A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
Washington – U.S. President Donald Trump's "ill-considered" comments about expanding the U.S. nuclear arsenal are among the reasons a group of nuclear scientists on Thursday moved their symbolic doomsday clock 30 seconds closer to midnight.doomsday clock
The scientists, who have been assessing global security for 70 years, said the global security landscape "darkened" last year for a number of reasons, but cited Trump's statements in particular.
"The president's intemperate statements, lack of openness to expert advice, and questionable cabinet nominations have already made a bad international security situation worse," the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said.
Lawrence Krauss, a physicist and member of the bulletin's board, said moving the clock to two-and-a-half minutes before midnight is historic.
"The clock has not been closer to midnight in 64 years," he said in a news conference.
In addition they cited his "disturbing comments" about the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons for their decision to move the clock and his questioning of climate change.
But the scientists also said the international community failed to "come effectively to grips" with both nuclear weapons and climate change last year.
Beyond the election of Trump the scientists listed a number of other reasons for their assessment, including strains in relations between the U.S. and Russia, which together possess more than 90 per cent of the world's nuclear weapons, and North Korea's underground nuclear tests.
The doomsday clock first appeared 70 years ago as a graphic on the first cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists magazine.
Over the decades the scientists have recognised climate change as an additional threat, and in their report said "it could change life on Earth as we know it".
DIGITAL TV platform, StarTimes Nigeria, has upgraded and revamped its Pay TV package called "Basic bouquet" with more exciting channels and viewing options at no extra costs to viewers.
Head of Public Relations at StarTimes, Mr. Israel Bolaji said that the package which costs N1,200 per month, is offering a smart option for viewers to pay less and enjoy more entertainment moments on TV as part of strategic plans to further encourage affordable viewing and with maximum pleasure for subscribers.
He remarked that, "StarTimes as a mass-friendly brand is buoyed by its avowed commitment to deepen digital TV penetration with sustain affordable viewing and maximum entertainment despite the current harsh economic situation. We understand that TV entertainment helps people to relax and sooth nerves in a difficult period.
We are bolstering our Basic Bouquet to include more exciting channels like FoxLife, CNBC, NatGeo Wild, Emmanuel TV, Jyb TV, Bollywood Africa with seven language and audio options and others. This is to furtherincrease content options and energize enjoyable viewers experience.
The revamped Basic Bouquet now has the best of everything including access to sports, kiddies, movies, series, religion, music, news and documentary channels like never. Subscribers now have unhindered access to all StarTimes sports channels like ST World Football (channel 254 or 245), ST Sports premium (channel 252 or 242), ST Sports Life (channel 253 or 243) and ST Sports Arena (channel 251 or 241) on the bouquet. With this, they can enjoy all LIVE Bundesliga, Serie A, CSL and Ligue One football actions, boxing, wrestling, martial artsand other sports on StarTimes. "
Per the spokesperson, "With Basic bouquet, subscribers can watch both local and international news channels like BBC, Aljazeera and CNBC, a leading best business news channel in Africa. For kiddies, Nickelodeon, Jim-Jam, Da Vinci learning, Jyb TV and Child Smile make excellent viewing pleasure.
Jos – Mr Adebisi Adegbuyi, Nigeria's Post-Master General, has blamed the mass failure in English Language, at both local and international examinations, on the advent of mobile communication systems.
" It is worrisome that students cannot spell words correctly; they are more used to short codes and symbols they use in sending Short Message Service (SMS) on their mobile phones," Adegbuyi said in Jos, on Thursday.
Adegbuyi spoke at the presentation of awards to the winners of the 2016 Letter Writing Competitions organised in Plateau,
"The students send messages through social media platforms like the WhatsApp, BBM, and SMS using short-codes and symbols; when they are faced with spelling the full word, they find it very difficult," he said.
The official, who was represented by Mr Omo Emmanuel, the Assistant Post-Master General (Marketing), however, opined that the trend could be checked through grammar competitions as organised by the Plateau government.
He advised managements of schools to inculcate the culture of letter writing and its rudiments like enveloping, addressing and stamping.
Plateau Deputy Governor, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, in his speech, pledged government's support toward sustaining the letter writing competition.
"We expect the ompetition to augment government's efforts at transforming the minds of the children in critical thinking and creative writing," he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Mr Abubakar Usman, the Area Postal Manager in charge of Plateau, had said that the objective of the competition was to revive the dying culture of letter writing among school children.
The competition, which received 6,849 entries from 477 schools across Plateau, was won by Aaron Mang, who scored 82 per cent.
