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Did you pray for President Buhari as he celebrates his birthday today?

#MrPresident #EndSARS

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The publisher of Leadership newspapers and fiery columnist, Sam Nda-Isiah, has died at the age of 58. Although details of the death are sketchy, family sources confirmed to YBTC News that he died around 11pm on Friday. Born in 1962 in Minna, Niger State, Mr Nda-Isaiah, who held the traditional title of Kakaki Nupe, studied Pharmacy at Obafemi Awolowo University.

Continue reading at https://ybtcnews.com/publisher-of-leadership-newspapers-sam-nda-isaiah-dies-at-58/ | YBTC NEWS

YBTC News-Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman, Pensions Reform Task Team, PRTT, collapsed in court on Thursday as his trial resumed at the Federal High Court, Abuja. The drama began when Anayo Adibe, counsel to Mr Maina, told the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, of the Federal High Court, that he would be unable to continue with his client’s no-case submission motion today, because he was yet to receive the record of proceedings of the court since Mr Maina’s arraignment. But, Justice Abang told Mr Adibe that it was his duty to get the record of proceedings, which had already been processed, from the registry rather than waiting for the registrar to look for him. However, as the registrar was reading out the proceedings, that were ready for collection, Mr Maina, who was sitting beside the dock, slumped, causing confusion in the courtroom. Mr Maina was hurriedly rushed out of the courtroom by Nigerian Correctional Centre officers, as Justice Abang suspended the proceedings.

Continue reading at https://ybtcnews.com/video-maina-collapses-in-court/

NASS Voices-A UK-based Nigerian lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, has replied to remarks of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, that the Ninth National Assembly lacks powers to invite the president over insecurity in the country.

Malami had earlier on Wednesday said the confidentiality of strategies employed by the president is not open for public exposure, in view of security implications in probable undermining of the war against terror.

“The management and control of the security sector is exclusively vested in the President by Section 218 (1) of the Constitution as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces including the power to determine the operational use of the Armed Forces,” Mr Malami said.

But in response to the nation’s Attorney-General, Mr Bukarti said the minister’s statement was a “complete rubbish”.

“Attorney-General Malami’s statement earlier today that the National Assembly lacks power to summon President Buhari is complete rubbish.

“By the combined effect of Sections 88 & 89 of the Constitution, the Senate or House can summon any person or authority including the President.

“Malami’s argument that the President is invested with exclusive powers over the control and management of the security sector and can’t be invited is a straw man. He’s invited for his failure to fulfil his obligation of protecting lives & property and the House has power to do so.

“I urge the President to honour the invitation and address Nigerians through their elected Representatives. Failure to do so is a violation of the Constitution. But I won’t be surprised if Buhari refuses to appear. It appears he intentionally sent his AG to make this statement,” added Mr Bukarti, who is an analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

https://nassvoices.com.ng/2020/12/11/why-ninth-nass-has-power-to-summon-buhari/

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali-Pantami, on Thursday, said the average cost of 1GB of data has reduced from the January 2020 cost of N1,000 to N487.18 in November 2020.

Read the full story here: https://techcentral.ng/2020/12/11/fg-slashes-internet-data-prices-by-50-tech-central-nigeria/

Watch Video here: https://ybtcnews.com/video-gunshots-rocks-the-ongoing-nans-convention-in-abuja/

The Leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has released a video claiming responsibility for the killing of at least 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari. In the video obtained by HumAngle, Shekau said the farmers were killed for collaborating with the Nigerian army. According to him, some of the farmers arrested its members and handed them to the Nigerian military. “You think you can arrest our brother and hand him to soldiers and live in peace. Also Read:DHQ faults UN report, says Only 43 Borno farmers killed “You think Allah will forget what you have done to our brother. The Boko haram leader warned that the same fate will behold those in collaboration with the army if they don’t repent. “This message is for those who notoriously nab our brethren and hand them to the military or give them a clue on us. “You should know that, unless you repent, what happened to your people is awaiting you,” a masked commander of the group warned in the video.

Continue reading at https://ybtcnews.com/shekau-gives-reason-for-killing-borno-farmers/

BREAKING: Maina arrested in Niger Republic

Operatives of intelligence service in a collaboration with men of anti-corruption agency in Nigeria on Monday evening, arrested Abdulrasheed Maina, in a town in Niger Republic, PRNigeria reports.

A top intelligence officer told PRNigeria that the arrest was made possible due to an existing mutual relationship and security agreement between the two neighbouring countries.

