technology with enhanced capabilities. The technology provides the platform for new and emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data to improve the way we live and work.

Indeed, the world over, arrival of a new technology is often celebrated, just as the 5G technology was not quite long ago. However this 5G technology has been indicated once that it poses threats to life, even when these have not been scientifically proven.

It can be said therefore that the ongoing outburst against 5G technology by concerned individuals is understandable, particularly in the light of the current delicate global health situation which has been claiming lives in thousands.

 

Emerging evidences from authorities have, however, shown that the concerns raised so far were merely laced with fear, emotion, conspiracy theories and these are further given bonus by the level of ignorance of the populace about the subject matter..

Telecoms operators in the Nigeria have corroborated this, saying “Even with all the virtues of the novel 5G, our BTS Sites across the country are still bereft of this technology. We will want to re-emphasize that several studies have been carried out even before the 5G emergence, indicating that the microwave emissions from these infrastructures have no harmful effect on human health.”

It has been approved by the government agencies concerned with radiation protection and nuclear safety across the world as not having the negative health effects of more intense radiation.

There is high hope from the new 5G technology, but it's until one gets to know pretty much about the technology, it may be easy to see it as another of such technologies that campaign in poetry but end up governing in prose. But by all standards, this is not the case as far as 5G is concerned.

Interview: Scienter Liability; Legal Action to an Animal Bite

Dog in action

Dogs and other Pet Animals

Homes across the world are now found of having various species of Dog; particularly in Nigeria, where the foreign Dogs are gradually replacing the local Dogs. 

Different People own Dogs for different reasons; some include for security purposes, sales, while other people breed Dogs as just mere Pet.  

Years back in Africa, they reared local Dogs mainly for sales and consumption, while just few reared for security purposes. Beisdes, Just like Police and other security operatives using Dogs to work, local hunters around the world also use Dogs to hunt animals in the bush.

With the foreign Dogs replacing the local Dogs in Africa, chances are high that most of those foreign Dogs are more deadly and tactful than the African local Dogs. What if the Dog misbehaves and attacks passerby or anyone around the area?

What is the relationship between Animal and someone bitten by an Animal? 

Are there legal implications? Daily News Report had a robust interview with a legal expert- Gabriel Ayomiposi Esq, to find answers to all these quests and more. Checkout our interview below:

Quest: Did an Animal bite have legal case?

Guest: Yes, it has and there are ways to go about each case.

Quest: Who can one sue in an animal bite? 

Guest: Any person can be  sued; whether a minor or adult, who has been bitten or knocked down by an animal who has been improperly or inadequately released or contained can sue for injuries or death caused by an animal bite.

Quest: Who can I sue on this case?

Guest: If you are been injured or any of your relative members was a Victim by the animal, you can sue the person who owns or should have had control of the animal.  But, for a person to be responsible to be sued, they need not be the owner of the animal specifically. However, an owner who retains some control over the animal remains liable even if the animal is partly under the care of others.

Quest: Are there laws or legal act that protects People if they are attacked by any animal other than a dog?

Guest: Certainly Yes. The keeper or owner of an animal of a species that is dangerous by nature, or that the keeper knows or has reason to know that the animal has dangerous propensities or traits, is strictly liable to anyone injured as a result of those traits. 

Also, This law provides greater protection, because it applies to keepers other than owners of animals. So, ordinarily not only owners is liable to a lawsuit, keepers having control over the Animal can be sued as well.

Quest: Are Animal owners and the Court aware and ready for lawsuit of such?

Guest: Of course, they are. The provisions are there already. Even in some Countries, Animal owners will be asked to collect license before housing some animals, just like having a Gun.

Quest: Are there any special protections under the law for people who are bitten by the dogs?

Guest: Of course Yes. In Uganda particularly, the owner of a dog is liable for the damages suffered by anyone who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including on the dog owner’s property, regardless of the prior viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of the Dog's cruelty. That is, the owner of a dog is liable to anyone who is killed or injured by a dog bite. 

As we move further, we shared some cases with our legal expert to see if the cases have proper legal grounds.

Quest: If someone was walking along the roadside and a dog ran out of the house and charged at the person. The person was scared and attempted to run away but fell and broke his/her leg. Though, The dog didn't touch the person in question. Tell us sir, is the person entitled to file a lawsuit against the dog owner/guardian?

Guest: Yes, though, this may be a difficult case to prove in court, but the person should be able to bring a case if he/she reasonably feared for her safety and she can prove that the owner or guidian of the dog knew or should have known of the dog’s propensity to attack people walking on the roadside, but failed to act appropriately.

Quest: If someone goes to visit his neighbor, and he/she got attacked and bitten by the Dog, does he/she has a case?

Guest: Yes. If you can establish that the dog had dangerous propensities or traits you will be able to maintain a strict liability case against the owner. 

Also, the owner can be held responsible for negligence if you can prove to the court that the owner failed to exercise ordinary care in controlling the dog; this can include failure to warn the person of the dog’s dangerous traits, failing to restrain a dangerous dog, or if the owner engages in conduct likely to excite the dog causing him to knock down the person. You know these Dogs also listen to their owners, so the owners actions to the Dog also matter.

Quest: What are damages recoverable in animal bite cases?

Guest: A Plaintiff (Complaint/Litigant) is entitled to get damages for past and future and medical expenses, past and future wage loss, past and future pain and suffering. 

Also, should the victim dies, his or her survivors/relatives are entitled to recover full compensation for their economic losses that result from the victim’s death, as well as emotional distress damages which stem from the loss of society and care.

Quest: Can someone die or be said to have been cases to death by a Dog bite?

Guest: Yes, anyone can die due to Dog bite. But, that is left for the Autopsy to decided in Court. 

Also,  if you are injured by an animal, take note of the following: 

The contact address, name of the owner, contacts of possible eye witness to the incident. 

Also, report the case to the police around the vicinity of the incident. Make sure you seek urgent Medical help to the injury to prevent the injury from escalating. Securing the live first is more important than filling a lawsuit.

After that, contact the owner of the Dog and keep him/her informed of the injury. Should the animal owner refused to compensate you for the injury or didn't show any care to your satisfaction, please file a lawsuit in court. 

Be informed that your suit will not be entertained in court if it is instituted (filed) after the lapse of six years from the date of the incident.

Quest: What if the owner of the Dog did not have money and it is obvious to me

Guest: Keeping a Dog is like keep Children and the Family, you feed all of them, so he/she will have the money. But, the choice is yours to make and do not forget to seek legal advice from your Lawyer.

Editorial: Live and Let Live

Editorial: Live and Let Live