The Human Project

My story is one of travails and tribulation; like a woman in labor, the birth pangs that eventually bring forth the bundle of joy. From the gutters of Burhama, to the slums of Jakara and Sanka, I have been smashed between chasing my photography dreams and taking care of my family. It is difficult to imagine light at the end of a tunnel, when you live in a single room with your 5 siblings and aging mother whose health is failing, in a densely populated compound that houses 24 rooms, with only one broken toilet for everyone to share, joining a long queue daily in wait for your turn to use a bamboo bathroom, which you have to cover the entrance with your wrapper, to protect your privacy.  I went out everyday with the hope of landing small gigs; something to put food on the table and buy my mother's medications. Some days, I was lucky, and on those days, I was able to improve my craft, and I could afford to pay my bus fare back home, squeezed in-between sweaty, tired fellow slum dwelle...

Recently, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) intercepted 3 trailer-loads of Crusader Soap, a product banned in 2019 for containing mercury. These 3 trailers amounted to 4,000 cartons by 12 packs by 12-tablet soap. Further investigation through the ports show that the banned soap was imported seven times in 2021 alone and each consignment is not less than three containers with 4,500 cartons of the soap. What are the medical implications of mercury in cosmetic products, first of all? Was the ban necessary? The mercury in cosmetic products can be absorbed through the skin. Mercury can damage the brain, nervous system and kidneys. It may also damage the skin, cause rashes and blotchy spots, and give skin a grayish color. You can read up on the medical implications of mercury  here The longer and more often products containing mercury are used, the greater the health risk. These products can be especially harmful to children. What are the legal imp...

Ever heard of the term Coroner's Inquest? I bet most people haven't. It's not a very familiar term, considering that it is not one that is used everyday. The recent happenings in Nigeria following the death of the late Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, a Nigerian music artist popularly known as Mohbad, has left many Nigerians heartbroken and confused. The 27 year old died under very suspicious circumstances, leading to a massive call for an investigation into the cause of his death. Many steps have been taken by the Lagos State Government to ensure that Mohbad gets justice. And now, a coroner's inquest into his death is to commence on Friday, 29th September, 2023, reports  Arise News . Who are coroners?  Coroners are independent judicial officers who investigate deaths reported to them. This happens when it is believed that the death was not due to natural causes. What is Coroner's Inquest? Coroner's inquest is an inquiry into the manner and  cause of an individual...

In Nigeria, if bad governance doesn't kill us, fake news will do the job. The recent elections in Nigeria has proven that, coupled with the rapid increase in parody accounts on social media, particularly twitter. Every Tom, Dick and Harry had a field day opening and operating twitter accounts in politicians' names and conveniently including “parody” in the bio. Most people went ahead to use these accounts to spread fake news. Tweeps were conveniently retweeting and trending information that never existed. Politicians and their spokespersons  (and this is not me defending them. Dem sef don too do) had their jobs cut out for them, struggling to explain and exonerate themselves from fake news everyday. First of all, what is a parody? A humorous piece of writing, drama, or music which imitates the style of a well-known person or represents a familiar situation in an exaggerated way. Let me give you a few examples. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (parody of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves)...

  As a first time mom, I watched my son go through pain after his circumcision. I kept asking why there is no anesthesia for babies. Why should a new born go through such pain? I couldn’t sleep for days, secretly nursing the thought that his tender skin might never heal. Now, imagine an adult in that situation. Won’t he scream down the hospital building? Babies are really strong, and circumcision is a necessity as the health benefits are enormous. Can we say the same of tribal marks? Why give a baby several cuts on his/her face with a hot knife laced with ash? The creepiest part is that the parents seem unbothered amid heart-wrenching cries from those children. How do they sleep at night after allowing their children go through torture at such tender age? I would really like to know whether the local tribal mark giver made them a special portion to drink so they can lose their parent instincts. Let’s consider a brief history of tribal marks. From the Yoruba in the southwest, to...

  It is not a secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on many businesses and educational institutions all over the world. Many companies have shut down and as a result, a good number of people have lost their means of livelihood. Some have managed to survive the wave, but their quality of delivery is poor compared to how it was before the pandemic. While many businesses are struggling, some others have embraced a whole new landscape of innovation which has helped them scale through the crisis successfully. In the words of Sarah Kirby, “those who fail to change will be left behind, exposing their employees to increased risk of financial distress, facing layoffs and closures.” [1] Some companies have even recorded their best numbers; COVID-19 has reinvented the future of work for managers who have taken the opportunity to do better. So why have so many failed and what can be done to fix it? Like Sam Adeyemi stated, “leadership remains the core catalyst for driving creat...

Human trafficking is a very disturbing issue that has triggered the concern of government and indeed many NGOs. People all over the world are victims of human trafficking both in their own countries and abroad.  It consists of the transferring, harboring and receipt of a person or persons, often done in violent or deceptive ways, using threat or coercion. Victims are sexually exploited or made to do labor or services through the use of force or coercion. Some of the fundamental challenges surrounding human trafficking in Nigeria include lack of knowledge of the actual volume, nature and impact of trafficking. Also, it would appear that there is a gap in enforcement mechanisms. Despite the seriousness of the crime, the government and law enforcement agencies do not seem to pay much attention to it. Human trafficking often goes ‘under the radar’ of the government. They have prioritized some key crimes and focused on fighting them. Human trafficking needs to be one of these priorities...

