E-Business
Soyinka Writes Long Letter to NASS over Death Penalty for Hate Speech
Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, has written to the National Assembly, warning of the consequence of passing a bill which stipulates death penalty for hate speech.
The bill, which is sponsored by Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), deputy chief whip, has already scaled the first reading at the Senate. Titled: “National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches (Establishment, etc) Bill, 2019”, the bill also proposes the setting up of a Commission on hate speech.
In a letter to the National Assembly, titled: “Is it now cool to kill?– An anguished letter to Nigerian Lawmakers,” Soyinka said though, he is against Fake News and other debiitating vices on social media, he would not subscribe to pronouncing dead penalty for hate speech.
“I hope you will excuse me for distracting you from your onerous duties, but I am a current sufferer – and I am not alone – from a persistent nightmare. That affliction has been induced by your most recent approach to addressing an acknowledged problem that affects, not only Nigerians, but the entire global community. The nightmare consists of the fear of waking up one morning to discover that one’s name has been cited among those helpless victims on behalf of whom a repellent legislation is about to be enacted.
“The likelihood in my case is especially acute. Yes, indeed, it is no Fake News that I have denounced the purveyors of public lies and hate material as the very scum of the earth. I have called them names that come close to enrolling me among the very reprobates we all so fervently denounce. From Abuja, through Paris, London, Sochi, Dar es Salaam, Chandrigah, etc. etc., I have utilized every available platform to highlight their perverse mentality and call for concerted action against their hyper-activism against humanity in general. I have singled out the Nigerian species of this criminal pursuit as an especially virulent breed, as a subhuman aberration without conscience, incapable of remorse, sustained by abnormal reserves of sadism.
“I have closed down dozens of fake sites instituted over my name, and set in motion mechanisms for the pursuit of those who steal my identity, even where the content is quite harmless, even positive. Only recently, in Paris, I proposed that judicial mitigation under the recognition of crime passionnel should be considered for victims of Fake News who ‘lose control’ on physically encountering their violators. As you may have discerned so far, I again, and unapologetically, exploit this very development to reiterate my detestation and contempt for such pestilences that plague our humanity,” he said in the letter.
Soyinka urged the lawmaker to consider more deeply the path on which they had chosen to embark and invited them to reflect quite objectively on the company into which they were about to throw yourselves, and the consequences for the very nation they represent – including its social psyche.
According to him, the lawmakers were about to corrupt youthful impression, to join the brigade of closet psychopaths for whom the only solution to any social malaise from the trite to the profoundly” affective is – Kill! Is this what humanity and society are all about?”
“You are psyching up your ranks to pronounce yourselves affiliates of inhuman aberrations such as Boko Haram, Isis (Da’esh), al Shabbab, nomadic cow herders etc. etc. for whom killing is the only response for real or imagined wrongs, perceptions of entitlement and/or deprivation, sense of righteousness and generally – concept of a thoroughly sanitized community of mortals. You are sending out applications to join the ranks of those inadequate males who believe that the only cure for adultery is to b”ury a woman up to her neck in earth and reduce her head to a pulp under a rain of stones.
“You affirm yourselves – not for the first time, alas! –allies of those who believe that death is the appropriate cure for that physiological conditioning which, through no fault of theirs, attract them to others of the same sex. You pronounce yourselves clones of demented rulers like Yahayah Jahmeh of Gambia who preached that we all cut off the heads of homosexuals and poison alleged witches– and so on and on down a dismal list of silent, instinctive killers who have somehow managed to manipulate themselves into the corridors of ‘legitimatized’ – or illicit recesses of – Power and Force.
“By the way, are you aware that a school of thought passionately believes that thieves such as Yahayah Jahmeh, formerly of Gambia, Omar Bashir of the Sudan etc in company of numerous members of African leadership elite, including this very Nigerian society, deserve no less than the death penalty for pilfering public resources, and on a scale that continues to stagger even the most inured in this nation? Do you really, as presumably analytical minds, believe that a facile and final recourse to the gallows or a fusillade of bullets at the stake, is the sole remedy to the phenomenon of the diffuse classifications possible under the abuse of communication and the sowing of hate among people?