Mr Maina, a former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, is facing a 12-count money laundering charge levelled against him and a firm by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

https://ybtcnews.com/breaking-maina-arrested-in-niger-republic/

BREAKING: Maina arrested in Niger Republic

Operatives of intelligence service in a collaboration with men of anti-corruption agency in Nigeria on Monday evening, arrested Abdulrasheed Maina, in a town in Niger Republic.

A top intelligence officer told PRNigeria that the arrest was made possible due to an existing mutual relationship and security agreement between the two neighbouring countries.

Mr Maina, a former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, is facing a 12-count money laundering charge levelled against him and a firm by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

https://ybtcnews.com/breaking-maina-arrested-in-niger-republic/

YBTC News-The senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Garba Shehu has apologised to Nigerians following his comment on the killing of farmers in the Zabarmari area of Borno state.

What is trending on social media are words the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari never used in his brief interview with BBC Hausa Service this morning.

Find here a transcript of the interview:

The spokesperson of President Buhari in an interview with (Labaran BBC Hausa safe) BBC morning service today said this is a time of mourning and to plead with Nigerians on the security situation.

He further said PMB is concerned and worried about the loss of lives in the country even if it’s one life talk less of many lives.

He also said, the govt. is not under estimating the security situation.

He also acknowledges the effort of security agencies in keeping the vast majority of the country in peace.

Mal Garba then clarified his comments with these tweets this evening:

“The State of Borno is essentially a military zone up till now that we are talking and much of what people do, much of where they go are governed by the exigencies of security.

“Routinely, traders, administration officials and even UN Agencies get the green light to go to many of the areas to avoid trouble.

“Information from the security agencies says that the Zabarmari marshlands are infested with land mines and movements in around those areas subject to military oversight.

“No one is delighted with the massacre in Zabarmari and there is nothing anybody will gain by playing blame games.

“The question I tried to answer on BBC was: did the security sign off on the areas as being free of mines and terrorists? The honest answer is: NO.

“I am human with tons of compassion and empathy, and could not have said that the victims deserved their fate for ignoring security clearance.

“I was merely explaining the mode of military operations in the war zone of the Northeast. There are areas that are still volatile that require security clearance which is intended to put people out of harm’s way.

“When tragedies occur, questions arise in terms of how something happened in order to avoid future recurrence. Informing the military of our movements in an area of volatility and uncertainty is intended to preserve public safety.

“Explaining why something happened doesn’t mean I have no sympathy for the victims. I was just explaining the military procedures on the safe movement of the people and not supporting the death of the victims.”


https://ybtcnews.com/garba-shehu-apologies-over-comment-on-borno-slain-farmers/

YBTC News-The Presidency has blamed the 43 rice farmers killed in Borno over the weekend for not getting military clearance before going to their farms.

In the early afternoon of 28 November, YBTC News report that Boko Haram insurgents had killed no fewer than 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari, Borno State, about 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital on Saturday

Speaking with the BBC on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the farmers should have waited for military clearance before proceeding to the farms.

He explained though the military is in “full control” of all parts of Borno, the farmers and residents ought to get clearance before visiting certain areas.

READ ALSO:110 farmers killed in Borno rice field attack, not 43 -UN

Mr Shehu, however, blamed the farmers the incident, saying they shouldn’t have gone to the farms without clearance.

According to him: “people need to understand what it is like in the Lake Chad area. Much of those areas have been liberated by Boko Haram terrorists but there are a number of spaces that have not been cleared for the return of villagers who have been displaced.

“Ideally, all of these places ought to probably be allowed to pass the test of military clearance before settlers or even farmers resume activities on those fields.”

When the BBC clarified if he was blaming the farmers for the attack, Shehu said: “Not exactly, but the truth has to be said.

“Is there any clearance by the military which is in total control of those areas? Did anybody ask to resume activities? I have been told by the military leaders that they have not been so advised.”

He argued visiting certain places in the north-east, which has come under the weight of Boko Haram insurgency for more than 10 years, is “a window that the terrorists have exploited”.

“The military is not present on every inch of space in that area,” he said, adding: “Even if the people are ready to go back, some of these areas have been mined and mine clearance has to be carried out first.”

The United Nations described the attack as “the most violent attack” targeted at civilians in 2020.


https://ybtcnews.com/killed-borno-rice-farmers-didnt-get-military-clearance-presidency/

See full EPL table after Sunday’s matches: https://ybtcnews.com/epl-table-after-sundays-matches/

Buhari worst leader in Nigeria’s history, Northern Groups says

YBTC News-The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has described the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the worst in the history of Nigeria.

