₦airaland Forum

Facebook plans major changes to news feed from media and businesses to focus on personal interactions, which may lead to people spending less time on the website, its CEO said.

“As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media.

“The public content you see more will be held to the same standard — it should encourage meaningful interactions between people,” Mark Zuckerberg wrote.

The chief executive said the Facebook community has complained of a hike in the numbers of public posts on the social network in the past two years, which has been “crowding out” the personal moments.

It would take months to introduce the changes, Zuckerberg said in the post, adding he expected people to spend less time on Facebook and some other types of engagement to go down.

The end result, he said, will likely be good for the business in the long term.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/facebook-set-to-change-news-feed-to-focus-on-personal-moments--ceo.html

A fresh crisis has rocked the Kano State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the planned election for a new state chairman.

Daily Trust gathered that following the sack of the party’s former chairman, Alhaji Rabi’u Dan Sharu, the PDP had arranged for election to fill the vacant position.

Five aspirants, namely Senator Mas’ud El-Jibril Doguwa, Muhammad Rabi’u Sabo Bakin Zuwo, a former speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Gambo Sallau, Alhaji Aminu Sa’ad Beli and Hon. Abdullahi Maraya Barkum, were said to have indicated intention to contest the seat.

However, one of the aspirants, Alhaji Aminu Sa’ad Beli, has raised an alarm that the party was planning to impose Senator Doguwa as new party chairman in the state.

“Some elders of the party are trying to impose Doguwa as state chairman of the party. I have petitioned the party national headquarters protesting against this arrangement.

“I am protesting the arrangement because it is undemocratic.

“I am waiting for the party’s response which will determine my next line of action,” he assured.

In the letter, Beli advised the party’s national body to take urgent action on the matter with a view to resolving the issue amicably.

When contacted for comment, the party’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Musa Danbirni, said he could not make any comment for now.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fresh-crisis-rocks-kano-pdp-over-chairmanship-election.html

Senator Dino Melaye in a ‘Pirate of the Caribbean’ themed party celebrated his birthday.

The party pulled top stars of the entertainment industry.

See photos below:

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/in-photos-dino-melaye-hosts-pirate-of-the-caribbean-themed-party.html

Politics is another way of making money in Nigeria.

Up PDP

A video clip in which the Commissioner of Special Duties in Kano State, Abdullahi Sunusi, asked his supporters to stone ex- Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has gone viral.

Sunusi has neither confirmed nor disowned the video.

Kwankwaso and Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had been at logger heads for sometimes, with many of their supporters engaged in violent clashes in the past.

Speaking in Hausa at a yet to be verified occasion and time, Sunusi in the video described Kwankwaso as the “political satan of Kano” and went ahead to confess organising previous attacks against the former governor.

Kwankwaso, now a senator representing Kano Central was billed to visit his home state towards the end of this month, but Sunusi has asked their supporters to get set and stone the former governor on arrival.

“From today, the whistle of politics is blown on our in-house opposition. We met in Minjibir and dealt with them (Kwankwaso’s supporters); we met outside the emir’s palace during the Sallah celebration (there was clash at Emir of Kano’s palace between Kwankwasiyya and Gandujiyya supporters) and they tasted our wrath.

“Now their leader (Kwankwaso) is coming and we will receive him at kwanar Dangora or at Dakatsalle, you may be aware after the holy pilgrimage performed by Muslims is the symbolic stoning of Satan; so you all should await official announcement of the day you will all be directed to stone the political Satan of Kano. We are not afraid of anybody; we will even take the battle to his (Kwankwaso’s) room. Finally, my counterparts, let’s work to destroy Kwankwaso, as you all know he is afraid of us,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/kano-commissioner-asks-supporters-to-stone-kwankwaso.html

Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court in Lagos, has fixed January19, 2018 to entertain and rule on a motion filed by interested party before the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of Flat 7B, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The anti-graft agency said that the wife of the sacked Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, ( NIA )Folashade Oke, as the owner of the flat. The property warehoused the sums of $43.3 million, £27,800, and N23 million in cash.

The commission said it found out that Mrs. Oke made a cash payment of $1.6 million for the purchase of the flat between August 25 and September 3, 2015.

Arguing the motion for permanent forfeiture Wednesday, EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, argued that Section 17 of The Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 empowers the court to order the final forfeiture of the property.

He added that Section 44 (2) (k) of the Constitution also permits the take-over of a property in view of an enquiry.

"This motion has its root in the Constitution and we urged the court to grant it in view of the fact that Chobe Ventures which allegedly used proceeds of unlawful activities to acquire the property in issue had not controverted the averrments as to the source of the money", he said.


Earlier, an interested party, Union Bank Plc, had urged the court to discharge the interim order of forfeiture placed on the property.