“How precise is the definition of ‘hate’ when it becomes a yardstick for the extinction of even one human life? Haunting, hopefully, our collective conscience as a nation, even till today, is recollection of a clique of social army reformers who instituted, and carried out the execution citizens under a retroactive law. Yet others wiped out entire communities as collective punishment for the loss of members of their elite class, the military. And surely it is too soon to dismiss memory of the mass decimation of a religious group, the Shi’ites, for obstructing the passage of a motorcade of that same elite class. These are classic instances of murder, albeit under the immunity of power legitimation,” he stated.
He added that “Your motivations are also spectacularly dubious. Silencing the voices of criticism is a perennial preoccupation of power, but we know that a far more penetrative form of death, spelling the end of social vitality and relevance is incurred when human voices are silenced. Try and imagine how many “deserved” executions would be taking place in this nation right now – beginning with nearly all of you in the exalted homes of legislation – if Boko Haram had succeeded in subjugating this nation under its creed.
“Well, do not even bother with imagination, which is not as common a faculty as we tend to assume –simply check with neighbouring Mali how many, convicted of crimes against faith, Mr. Answar Dine eliminated during his brief sway in northern Mali. Or remain within this nation itself – check the statistics of death inflicted from indiscriminate bombings of the thriving concourses of humanity – schools, markets, motor parks, media houses, churches, mosques, shrines by believers in the doctrine of death as divine solution to the very crime of existence outside their narrow and perverted set of beliefs. Consider the fate of Uganda if Joseph Kony had indeed succeeded in his mission of converting Ugandans to his doctrine of – Salvation or Death!”
Soyinka said these were not imaginary scenarios, stressing that, that quick but facile option – killing – had become the current emblem of this very nation, effectively replacing the green-white-green, lamenting that something had collapsed.
He noted that the carefully calibrated structures of fellow feeling, supposedly inculcated from infancy, lied in ruins, as life wass now held cheap, casual, and trite.
He said “students kill for the thrill of it, and for assertion of cultic supremacy. Kidnappers collect ransom, yet kill. They kill even intermediary couriers. Fetishists kill in pursuit of illusions of instant wealth. Others, highly placed, kill for political office, and yet others to cover up criminalities by the deployment of killers. You cannot claim ignorance that there have been identified, over the past few decades, consortiums of killers who actually advertise their trade in select circles and canvass for clients. Your businessmen – and women – have used them. So have politicians.
“And now, you wish to add, to this culture of rampaging morbidity, the state empowered deaths of those dregs of society who titillate themselves with corrosive narratives from diseased minds, and boost their meaningless lives with the degradation of others? Are they even worth the cost of the hangman’s noose? No. True, governance has a responsibility to protect its citizens, but social malefactors must be fought and neutralized through far more painstaking methods. Reformed if possible, exposed and publicly humiliated, punished and compelled to make restitution where their actions have caused pain, anguish and destruction. That option, we know, is the more arduous path, but then, where did you obtain the notion that you were elected to occupy cushy, stress-free arm-chairs?”
Soyinka realled that when a section of this national community wanted to execute a lady called Safiyat for alleged adultery some years ago – and through the singularly revolting means of stoning to death – the nation rose above religious partisanship in repudiation of this barbaric trivialization of human life, saying that “we continue to rail against the solution of death as penalty against those whose sexual orientation is different from ours, and thereby offends the sensibilities of others. I await persuasion, offered through objective, not emotive arguments, that this new extension of the homicidal imperative is fundamentally different from those other globally repudiated candidates for the killing route to social sanitation.”
“For now, may I passionately plead with you to consider that the coarsening and debasement of youth sensibility – already too far gone – through the trivialization of life – is a spectre that may return to haunt you if coming generations are taught that it is “cool to kill”. Remember that example, especially by leadership, is a hundred times more explicit and enduring than the mere propagation of any counter-doctrine. Do not embrace the awful responsibility of impressing homicide as a way of life on the ethical template of coming generations. The chickens have a way of coming home to roost. I may be wrong of course, but their droppings already foul the common air we all breathe. Just take a deep breath, look around you, and re-consider,’ he stated.
SystemSpecs Holdings Ltd unveiled at the weekend the rebranding of its subsidiary Deelaa to Whatadeal, launching an ambitious digital commerce platform poised to transform travel, events, and e-commerce across Africa.