All over the world, women have been marginalized in virtually every sector. Particularly, in Africa, we are confronted with the sad reality of dominant masculinity and barbaric norms where women are nearly shut out of the political, economic, family and traditional systems; basic education for the girl child is considered a waste, talk more of higher education. I am yet to see a female head a classical traditional African system; traditional leadership is clearly earmarked for men and men only. This challenge of women relegation has persisted even in this era where education has been internationally recognized as a human right. The damage caused by the failure to realize that women make up about 50 percent of the African population (see World Bank data) has thrown Africa into multiple crisis economically, politically and otherwise. The earlier it is realized that empowering women through quality higher education is empowering the social, economic and family values of the African societ...

  In September, we talked about a religious/traditional practice that infringes on the rights of children- THE ALMAJIRI SYSTEM. Do you think the Almajiri system is bad for us? Well, wait until you meet the reeeeaaal rock star- THE CORPSE WATER RITUAL! In this 21 st century, some communities still force widows of dead men to drink water from washed corpses of the deceased in order to prove their innocence. In other words, if the family of the deceased has reason to believe that the widow had a hand in his death (and they always have a reason to believe so), they initiate the ritual. What is that? About 4 months ago, a 34 year old widow, Chioma Asomugha from Anambra state, raised the alarm that her in-laws were trying to force her to drink water used in bathing her dead husband’s corpse. You can read the story here . Thankfully, she resisted them. So, in case you think this barbaric practice doesn’t happen anymore, this is 2021 and human beings are still practicing it. Where is ...

Over 200 million people, many tribes and religions, countless cultures and traditions; we are free to practice whatever way of life we choose. However, the Constitution is supposed to be the rallying point, where we can strike a balance in order to ensure that we do not abuse our happiness and freedom. In other words, traditions are harmless until they are found to be contrary to natural justice, equity and good conscience. Sadly, with the way certain practices are carried out by some groups of people in Nigeria, the questions that readily come to mind are: is the Constitution really the Grundnorm? Are some religious/traditional practices greater than the provisions of the Constitution? One of such practices is ALMAJIRI practiced in northern Nigeria.   Is Almajiri a bad practice? The word “Almajiri” is derived from the Arabic phrase “Al muhajirun”, meaning “an emigrant”. It usually refers to an emigrant who moves from his home to stay with a popular teacher in the quest for ...

  Let’s learn latin today. Last time, we gave you a brief and interesting introduction to fair hearing. In case you missed it, you can find it here . We cannot talk about fair hearing without considering the principles of natural justice. The principles of natural justice are those rules which have been laid down by the courts as minimum protection of the rights of the individual against the arbitrary procedure that may be adopted by a judicial, quaisi-judicial or administrative authority while making an order affecting those rights. In simple terms, these principles ensure that everyone brought before the court is treated fairly. These principles have their roots in two Latin maxims : “ Audi alteram partem”   and  “nemo judex in causa sua”.     Like I said, we will learn Latin today. So let’s find out what these maxims mean.   AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM (Rule of Fair Hearing): This principle simply means that no man should be condemned unheard or that...

Hello friends! It’s been a while, I know. I apologize for keeping you waiting all these weeks. The twitter ban slowed things down for us. But we are back with our simple human right lessons for you to read and learn. Thank you for your patience. This month, we are going to discuss the Right to Fair Hearing, and I will be doing a simple introduction here. My partners will bring you more interesting details in the following weeks. Stay tuned. So, what is this fair hearing sef? Outside law, the word ‘fair’ simply means free from favoritism or bias or deception; in line with established standards or rules. Fair hearing simply means a judicial proceeding that is conducted in such a manner as to conform with fundamental concepts of justice and equality. In other words, due process of law should be followed: one should be given the opportunity to present evidence to support his or her case and to discover what evidence exists against him or her before an impartial tribunal. If a person is arr...

The right to protest is protected by International Laws. See Articles 18, 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Right. Under section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, every person is entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons. Section 45 permits these rights to be restricted in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health or to protect the rights or freedom of others. So, as long as you’re not causing any trouble, you’re doing well my dear. Furthermore, the Court of Appeal upheld the right to protest in the case of IGP V. ANPP (2008) 12 WRN 65 that “certainly in a democracy, it is the right of citizens to conduct peaceful processions, rallies or demonstrations without seeking and obtaining permission from anybody. It is a right guaranteed by the 1999 constitution and any law that attempt to curtail such right is null and void and of no effect. We already know that peaceful protest is a fundamental right in Nigeria and ...

One of my favorite lecturers in the faculty of law, university of Calabar, Calabar is credited with having said that Nigeria is a theatre of the absurd. So when news came that the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim had stated that Corps members are part of the national defense policy of Nigeria and can be mobilized for war if needed, read more about it here , Nigerians greeted it with memes, mockery and sheer disbelief.  See the different reactions here. Trust Nigerians to lash out, and great was the lash out that a spokesperson of the NYSC has since made attempts at clearing the air, emphasizing that the director general never meant the statement the way Nigerans have perceived it.  Details here. A simple google search will give you video results of that interview with Channels TV. Therefore, I’ll  leave the issue of understanding what he said to your good judgement. For emphasis, what he said, how he said it or what he meant ...