Thomas Ripji came second with 78, while Esther Phillip came third with a score of 72. (NAN)
from the left, Chairman PDP Governors Forum, Chief Ayodele Fayose; PDP National Chairman, Senator Ahmed Mekarfi; PDP National Secretary, Senator Ben Obi and the Chairman Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibril during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017Former Chairman NPA Board, Chief Bode George; Former Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017(l-r) Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu; Former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu; Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido and Former Minister for Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017Former Minister for Health, Prof. A.B.C. Nwosu (l); Former NDDC Chairman, Mr. Onyema Ugochukwu and other delegates during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017from the left, Former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana; PDP BOT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril; Former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi; Former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido amd Former Governor of Niger State, Mua’zu Babangida during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017from the left, Former Chairman NDDC, Senator Basey Ewa Enshaw; Former Adama State Ag. Governor, Bala Nglari and Former Police Affairs Minister, Mallam Maina Waziri during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017(l-r) PDP National Chairman, Senator Ahmed Mekarfi (l) exchanging pleasantries with the Former Minister for Interior, Comrade Abba Moro while others looked on during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017(-r) Former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Wada; Former Works Minister, Mike Onolememen and Former Niger Delta Minister, Godsday Orubebe during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017from the left, Chairman PDP Governors Forum, Ayodele Fayose; PDP National Chairman, Ahmed Mekarfi and the PDP National Secretary, Ben Obi during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017from the left, Former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana; Former Minister for Works, Arc. Mike Onolememen and Former Minister for Niger Delta Development, Elder Godsday Orubebe discussing during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017Former Benue State Governor, Hon. Gabriel Suswam (l) discussing with Former Sports Minister, Damishi Shango during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Confrence Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017from the left, Prof Jerry Gana, Governor Ayo Fayose and Mallam Sule Lamido discussing during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Confrence Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017Former Minister for Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe (r) and other South-South delegates discussing during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Confrence Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017PDP Elder, Chief Dan Suleiman (l); Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau and other delegates during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017Cross section of delegates during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Confrence Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017Cross section of delegates during the PDP National Working Committee and Expanded Caucus Meeting at the International Confrence Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 26/01/2017
Former Minister of Information and Orientation and present Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Professor Jerry Gana, yesterday in Lagos called for a United Nigeria, adding that the Federal Government should practice true federalism and implement the 2014 National Conference’s recommendations.
Gana said 2014 confab will solve our national problems.
“The Federal Government should look at the major recommendations of that conference, examine them and implement those that will help us to move forward.”
Speaking at the 49th convocation at UNILAG, the ex-minister said the federal government should seek sustainable ways of ensuring that the country live together in peace and harmony as citizens of the federal republic of Nigeria.
“Our constitution clearly provided that the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of governance."
Jerry Gana
” Why we pray the federal government for the restoration of peace in the north east, we realised that there are also agitations in several places in Nigeria."
“To promote peace and stability in Nigeria, I believe we should have the courage to correct some fundamental defects in our federal systems. As stated by our founding fathers, only a true federal structure can provide a sustainable basis for living together in peace," he said.
Gana continued, saying, “In a huge country like Nigeria that is full of cultural, religious and historical diversities, it is only true federalism that can work in Nigeria."
“If the truth must be told, all is not well with the structure and devolution of power in our federation. A true federation must be balance in equitable structure of federating units."
“You will recall that we started with three balanced regions, later transformed into twelve states in 1967. After the civil war, it was increased to nineteen, then twenty-one, then thirty, and later with the present structure of thirty-six states."
“Many have therefore argued that the states have become too weak to serve as the effective federating units. Having weak states and powerful centre, hence the call for restructuring to have a fair balance, equitable and function federal structure."
“We have also agreed together the kind of devolution of power that comes from the centre to the federating units, so that what should be done locally, will be done locally and the ones that will be done regionally should be done regionally. And only a thing at the centre will be done for all of us.”
The former Minister maintained that this is the best way, adding, ” if we over-centralise, then the development of Nigeria will be stalled, because there will be too much tension in the land."
“Only a true federation that involves the federating units to look after local affairs, can we be sure of unity, peace, progress and harmony in Nigeria.”
On revenue mobilisation, resource ownership and revue allocation formula, he said: “Who gets what, where, when and how will be addressed in true federalism. That is usually a point of tension when it is not balanced. We cannot continue to kill ourselves because of the way we live together. We can live together, because God had brought us together."
On election, he said Nigeria has to conduct credible election at all times to elect leaders in such a way that no part of the country is left out.
“Every Nigerian is a first class citizen, there is no second class citizens in Nigeria. Therefore, we must regard everyone with dignity, honour and respect. We are stronger when we unite together as one."
“Since people cannot live together, and they fully agree so to do , then, we need to talk. We need to dialogue, we need to consult. There is nothing wrong about talking in democracy, that is the essence of democracy. We get things done by agreement, not by fighting."