John Obaro, group managing director, SystemSpecs, and Fela Bank-Olemoh, managing director of Whatadeal
The announcement comes amid a surging demand for integrated digital services in Nigeria and beyond, as the continent’s e-commerce and travel sector stand on the cusp of exponential growth.
The launch event, held in Lagos, demonstrated SystemSpecs’ vision for a seamless, value-centric consumer experience.
This strategic rebrand follows the company’s acquisition of Knit Technologies, amalgamating cutting-edge innovation and industry expertise into Whatadeal—one of four subsidiaries under the SystemSpecs umbrella.
John Obaro, group managing director, SystemSpecs, emphasized that the transformation reflects an unwavering commitment to technological advancement and customer empowerment.
“Whatadeal transcends a mere rebranding—it embodies a dynamic ecosystem designed to deliver unparalleled value and memorable experiences,” Obaro told reporters.
He elaborated, “Our ambition is to ensure that whether you’re organizing an event, procuring tickets, or seeking the finest deals, Whatadeal is your definitive destination. We are also in advanced discussions with leading travel industry players to curate exceptional travel experiences across Nigeria.”
Originally introduced in 2022 as an e-ticketing and marketplace platform, Deelaa catered to both businesses and consumers.
Its evolution into Whatadeal responds to shifting market dynamics, offering an integrated solution for booking flights, securing event tickets, and shopping online.
The platform will be powered by Remita, SystemSpecs’ acclaimed electronic payment and collection system, which underpinned Nigeria’s Treasury Single Account initiative—one of the most extensive implementations of its kind in Africa.
Steering this venture is Fela Bank-Olemoh, managing director of Whatadeal and a SystemSpecs stalwart since 1998.
With over two decades of expertise spanning technology, marketing, and public service, Bank-Olemoh brings a formidable pedigree to the role.
He founded MediaVision Limited, a preeminent sports marketing firm in Nigeria, before serving as Special Adviser on Education to the Lagos State Governor from 2015 to 2019 and later as Senior Special Assistant on Education Interventions to Nigeria’s President from 2019 to 2023.
Bank-Olemoh articulated the platform’s ethos: “At Whatadeal, we hold that exceptional experiences and valuable offers should be effortless, not convoluted. Our mission extends beyond merely facilitating deals—we are cultivating an ecosystem that nurtures engagement, trust, and enduring value for our customers.”
He added, “Whether you’re arranging travel, acquiring event tickets, or purchasing essentials, you deserve an intuitive, rewarding experience that consistently delivers excellence. Whatadeal is dedicated to realizing that vision.”
SystemSpecs aims to establish Whatadeal as the preeminent one-stop platform for African consumers, blending convenience with competitive offerings.
With its fusion of Knit Technologies’ innovations and Remita’s robust infrastructure, Whatadeal is poised to redefine digital commerce on the continent.
How much do you trust your device memory? Definitely more than you should. According to the statistics only 33% of users back up their data regularly, and more than 77% of people have already experienced data loss.
An annual tradition which started as a simple reddit post back in 2011, World Backup Day is celebrated on 31st March 2025 to provide a reminder of the importance of backing up data. To mark the occasion, Kaspersky shares practical advice on how to create new beneficial digital habits to ensure your backups are safe.
The first question that should be taken into consideration is: what exactly needs to be backed up? The answer seems to be lying on the surface.
The more you back up – the better. Work-related documents, family photos, financial info, health records, logins and passwords, and even content shared within messengers. In fact, all of this needs to be backed up using reliable storage methods.
There are several reasons why it is recommended to copy as much data as you can.
First of all, the device on which the information is stored may simply be lost, stolen or damaged. For example, UK’s South Western Railway reports that at least 5 smartphones are lost per day on its network, which is almost 1800 devices per year.
Among other potential threats to data safety are ransomware attacks. This is a type of malware that blocks a computer and then demand a ransom for its release. In some cases, even paying the ransom does not help to restore data on an infected device.
Despite these substantial risks, in everyday life it’s almost impossible (and to some extent pointless) to back up everything. Our devices contain gigabytes of information, most of which has no value. Creating backup storages of such a scale is time-consuming and expensive.
The main advice is to rank data correctly. Try to assort the items needing to be backed up by evaluating their relevance, recency and recovery options.
If a file, record or password is outdated or may be replaced by a newer version, backup may be safely ignored. If it is a new or highly valuable piece of information, backing up is necessary and preferably there should be more than one copy.