The bank's lawyer, E. N. Ayuba, told Justice Saidu that his client filed the motion seeking the discharge of the interim order to protect its interest in the property.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/efcc-wants-court-to-order-final-forfeiture-of-ikoyi-property.html

Toh..

Good one

Hmm

hmm

.

good.

Congratulations to newly elected chairmen.

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are expected at the All Progressives Congress (APC) mega rally selected to hold in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

Other APC chieftains expected at the rally include the party’s national chairman, Chief John Oyegun and the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

The publicity secretary of the party in the state, Mr. Benedict Godson, stated this while interacting with Daily Trust on Sunday in Umuahia, adding that new members would be received during the rally. He said the party would use the rally to announce its preparedness to take over governance in Abia and other states in the South-East in 2019.

He said the APC had done well since it took over power at the centre, by providing a level playing ground for all political parties to pursue their agendas without the fear of intimidation.

“The Abia mega rally will be the first APC rally in the South in 2018. We want to use it to tell the world that we are ready to take over the Abia Government House and others in the South-East. We also want to use the occasion to pledge our support for President Buhari to run for a second term in 2019.

“We will also receive prominent politicians of Abia State extraction like Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, Dr. Uche Ogah, Chief Chineye Ike and others who have taught it wise to join the party in the last few months,’’ he said.

On the zoning of gubernatorial candidates he said, “We don’t have candidates, and we can’t have an anointed candidate. Our gubernatorial candidate can emerge from any part of the state. We believe there are some persons with ambitions but they have not made it open to us.

“We are not zoning the governorship slot. It is open. We want a credible person to emerge. We need change in the state. We need a credible and reliable person who can change the life of Abians and develop the state. It doesn’t matter the part of Abia the person is coming from. The APC is desirous of change. We want to ensure that Abia is developed.

He maintained that the APC in the state was formidable enough to win elections into various political positions.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-osinbajo-to-grace-abia-apc-mega-rally.html

hmmm

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, heads the medical team treating President Muhammadu Buhari’s son, Yusuf, who was involved in a bike crash on December 26.

The wife of the president, Aisha, in a message she posted on her Instagram page, aishambuhari, said the medical team had ensured that Yusuf remained stable.

Yusuf sustained a head injury and had one of his limbs broken in a bike accident in Gwarimpa, Abuja. He was reported to have undergone a surgery.

Mrs Buhari, on behalf of the first family, also thanked well-meaning Nigerians for their prayers.

She stated: “On behalf of my family, I will like to thank well-meaning Nigerians for their prayers in the past week.

“Special thanks to the team of doctors and specialists who have worked tirelessly to ensure that my son Yusuf remains stable, most especially Nurse Eze Doris Eberechukwu of Nisa Premier; the medical team chaired by the Honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole; the team of neurosurgeons, Prof. Temitayo Sokunbi; Prof. B.B. Shehu; Dr. Biodun Ogunbo and Assistant Prof. M.Raji Mahmud; the team of orthopaedic surgeons, Dr. Felix Ogedengbe and Dr. Akinola; the intensivists, Dr. Simon Esangbedo; the personal physician to the president, Dr. Suhayb Sanusi; my personal physician, Dr. M. Kamal. The nurses have all ensured that he remains stable while receiving treatment.

“Also, many thanks to Dr. Jaf Momoh, CMD of National Hospital, Abuja and his team for their continuous support.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/minister-heads-team-of-doctors-for-buhari-s-son.html

source...

good

hmm

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has reshuffled the state executive council. The changes, according to a statement from the Kaduna Government House, was due to the vacancy created following the death of the Commissioner of Education, Professor Jonathan Andrew Nok.

The statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on media, Samuel Aruwan, announced the appointment of two new commissioners, Mrs. Ruth Geoffrey Alkali, for Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and Dr. Ibrahim Hamza, for the Ministry of Water Resources.

Three commissioners were moved to new ministries.

They are Dr Manzo Maigari from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry & Tourism to the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry, Professor Kabir Mato from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to the Ministry for Local Government, Ja’afaru Sani, from the Ministry for Local Government to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Balabara Aliyu-Inuwa, from the Ministry of Rural and Community Development to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport and Hassan Usman Mahmud, from Works, Housing and Transport to the Ministry of Rural and Community Development.

The statement said Alhaji Shehu Balarabe, Commissioner for Stakeholder Relations in the Governor’s Office, is reassigned as a Commissioner in the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.

Engineer Suleiman Aliyu Lere, former Commissioner of Water Resources, was however dropped.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/el-rufai-reshuffles-cabinet-appoints-2-new-commissioners.html

The joint committee of the National Assembly on Petroleum (Downstream) has accused the NNPC and petroleum marketers of defrauding the country of N1.1tr in the importation of petrol.

Chairman of the Senate committee on Petroleum, Senator Kabir Marafa (APC, Zamfara) who chairs the session said the question was not about subsidy but that there is massive fraud in the sector.