” When we do so, what’s yours will not be given to another. That is the way of peace. This weighty matter cannot be resolved by force, but only through dialogue and consultation.”
Meanwhile, UNILAG has yesterday honoured His Royal Eminence, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, Professor John Pepper Clark and Professor Ayodele Francis Ogunye with honorary Doctorate degrees.
While the Shehu of Borno and the 7th Chancellor of UNILAG, Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi received D. Sc. (Honoris Causa) in Public Administration, the great poet, Pepper Clark received D. Litt. (Honoris Causa), just as a dedicated Professor of Chemical Engineering and philanthropist, Ayodele Ogunye also received D. Sc. (Honoris Causa) in Engineering.
Also, Professor Osato Frank Giwa-Osagie was equally honoured with Emeritus Professorship of the UNILAG, while four Professors also become Distinguished Professors.
The distinguished Professors include, Professor Babajide Ibitayo Alo, Professor Olukayode Amund, Professor Mrs Cecilia Ihuoma Igwilo and Professor Jim Ijenwa Unah.
Juventus are consulting lawyers to protect the club’s “honour and integrity” after a newspaper report linked club officials to hardline ultra-fans with organised crime connections via a ticket touting scam.Juventus
A report in Rome based daily Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper on Thursday claimed Juventus president Andrea Agnelli had met with ultra leader Rocco Dominello, who was arrested for association with the ‘Ndrangheta.
The report claimed the Calabrian mafia organisation infiltrated groups of ultra fans who follow the club, touting tickets supplied by Juventus for profit.
Dominello, reportedly introduced to Agnelli by another former ultra leader, was discovered to have links with the ‘Ndrangheta during an investigation into several Turin-based families with links to the southern Italian criminal syndicate.
Juventus vehemently denied the claims surrounding Agnelli in a statement which said: “In light of certain articles published in recent days, Juventus Football Club and President Andrea Agnelli have entrusted the protection of their honour and integrity to lawyers.
“It is noted the Turin public prosecutor has recently concluded an investigation into certain families considered to belong to the ‘Ndrangheta, who have been charged with criminal behaviour and the attempted infiltration of some of the activities of Juventus Football Club.
“It was also noted that no employee or affiliate has been investigated in criminal court. It is also noted that… the club has always co-operated by maintaining strict confidentiality to maintain the secrecy of the investigation.”
Juventus, bidding for a record sixth consecutive Serie A title, sit top of the Italian championship with a one-point lead on Roma ahead of Sunday’s visit to Sassuolo.
Former Logos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Armed Tinubu has intervened in the issues surrounding the alleged illegal demolition of Olokonla community in Ogombo, Etiosa local council development area of the State.
The National leader of All progressives Government APC, held a closed door meeting with some representatives of the community assuring them that their matter will be amicably resolved and formal proceedings follow after a period of seven days.
Residents of the community have since petitioned the government without luck until yesterday when Asiwaju Tinubu promised to wade into the matter.
Some of the victims before the meeting. Pix by Bose Adelaja
Counsel to the community, Oladotun Hassan, who spoke with Vanguard shortly after the closed door meeting, said, hope was underway. He said “We the people of Olokonla community covering five villages in Etiosa have met with His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and we want to inform the world that he gave us a warm reception and has promised to intervene.”
He said the victims were hopeful that through the intervention, the Lagos State Governor Mr Akinwunmi Ambode wIll organise a peaceful resolution on the matter. “the State cannot develop without the people and we believe adequate measures will be taken on this matter Also, whatever resolution the government is coming up with will be in consonance with the request earlier presented to the Governor,” he said.
It will be recalled that the residents have organised series of protests in the past one month after property estimated at N15b were demolished by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development on December 16, 2016 after they were served with Contravention notice.
The victims have since described the exercise as illegal saying it took place within 24 hours of the notice and many of the victims were allegedly brutalized by the Nigerian Army who provided security for the Ministry.
The exercise has received criticism by some well meaning Nigerians including the seasoned lawyers Femi Falana and Femi Aborisade.
The Police have arrested a pastor of an Enugu-based new generation church for allegedly buying a stolen Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 phone.
The spokesman of the Police Command in Enugu State, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Amaraizu said that the pastor and his accomplice were arrested on Jan. 25 in New Heaven axis of the state.
He said cleric gave his name as Jude Chukwumaife and his follow accomplice, Nwafor Chukwubuike.
The spokesman noted that the police operatives of the Independent Layout Division arrested the suspects after a painstaking investigation.
He said that the suspects were nabbed by the operatives in connection with buying of an alleged stolen Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.
The spokesman said the item belonged to an armed robbery/car snatching victim.
He said the victim was coming back at the night about a year back when hoodlums allegedly robbed him of some valuables including the said Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.