The art of backup
The next step towards data loss prevention is finding the suitable backup method to select. Obviously, it depends on multiple factors: type of data, type of device, pricing, user’s personal preferences and habits.
The most popular backup options are generally cloud or external storage services. Both of these methods have their pros and cons. For example, cloud services give you instant access to information wherever you are, but they require regular subscription payments.
At the same time, external hard drives are reliable storages which only require one payment, but access to information on these devices is only possible when they are at hand.
Therefore, cloud storage is regarded as the perfect option for storing files and photos which should always be available in a few clicks, while external storage services are suitable for data archives and huge files, such as movies or videos which you rarely use. Overall statistics show that nowadays most people choose cloud technology as their main storage option.
Specific data such as passwords, ID or financial details require even more secure storage methods.
Among the potential solutions password manager is an option that protects sensitive personal information, prevents its loss and provides immediate access to it at any time. Automatic filling of authentication and banking data means users do not have to memorise important information and reliably protects data from being compromised.
While choosing backup and storage options it’s highly recommended to consider all the aspects. To get backing up into a real habit, the method should not only be reliable and effective, but also suitable and convenient for you personally.
Enhanced protection
As it has been already mentioned, single manual backup might not be enough to protect data from being lost. World Backup Day is the right time to remember that data might be vulnerable and take some proactive steps to secure it. Kaspersky has created some tips on how to do it effectively:
- Follow the rule 3-2-1. One of the most popular backup strategies is to have at least 3 copies of important data, store it on 2 different storage types, and make at least 1 copy off-side (cloud or external physical location).
- Set up automatic backups. Most devices and services have a preinstalled backup function, which automatically creates a backup if you forget to make a copy in time.
- Use a reliable security solution. Comprehensive digital protection with a specific anti-ransomware protection mechanism, such as in Kaspersky Premium, prevents device infection and protects your data from both local and remote-access ransomware attacks.
- Make regular checks. It’s necessary to test your backups workability on a regular basis to notice the malfunction in time and fix it.
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of Interior, has announced the launch of an Online Visa Approval Center to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks and reduce corruption in the visa application process.
Commissioned by the President in December, the new system ensures that applicants no longer need to visit a visa office, know anyone in the system, or lobby for approvals.
At a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on the implementation of the Nigeria Visa Policy (NVP) 2025, yesterday in Abuja, Dr. Tunji-Ojo said the visa is considered a very important document by the government because it is an instrument of migration management and an instrument of economic development.
The minister explained that Nigeria has to strike a delicate balance between national security and, of course, the ease of migration.
“And we think that it’s something that we can do and something we will do.
“We don’t have a physical Visa Approval Center. If you apply for a Nigerian visa anywhere in the world, you do so online. We process it here in Nigeria, and if approved, you receive your e-visa in your email,” he explained.
To enhance efficiency, the government has set a 48-hour deadline for processing e-visas.
“It is unprofessional and unacceptable for the Nigeria Immigration Service not to approve or provide feedback within 48 hours,” the minister stated.
“It breaks my heart that people need to lobby to even get visas to Nigeria. It shouldn’t be so. It shouldn’t be.
“For anybody that is qualified, for anybody that wants to do legitimate activities in Nigeria, such people should be able to come to Nigeria easily. And this is why we are opening our space. Mr. President is interested in foreign direct investments.”
Further, he said Nigeria is interested in partnering with the rest of the world to develop its economy but, “We can’t do that when we allow bottlenecks to hold us down. So these reforms, basically, are aimed at opening our space, enhancing national security, and we hope that the primary responsibilities of the visa scheme will be achieved.”
Kemi Nandap, controller general, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), said the NIS would fully digitize its e-visa platform and reduce visa classifications from 79 to 44 to enhance accessibility, transparency, and efficiency in the new visa policy.
She said, “At the core of this policy is the new e-visa platform—a fully digitized, centralized system that revolutionizes how foreign nationals interact with our country’s entry procedures. As part of this transformation, the Nigerian Visa Policy 2024 underwent a comprehensive review, resulting in a significant reduction in visa classifications from 79 to 44.
“These categories have been logically grouped to simplify procedures, reduce complexities, and greatly improve the user experience. Importantly, we have maintained the original purpose and intent of each visa class throughout this reform.”
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