The CNC stated this while reacting to the massacre of dozens of farmers in Zabarmari area of Borno State by Boko Haram, saying time has come for citizens to rise and protect themselves.

Spokesperson for the coalition Abdul-Azeez Suleiman said in a statement that government and federal troops can no longer be relied upon to protect northern communities.

“The President and federal troops keep telling us that they are doing something about the mounting insecurity, but by now all northerners must have realized that our region has been abandoned at the mercy of a rampaging insurgency that is continuously wasting the greatest asset of North; its population and weakening it politically and pauperizing it economically.

“Enough of taking excuses and fake promises of action from an administration that has so far acquired the reputation of being the worst in the history of our nation in terms of any capacity to generate confidence in achieving security of citizens lives and properties.

“All northerners are by now alarmed at the rising insecurity of communities and their properties in the North with the escalation of attacks by bandits, rustlers and insurgents leaving the only conclusion that the people of the North are now completely at the mercy of armed gangs who roam towns and villages at will, wreaking havoc.

“It is no longer in doubt that the current administration of Muhammadu Buhari and state governors have lost control over the imperatives of protecting people of the North, a constitutional duty that they swore to uphold.

“The situation is getting worse literally by the day as bandits and insurgents take advantage of the huge vacuum in the administration’s political will and capacity to act which they exploit with disastrous consequences on communities and individuals.

continue with this story here:https://ybtcnews.com/buhari-worst-leader-in-nigerias-history-northern-groups-says/

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has condemned the killing on Saturday of rice farmers by terrorists in Zabarmari in Borno State.

Lawan decries the incident as another act of babarism against innocent Nigerians minding their own business.

The Senate President condoles with the families of the victims, Government and people of Borno State over the senseless carnage.

“This incident is heart-rending and again demonstrates why we must all continue to support the security forces to thwart the criminals in their evil determination to impose a reign of terror on the North East of Nigeria.

“I commiserate with the families of the deceased, Governor Babagana Zulum and the entire people of Borno State and assure them of the sympathy and solidarity of the National Assembly.

continue reading here: https://nassvoices.com.ng/2020/11/29/killing-of-farmers-in-borno-act-of-barbarism-senate-president/

110 farmers killed in Borno rice field attack, not 43 -UN

YBTC News-The UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, on Sunday said at least 110 people died in the Boko Haram attack on Borno rice farmers on Saturday.

In the wake of the attack, 43 bodies were found decapitated by the terrorists, and many other farmers were reported missing.

But the UN official said in a statement that: “At least 110 civilians were ruthlessly killed and many others were wounded in this attack.” “The incident is the most violent direct attack against innocent civilians this year.

I call for the perpetrators of this heinous and senseless act to be brought to justice.”

The bloodletting took place in the village of Koshobe near the main city of Maiduguri, with assailants targeting farmers on rice fields.

Borno Governor Babagana Umara Zulum attended the burial on Sunday in the nearby village of Zabarmari of 43 bodies recovered on Saturday, saying the toll could rise after search operations resumed. The assailants tied up the agricultural workers and slit their throats, according to a pro-government anti-jihadist militia.

The victims were among labourers from Sokoto state in northwestern Nigeria, roughly 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) away, who had traveled to the northeast to find work, it said. Six were wounded in the attack and eight remained missing as of Saturday.

Read the full story here: https://ybtcnews.com/110-farmers-killed-in-borno-rice-field-attack-not-43-un/

[b]YBTC News-[/b]The United States President Donald Trump says he will relinquish power if the Electoral College affirms Democrat Joe Biden’s win but he signals he may never formally concede defeat, Bloomberg reports.

The 74-year-old Republican candidate, who lost his re-election bid, also declined to say if he would attend Biden’s inauguration next year, as is the custom for an outgoing president. “I’ll be honest, I know the answer, but I just don’t want to say it yet,” he said, adding that it is “not right” that Biden has begun picking a cabinet.

Trump fielded questions from reporters on Thursday for the first time since his election defeat, speaking at the White House after a Thanksgiving teleconference with members of the military.

When asked by a reporter gathered at the White House’s diplomatic room if he would physically leave the building should the Electoral College affirms Biden’s victory, Trump replied, “certainly I will, and you know that.” But he swiftly maintained that there was “massive fraud and massive rigging” in the election, insisting that the court cases challenging the election outcome will continue.

Trump was further pressed on whether he would ever acknowledge defeat but said it would “be a very hard thing to concede,” even if the Electoral College confirms Biden’s victory. “If they do, they’ve made a mistake,” he said. “This election was a fraud.”