"Following the report, police operatives intensified their manhunt and through intelligence information the pastor was arrested and the said Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 recovered from him.
"The revelation of Jude guided the operatives in the arrest of Nwafor Chukwubuife suspected to have sold the alleged stolen Samsung Galaxy tab 2 to him,'' he said.
Amaraizu said that the police had commenced a full investigation into the alleged incident.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday called off a meeting with Donald Trump as tensions over the US leader’s vow to make Mexico fund a new wall on the neighbors’ border boiled over.
Trump had been scheduled to receive Pena Nieto at the White House next week, for their first meeting since the inauguration. Instead, the Republican president is facing a foreign policy spat during his first week in the Oval Office.
But their escalating war of words over who would fund the proposed border wall – a central pledge made by Trump during his successful presidential campaign – escalated to the breaking point on Thursday.
“If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting,” Trump said on Twitter in the morning.
The bareknuckle early-morning tweet — already a signature Trump move — shocked diplomats, but was in keeping with the mogul’s hardball approach to negotiations and is likely to delight his supporters.
Pena Nieto didn’t take long to rise to the challenge.
“We informed the White House this morning that I will not attend the working meeting scheduled for next Tuesday” with Trump in Washington, the Mexican leader responded on Twitter.
“Mexico reiterates its willingness to work with the United States to reach agreements in both nations’ interests.”
White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that the “lines of communications” would remain open and Washington hoped to “schedule something in the future.”
– ‘Mexico will not pay for any wall’ –
The first salvos between the two presidents came Wednesday, when Trump ordered officials to begin to “plan, design and construct a physical wall” along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico border.
Stemming immigration was a central plank of Trump’s election campaign, but he has struggled to articulate how the wall will be paid for, beyond saying “Mexico will pay.”
Republican leaders announced Thursday they would try to carve out $12-15 billion worth of US taxpayers’ money for the project.
Trump’s order had put Pena Nieto under fierce domestic pressure to hit back, and hit back the Mexican leader did in a video message to the nation late Wednesday.
“I regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us,” Pena Nieto said.
“I have said it time and again: Mexico will not pay for any wall,” he added.
Around two in three Mexicans have a favorable opinion of the United States, according to Pew surveys, but anti-American and anti-Trump sentiment is not uncommon.
Pena Nieto saw his own approval rating slide late last year, after he hosted Trump — then still a White House candidate — in Mexico City.
– NAFTA a ‘one-sided deal’? –
Trump also took to Twitter on Thursday to gripe about the trade gap between Mexico and the United States.
“The US has a 60 billion dollar trade deficit with Mexico. It has been a one-sided deal from the beginning of NAFTA with massive numbers of jobs and companies lost,” he said.
That deficit for the trade in goods is slightly higher than the overall trade deficit — including services — of $49 billion in 2015.
Trump has vowed to renegotiate the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico the United States and Canada.
That renegotiation could provide one way for Trump to claim victory, through increased tariffs on Mexican goods or higher border transit costs.
But it could also risk retaliatory tariffs or blowback from US firms who export $267 billion a year south of the border.
Trump has also ordered officials to scour US government departments and agencies in search of “direct and indirect” aid or assistance to the Mexican government and report back within 30 days.
The United States is expected to provide about $134 million worth of assistance to Mexico this year, with much of the spending wrapped up in the “Merida Initiative” to combat drug cartels.
Trump was in Philadelphia on Thursday for a Republican congressional retreat, where he will have to calm some jitters.
While Trump has pursued a solidly conservative governing agenda, his outbursts over inauguration crowd size, his war of words with the media, and revival of his claim of massive voter fraud has led to concerns within his own party.
The Philadelphia meeting will feature another high-profile guest: British Prime Minister Theresa May, who will become the first foreign leader to meet Trump since his inauguration.
May, who addresses the Republican retreat shortly after Trump, will almost certainly discuss the prospects of a key post-Brexit trade deal with the United States.
The two leaders will meet in Washington on Friday and hold a joint news conference, the White House said.
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Mobile and cloud may be global technologies, but African start-ups have explored their functionalities, shaped their applications and used them to build differentiated business models suited to their markets.
They have created new and uniquely African technologies that speak to their lifestyles and complexities, using the infrastructure as a base to deliver key services in ways the rest of the world would never have thought to.
To us, this is what it means for technology to be innately African.
Innovation Ecosystem
No one has ever doubted that Africa has a thriving entrepreneurial spirit. Despite sub-Saharan Africa being one of the most challenging regions to launch a business. In the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Index, ranks it highest in 'Opportunity Perception'. What this means is that a large percentage of the population can (and are) identifying and starting good businesses, despite regulatory, environment and infrastructural burdens.