“When we asked them (NNPC), they told us, that they are importing 30 cargoes of 37,000MT per month through the DSDP contract. If you compute it at 1341 per MT by 37,000, you will have 1.488b monthly.

READ FULL REPORT HERE

“Assuming we consume 40m litres per day, we will have seven days left in each month and if you multiply it by 12 you will have supply of 84 days left,” he said.

For the marketers, he said, according to a document obtained from the CBN they got $3.3b dollars at subsidised rate of N305 exchange rate.

“The amount should serve us for 189 days at 40m litres per day. In 2017, they are supposed to import 4.2b litres which are equivalent supply of 107 days at 40m litres per day.

“If you take 107 days of the marketers and the excess of 84 days of NNPC that will give you supply of 191 days at 40m litres per day. In all, we had excess of 7.6b litres which is for 191 days. The cost of it at N141 per litre is about N1.1tr. Who is fooling who? Who is deceiving who? The issue is not about subsidy, there is massive fraud in the sector,” he said in a phone interview on the outcome of the session.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/n-assembly-accuses-nnpc-marketers-of-n1-1tr-fraud.html

A factional leader of the militant Boko Haram group, Mamman Nur, has been “fatally injured”, the Nigerian military said Friday.

A military statement said Mr. Nur, who broke away from the faction led by the better known Abubakar Shekau, was “injured” during an operation in the northeast.

According to the spokesman of the Operation Dole counterinsurgency force in northeast Nigeria, Onyema Nwachukwu, Mr. Nur was hit during a bombardment of a targeted location believed to be his base.

The statement did not indicate the location where the Boko Haram leader was attacked. It did not also say how he was identified.

Previous claims by the military that Mr. Shekau had been killed or fatally injured turned out to be false.

See the military statement below:

“Ongoing artillery and aerial bombardments of Boko Haram enclaves in the Lake Chad region by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole has continued to yield positive results.

“Currently an evaluation report of the ongoing operation indicates that a major factional leader of the terrorists group, Mamman Nur has been fatally injured in the bombardment as he and his sub commanders fled from the onslaught.

“Several of his foot soldiers have also been killed by troops, while many of the insurgents who escaped are now surrendering to Republic of Niger Defence Forces, following the Amnesty granted the insurgents by the Government of Niger Republic”.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/254579-boko-haram-factional-leader-fatally-injured-military.html

November 2017 marked two years since most ministers in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet assumed office.

PREMIUM TIMES, in 2016 reviewed the performances of the ministers after their first year in office with many of them getting average scores.

Two years down the line, this newspaper, again, in three earlier reports assessed the performances of 18 ministers based on their promises before they assumed office.

Read the first, second and third part of the report here, here and here.

Here is the midterm scorecard of the final set of ministers in this concluding report.

State Minister: Khadijat Bukar Ibrahim

Promises:

-To reform and rationalise Nigeria’s foreign embassies and consulates.

-To improve global business relations for Nigerians.

-Cooperation with neighbouring states and the African Union to fight terrorism in Nigeria.

-Support the implementation of relevant international instruments on anti-corruption and illicit funds transfers across international borders, especially within the framework of the ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations.

-To make Nigeria’s foreign policy thrust focus on security, governance (anti-corruption) and the economy.

Achievements:

-Nigeria has improved its relations with nations of the world. It is partnering with other countries to guarantee free movement of people to boost economic potentials of Africa.

-Prompt reaction to the reports of slave trade and imprisonment of Nigerians in Libya. Summoned Nigeria’s charge d’Affairs in Tripoli, Libya, over the ongoing reports of trading of Nigerians in the North African country.

-Repatriation of Nigerians trapped in Libya with the assistance and provision of logistics from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union.

-Taking a definite stand on the status of Taiwan. The minister declared that “Taiwan will not have any diplomatic representation in Nigeria and asked the Tawian trade office in Abuja to move to Lagos and “function as a trade mission with skeletal staff.”

-Election of Nigerian representatives into various world organisations. They include the UN Human Rights Council, Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations and the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The elections show that Nigeria enjoys a lot of goodwill across the world.

Failures:

-Despite promises of reform and rationalisation, most of the 110 Nigerian missions and embassies abroad are still a national embarrassment as they still groan under financial difficulties. Some of them have not paid salaries for months and are owing huge debts.

-Looted funds belonging to Nigeria are still trapped in foreign banks, including the Abacha’s loot.

-Slow response to the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa prompting the Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa to take up the challenge, some say illegally. Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa also issued travel advisory urging caution for Nigerians travelling to the U.S. All this drew the ire of the minister.

-Slow response when President Trump of the U.S signed his first executive order widely interpreted in some quarters as potentially curtailing the tenure and cost of U.S. visas for Nigerians. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/254503-analysis-buharis-ministers-scorecard-two-years-concluding-part.html