The Electoral College electors in each state are due to vote on December 14. Certificates recording the electoral vote results in each state must be received by the president of the Senate no later than December 23. Biden is certified as the winner or leading, in states totaling 306 electoral votes, well above the victory threshold of 270, while Trump got 232 electoral votes.

https://ybtcnews.com/ill-not-relinquish-power-if-trump/

YBTC News-The following is the latest ranking for African countries as published on Thursday, 27 November 2020 by FIFA from its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

Senegal
Tunisia
Algeria
Nigeria
Morocco
Egypt
Cameroon
Ghana
Mali
10 Burkina Faso
11 DR Congo
12 Côte d’Ivoire
13 South Africa
14 Guinea
15 Uganda
16 Cabo Verde
17 Benin
18 Gabon
19 Zambia
20 Congo
21 Madagascar
22 Mauritania
23 Kenya
24 Mozambique
25 Zimbabwe
26 Libya
27 Niger
28 Central African Republic
29 Sierra Leone
30 Namibia
31 Guinea-Bissau
32 Malawi
33 Angola
34 Sudan
35 Togo
36 Comoros
37 Rwanda
38 Equatorial Guinea
39 Tanzania
40 Burundi
41 Lesotho
42 Botswana
43 Ethiopia
44 Liberia
45 Eswatini
46 Gambia
47 South Sudan
48 Mauritius
49 Chad
50 Djibouti
51 São Tomé and Príncipe
52 Somalia
53 Seychelles
54 Eritrea

https://ybtcnews.com/2020-fifa-ranking-for-african/

The Senate of the University of Ibadan will hold a special meeting on Monday, 30th Nov. 2020, to select one of its members as Acting Vice-Chancellor.

This came as a result of a letter from the National Universities Commission (NUC) directing the suspension of the process of selecting a new Vice Chancellor for the institution which had stalled despite the directive from the Minister of Education on the matter.

A copy of an internal memo signed by Morenike Afolabi, Deputy Registrar Senate, Admission and Affiliated Institutions (SAAI), on behalf of the institution’s Registrar, said the special meeting had been scheduled for 10 am, at the International Conference Centre.

“Agendum: Selection of one of its members as Ag. Vice-Chancellor (The candidate must not be one of the contestants for the position of Vice-Chancellor). Please attend and be punctual,” the memo read.

According to a source close to the management of the institution, this would be the first time the nation’s Premier University will be selecting an Acting Vice-Chancellor.

“It is a shame for the outgoing VC not to midwife a succession. It has never happened in the history of the University,” the source said.

continue here:https://ybtcnews.com/university-of-ibadan-to-select-acting-vc-nov-30/

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has agreed to call off its eight-month strike which has grounded academic activities in the public universities.

The union leadership reached the consensus during a meeting with the government team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, in Abuja, on Friday, the PUNCH reports.

The Federal government also pledged to increase the total payment to the union to N70 billion.

https://ybtcnews.com/ASUU-agrees-to-call-off-strike/

YBTC News-The lawyer, who said his brief has not been perfected (he has not been paid by his client), apologised to the court for being absent from proceedings during some of the recent adjournments.

Adeola Adedipe, a lawyer who had been engaged by fleeing ex-Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abulrasheed Maina in his ongoing trial for money laundering, has dumped the ex PRTT boss.

According to The Nation, the lawyer has applied to quit the case. Adedipe, who is representing Maina’s company – Common Input Property and Investment Ltd -, told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, at the resumption of proceedings in the case, that he has filed a notice, indicating his intention to withdraw from further representing his client.

The lawyer, who said his brief has not been perfected (he has not been paid by his client), apologised to the court for being absent from proceedings during some of the recent adjournments. Ruling, Justice Okon Abang, who on the previous day, held that, by being absent in court, Adedipe has abandoned proceedings, noted that the notice the lawyer claimed to have filed was not in the court’s file.

https://ybtcnews.com/drama-as-lawyer-dumps-maina-applies-to-quit-case/

The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has selected representatives from Facebook Nigeria, Innovation Support Network, Blue Sapphire, and other notable hubs to review the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy document.

The NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, in a statement on Tuesday, said the rationale behind co-creating the document with stakeholders was for Nigerians to own up and be carried along in the implementation of the policy.

He said: “We want you to see this assignment as a national assignment that is the reason we deviate from the usual engaging the consultant to prepare the policy for us, if we had engaged the consultant we may not see the document as ours and we want it to be owned by us.”