This is what makes innovation in Africa so unique and so thrilling.
Challenges, such as limited internet connectivity or access to a reliable power supply, only add fuel to Africa's innovative energy and creativity. Start-ups continue to develop clever solutions around these obstacles, bringing essential services to their markets. And technology is playing a vital role.
Think of mobile payments as a solution to Africa's largely unbanked population. Africa now has one of the largest mobile money markets in the world, where 34% of African adults have mobile money accounts compared to only 2% worldwide.
Financial technology has thrived in markets such as Kenya and Uganda where the formal banking sector has yet to reach every corner of these countries.
Or think of start-ups, such as M-KOPA Solar, who have combined the power of mobile payments with the need for electricity. According to a recent World Bank study, only one in three Africans has access to electricity. M-KOPA is the first company in Africa to launch a SIM-enabled pay-as-you-go solar system, allowing people to access affordable solar power in their homes. They currently facilitate over 10 million mobile payments every year and hope to connect one million homes by the end of 2017.
The importance of the mobile phone
The mobile phone has played a significant role in shaping African technology. Because it is so accessible, it gives start-ups an appropriate tool to create and deliver locally relevant solutions. Solutions like mHealth, where mobile applications can run remote diagnoses in last-mile areas, helping to detect malaria, sickle cell disease or pregnancy complications early.
On a continent where an estimated 17 million out of 128 million school-age children will never attend school, mobile technology is also facilitating eLearning. The recent winners of Seedstars in Ghana, Chalkboard Education, developed a form of plug-and-play mobile learning that doesn't even require an internet connection to work. As long as you have a mobile device – even a feature phone with SMS and USSD – you can earn a certified degree from a real university. The solution is ideal for the Ghanaian market, where internet penetration is only 12.3%, but mobile phone penetration sits at 128%.
Africa118 is another start-up, who used the mobile platform to develop a mobile directory. Over 100,000 users in East Africa can now, for the first time, access an accurate database of over 250,000 services – either online or, for those with connectivity issues, via a cheap call and SMS service.
The rise of the cloud
The cloud is also proving to be another relevant tool in shaping African technology, with its ability to enhance the power of mobility and allow mobile solutions to shine.
Using the cloud, start-ups like access.mobile have been able to digitise health records, share outbreak alerts and improve the way patients and doctors engage on a large scale, enhancing the quality of healthcare in emerging markets. Mustard Seed has been able to capture school, teacher and student information, providing high-level analysis dashboards to key policy and decision makers.
AGIN helps smallholder farmers capture important information, establish credit profiles and access loans without ever visiting a bank. All of these are solving prominent local challenges around healthcare, education and agriculture.
Accelerating innovation
We are seeing first-hand how mobile and cloud technology is accelerating growth for Africa. At the same time, we are seeing how our local innovators are using these platforms to accelerate technology for the world. As the ICT sector, we need to continue supporting these innovators and the locally relevant technologies that change people's lives, embrace underserved markets and trigger market growth.
If we hope to support them in a meaningful way, it is up to us to really listen, engage and collaborate with our developers and entrepreneurs on the ground. At Microsoft, this is something we are personally committed to, through initiatives like 4Afrika and NexTech Africa*.
We need to hear the challenges of innovators, their ideas and their insights. And we need to work together, so that we can better create the tools and infrastructure that, in turn, help them better serve their markets and grow sustainable businesses.
Donald Trump will give his first press conference as US president on Friday, in a joint appearance with visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May.Theresa May
White House spokesman Sean Spicer indicated Thursday that Trump would take questions from reporters after the pair meet at the White House.
Trump’s administration has taken a confrontational approach to the media, while at the same time the new Republican president uses frequent television appearances as a bully pulpit.
His only press conference after winning the election and before taking office was dominated by questions about alleged Russian interference in US politics — and Trump’s gripes with individual reporters.
The Nigerian Army on Thursday said it had taken into custody three suspected Boko Haram terrorists handed over to it by Zurmi Emirate Council in Zamfara.
Col. Abdullahi Adamu, the Commanding Officer, 223 Light Tank Battalion of Tactical Operation Unit, Gusau said the suspects were apprehended by the local vigilante in the area.
Adamu, who displayed the arms recovered from the suspects, said the three suspects had been moved to the 1 Division, Nigerian Army Kaduna for interrogation.
He said the arms recovered were AK 47 riffles, over 600 ammunition, illicit drugs, charms and other belongings.
He said, "Based on our preliminary investigation, we discovered that the suspects may be connected to the fleeing Boko Haram members who were recently disbanded by the military from Sambisa forest of Borno state."
He commended the emirate council and local vigilantes for their efforts in arresting criminal elements in the state.
The Emir of Zurmi, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku said the arrest of the suspected Boko haram members was part of the directive to district heads of the emirate, to monitor and report to security agencies any new face or suspicious movement in their respective communities.
The emir said information on the suspects was first forwarded by the District Head of Mashema about five days ago, when he reported that 11 suspicious persons were seen hiding in the bushes.
Atiku therefore urged the Army and other security agencies to track the remaining suspects.
Marquez AlvarezVeteran Mexico skipper Rafael Marquez on Thursday fired a Twitter volley at Donald Trump’s proposed wall along the border as football weighed in on the US president.
“No wall can stop us if we believe in ourselves,” tweeted the 37-year-old former Barcelona stalwart in a post including video of him firing home a trademark freekick from his Barca days.
Marquez, nicknamed the “Kaiser of Michoacan”, his home region, played for Monaco between 1999 and 2003, then had seven years with Barca before a stint in the MLS. He left the US in 2012 for Guadalajara-based side Atlas.
Trump insists he will go ahead with his pre-election pledge to build a wall along the border and get Mexico to pay for it — prompting Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday to call off a meeting with the new US leader.
German outfit Borussia Dortmund also got involved in the controversial issue, tweeting an image of their fans at their stadium forming a “yellow wall” of support.
Switzerland on Thursday detained former Gambian interior minister Ousman Sonko, who is accused of committing grave abuses under the regime of ousted president Yahya Jammeh.
The arrest, confirmed by Swiss prosecutors, comes as The Gambia prepared to welcome their new president Adama Barrow, who had fled to Senegal after beating Jammeh in a landmark election that sparked a political crisis.
Sonko had been one of Jammeh’s top allies, serving in his presidential guard before leading the interior ministry from 2006 to 2016.
Jammeh sacked him in September and Sanko fled to Sweden where his request for asylum was rejected.
Sonko was detained in the Swiss capital Bern following a complaint filed by rights group TRIAL.
“He will be interrogated soon,” Amael Gschwind, a spokesman for Bern prosecutors told AFP, confirming the arrest.
TRIAL, which campaigns for the Swiss judicial system to act on crimes committed abroad, described Sonko as one of Jammeh’s “strongmen” and said he must have been aware of the violations committed under the fallen authoritarian regime.
“Sonko could not have ignored the large-scale torture that political opponents, journalists and human rights defenders suffered”, said Benedict de Moerloose of TRIAL’s criminal law division.
According to TRIAL, Sonko arrived in Switzerland in November and applied for asylum.
It was not immediately clear where he had lived between his arrival and his arrest.
TRIAL urged Switzerland to move forward with prosecution, suggesting it could give positive momentum to the unprecedented political developments underway in The Gambia.
“The crimes of Jammeh's government have never been judged, and torturers walk free. At the time Gambia is preparing for a democratic transition, these developments send a strong message of hope,” the rights group said in a statement.
Jammeh refused to step down after his election loss to Barrow, but was ultimately forced to quit power and flee to Equatorial Guinea amid strong regional and international pressure.
Residents of The Gambia, a country of roughly two million people, were anxiously awaiting Barrow’s arrival which will cap the first-ever democratic transition of power in the nation’s history.
President Adama Barrow arrived in The Gambia on Thursday to a jubilant welcome marking the beginning of the west African nation’s first democratic transfer of power, AFP journalists said.
Dressed in flowing white robes and cap, Barrow stepped off the plane, with heavily-armed troops from Senegal and Nigeria standing by as his plane landed from Senegal, where he had taken shelter on January 15.A handout photo released by the Senegalese Presidency shows Adama Barrow being sworn in as president of Gambia at the Gambian embassy in Dakar on January 19, 2017. Gambia’s new President Adama Barrow demanded “loyalty” from the armed forces on January 19 as he took the oath of office in Senegal in a standoff with Yahya Jammeh, the longtime leader refusing to step down after his election defeat. / AFP PHOTO /
However hundreds of people had gathered along the streets of Gambia's capital Banjul on Thursday to welcome home new President Adama Barrow after authoritarian leader Yahya Jammeh fled into exile under pressure from regional forces.
Barrow, a former real estate agent, won a Dec. 1 election but Jammeh refused to step down, forcing his opponent to be inaugurated at the Gambian Embassy in neighboring Senegal.
Jammeh fled to Equatorial Guinea on Saturday night as thousands of soldiers from the West African ECOWAS regional bloc were poised to remove him by force after 22 years of increasingly repressive rule marked by alleged torture and killings of opponents.
Along wide avenues leading to the airport, Gambians wearing T-shirts with Barrow's picture blew whistles, banged calabash drums and sang in Fula language, "We welcome you our president, our hope, our solution," as Senegalese soldiers looked on.
"The arrival is long overdue," said Ebrima Bah, who was awaiting Barrow at the airport. "His arrival is raising my confidence in the new government."
Jammeh's political demise is a relief to many people in the small, sliver-like West African country who long were afraid to openly criticize the government for fear of his secret police.
Swiss police detained longtime former Gambian interior minister Ousman Sonko near the Swiss capital of Berne on Thursday after a complaint filed against him by non-governmental organization Trial International.
Mohamed Ibn Chambas, UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, who was due to accompany Barrow back to Banjul, pledged to provide assistance to help Gambia's new government investigate human rights abuses under Jammeh.
Barrow has asked the 7,000-strong West African military contingent to remain in Gambia for another six months, Chambas said.
An ECOWAS official said they were studying the proposal.
Gambia, a tiny riverine nation surrounded by Western ally Senegal on three sides, has a bloated army for its size but so far there have been no signs of resistance to ECOWAS forces.
However, lingering questions remain as to the loyalty of the Republican Guard, thought to number about 400, who in the past protected Jammeh from coup attempts.
The whereabouts of members of alleged assassination squads known in Gambia as the "Junglers" were not known.(Reuters/NAN)
The 2016 Batch 'B' Stream II National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were on Thursday sworn in for one year service, and the 3,200 members posted to FCT took the oath in Abuja.
The FCT Minister, Alhaji Muhammad Bello, at the ceremony, called for their support to boost the growth and development of the territory.
Bello, who was represented by Mrs Adebola Elegbede, the Chairperson of the NYSC FCT Governing Board, said that the current economic recession in the nation had resulted in many socio-economic challenges.
He said the multifaceted effects of the challenges had continued to impact on the lives of citizens negatively.
The minister, however, urged corps members not to relent from utilising their talents and skills during the service year to impact on the lives of FCT residents.
He added that "the FCT is looking up to you to encourage people of various communities you will serve to think outside the box.
"Your tertiary education has given you the basic theoretical skills and the NYSC on the other hand is expected to equip you with practical skills and training to make you effective for socio-economic mobilisation and development.''
2016 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) Corps members taking the oath of allegiance at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Kano State
Bello urged corps members to actively participate in camp activities as they were designed to engender teamwork and maximally empower them to contribute to national development.
He assured the corps members that security would be accorded maximum priority while in camp and urged them to remain security-conscious and to report any unusual persons or objects to the nearest authorities.
Bello also urged the corps members to confide in the camp officials in the event of any health challenge that may require being exempted from camp activities.
Earlier, Mr Abdulrazak Salawu, the NYSC FCT Coordinator said the 3,200 corps members who had duly registered to partake in the one year national service in the FCT comprised of 1,062 males and 2,138 females.
Salawu said the orientation course would last for three weeks.
He added that the orientation would comprise of military drills, lectures on various topical issues, sports, Man O' war activities, skills acquisition and training and social activities.
The coordinator assured parents of the welfare and health of their children, adding that the camp had 25 professional doctors to attend to corps members.
He urged parents to advice their wards not to lie about their health situation during registration so that the NYSC could be aware of what their health challenges were and prepare toward it.
He said "NYSC is working hard to ensure that the recession does not affect the feeding of corps members.
"We are, however, appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to invest in the youths by supporting the skill acquisition programmes of the scheme.
"This is because NYSC does not have adequate training equipment to assist the trainers coming so Nigerians need to assist by donating materials required for the various skills training.''
He noted that some corps members were currently facing issues with their registration but that the issues were being addressed to ensure no one was sent home.
President Umaru Yar’Adua was still Nigeria’s President when he died in 2010 from a long-standing, but undisclosed, kidney condition. And there was also controversy over the 1998 death of military ruler Sani Abacha, who officially died of a heart attack, though rumours persist that he met a more lurid end.
However, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is “hale and hearty”, Presidency said Thursday, denying rumours in the press and on social media that he was seriously ill or even dead.
Last week, the 74-year-old went to London for “routine medical check-ups” – the second such trip this year, the presidency said.
But rumours that his health was failing began to circulate following reports that officials were planning to send a delegation to Britain to assess his condition.
The reports were swiftly denied by Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, who said they contained “no iota of truth” and that there was “no plan to send any emissary to London” to see him.
Buhari on medical vacation in U.K watching news about Nigeria
“The president is hale and hearty in London,” he insisted.
Over the weekend, Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu also denied reports he was unwell, some of which even suggested he had died.
“He is alive and well! President Buhari is not magical. He cannot be holidaying in the UK and be in Germany, dead or alive, at the same time,” he said.
A day later, Buhari posted a picture of himself on Twitter relaxing with his feet up on a table, watching a Nigerian news channel on television.
Wealthier Nigerians frequently travel overseas for medical treatment because of the poor state of healthcare in the West African nation.
But his visit to London sparked anger, with Nigeria’s medical association saying it contradicted Buhari’s pledge to end medical tourism.
The health of the head of state has long been a sensitive issue.
Some expectant mothers in Bauchi State, have commended the State Government and its Development Partners for providing and equipping Anti-Natal Clinic (ANC) with essential life saving drugs for pregnant women.
Some clinics in the state now have life saving drugs for mothers and their babies during anti-natal.
Mrs Hafsa Dahiru , one of the beneficiaries disclosed that she has been receiving subsidised anti-natal drugs like Fesolite and Folic acid tablets on each visit.
According to her, throughout her experience of having three children, ANC had been a thing of joy due to quality of health information acquired during each visit.
"The state and its partners are assisting in the provision of chairs and benches for the centre to ensure the comfort of members due to our large number.
"And the drugs are also available although we pay stipend but it's better than not available in the facility.
"Buying drugs out of the facility might cause danger because you don't know the quality of drug you are buying, we are happy that government purchases them and make them available at the centre,'' she said.
Mrs Aisha Mohammed, another beneficiary said that lots of efforts were made to ensure that essential drugs were made available despite the high number of attendance.
She suggested that the state government should continue to provide such drugs to prevent complication during pregnancies, adding that the development partners had played a huge role in the provision of medicare and consumables.
Also speaking, Mrs Rukaiya Mohammed said that essential drugs were served to any pregnant woman that attends ANC on the spot without delays.
She advised that the government should do more because from what was budgeted for health, ANC and other maternal issues alone can consumed more than half of the budget,''she said.
The Matron in charge of Urban Maternity, Mrs Grace Sani, said over 300 pregnant women attended the clinic per week.
She commended pregnant women for the turn out, adding that lots of complications could be detected and reduced while receiving medical attention.
Abuja – The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), says the Federal Government has recovered N15 billion and $10.5 million so far in its asset recovery drive.
Malami disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters visited the ministry on its oversight function to appraise the 2016 budget performance of the ministry.
"Let me put it on record that the Federal Ministry of Justice has equally significantly recorded success in the recovery drive as it relates to the looted funds.
"In that regard and direction, over N15 billion has been recovered by the ministry and $10.5 million was equally recovered in that direction,'' Malami said.
The minister said that exclusive of the recoveries, the revenue profile of the ministry as at Dec. 31, 2016, was N12.4 million.
He said this was generated from sale of journals, renting of part of the headquarters building to commercial entities, use of its conference hall, tender fees and sale of un-serviceable items.
He added that the total expenditure profile of the ministry within the same period was N3.7 billion, including personnel and non-regular allowances.
The chief law officer of the country said that the ministry, by virtue of its mandate, was in a vantage position to articulate and implement the present administration's broad policy objectives in four major priority areas.
"The anti-corruption campaign, the recovery of stolen national assets, the rule of law component of the anti-terrorism war and the institutionalisation of law and order in all aspects of national life,'' he said.
On Nigeria's non-membership of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Malami explained that it will take the collaboration of both the executive and the legislature to scale all the hurdles.
"Among some of the demands required to become a member are the passing of the Money Laundering Act, Proceeds of Crime Act and Autonomy of the Financial Task Force.
"All these bills are still pending before the legislature and have not been passed, so we need to work together to get Nigeria registered.''
The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. David Umaru (APC-Niger) said the 2016 budget was fraught with challenges but noted that the ministry and its parastatals was able to make judicious use of it.
He said the committee was not oblivious of the recent economic challenges in the country and was already preparing for the 2017 budget defence.
Umaru said the committee would work in consultation with the executive, particularly the justice ministry, to ensure that the budget was passed so as to address the economic situation in the country.
He added that the committee was also working to ensure that all bills necessary to make the work of the ministry and its parastatals easier were been looked into with a view to passing them soon.
A member of the committee, Sen. Chukwuka Utazi (PDP-Enugu) decried Nigeria's non-membership of the FATF.
According to Utazi, as a country that really wants to fight corruption, if we are on the FATF, it will help us to recover some of the stolen assets.
"Nigeria is not a member of FATF, this is a very important membership which we have not yet gotten and this can help us recover stolen assets since it is one of its core mandates.''
He lamented that office of the attorneys-general always put in applications for membership every year but failed to follow it through.
The lawmaker said that the shuttle diplomacy Nigeria was engaging in would not yield much without a membership of the FATF as no other member would give Nigeria support unless it was registered.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that N3.9 billion was appropriated for the main ministry in the 2016 budget with overhead cost taking over N1.7 billion. (NAN)
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