Continue here:https://techcentral.ng/2020/11/25/facebook-to-review-nigerias-digital-entrepreneurship-policy-document-nitda/

YBTC News-The Ninth Senate has mandated its Committees on Legislative Compliance and Communications to invite the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, to impress on him the need to implement the resolutions of the Senate regarding security related to the mandate of his ministry.

The decision was reached in a resolution which followed the consideration of a motion on the spate of growing insecurity in Nigeria.

Rising under Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP – Taraba South), noted that “the rate of insecurity in Nigeria has not only increased astronomically but has reached a melting point.”

According to the lawmaker, the challenged has manifested in kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, assassination and other criminal activity in the country.

“The assassination of Nasarawa State APC Chairman and other high profile cases are still fresh in our memories. A Chinese National was recently abducted in my community, his whereabout is still unknown,” Bwacha lamented.

He further expressed worry that “there is growing suspicion of complicity of officials of state saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties of the citizens, but compromised in the process.”

“This is heightened by arrest of several security operatives involved in armed robbery and kidnapping activities across the country. It is only in Nigeria that communication facilities can be used without a biometric process, no valid identification of passport details (in the case of foreigners) in place to check abuse”, the lawmaker added.

He raised alarm that “bandits, terrorists negotiate for ransom using telephones and getting away with it”, querying, “how can we be so negligent and insensitive to the safety and security of citizens?”

“Senate is concerned that the confidence between the protected and the protector is being increasingly eroded resulting to breakdown of law and order as demonstrated in the #EndSARS protest which was subsequently hijacked by miscreants.

https://ybtcnews.com/insecurity-senate-summons-pantami/

YBTC News-Senator Elisha Abbo has announced his defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The Senator who is representing Adamawa North in the Senate House of Assembly announced his defection in a letter addressed to the House.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan read the letter during Wednesday’s plenary session. In the letter, Senator Abbo explained that his decision to defect to the APC is because of the mismanagement of the PDP in Adamawa state by Governor Umaru Fintiri.

Senator Abbo has been in the news for assaulting a woman in an adult toy shop in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama, earlier in September, awarded N50 million damages against Senator Abbo, to be paid as compensation to Osimibibra Warmate, a female attendant at a sex-toy shop, whom he assaulted.


https://ybtcnews.com/breaking-senator-elisha-abbo-dumps-pdp-for-apc/

INVESTIGATION: How Nigerian-state Governments Poorly interacted with citizens during COVID-19 pandemic, despite ICT advancement (Part 1)

YBTC News-As a result of the advancement in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Telecommunications sectors, the manners of doing things have changed from analogue to digital, including governance and state administration processes. In this first part, Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim reports how Nigerian state governments are hardly reached by citizens via email and get responded to. The report also revealed how various state governments are left behind in terms of ICT/Telecommunications.

In the primitive period, when messages were sent via the post office, they took a long period before they are delivered, depending on the distance. They may spend days, weeks, or even months.

Presently, with the aid of ICT and telecommunications devices, messages are sent very easily and faster, in a matter of seconds via text messages, emails, and other electronic means.

However Nigerian citizens have expressed dismay over the lackadaisical attitudes of the state governments despite the federal government’s efforts to diversify the economy from oil-based to digital economy to provide an enabling technology driven society.

ICT and telecommunications advancements, made state administration, legislation, judicial processes to be easy as well as other humans’ day-to-day activities. Many countries of the world have keyed into digital policymaking, implementation, and the digital economy. The leaders as well as the lead are close to each other digitally though physically far away.

Unfortunately, Nigerian states remained where they were despite all these advancements in the ICT sector and the national digital economy policy and strategy. The state governments seemed to be lackadaisical in terms of ICT and digital literacy.

To attest to this, this reporter sent inquiries to 24 states and contacted 11 states via e-contact forms available on their websites. Unfortunately, only one state, Nasarawa, acknowledged and replied to the email in less than five minutes and 10 hours respectively.

Email inquiries

Between October 12 and November 9, inquiry emails and forms were sent to different state governments in Nigeria, including the federal capital territory administration (FCTA).

Only 65% of the states whose email addresses were available, were contacted via email. This showed that the country has a lot to do in terms of ICT, if still by now, some states don’t have ordinary email addresses available for the citizens who may wish to make inquiries.

These states are as follows, Gombe (info@gombestate.gov.ng), Bauchi (info@bauchistate.gov.ng), Yobe (info@yobestate.gov.ng), Kano (info@kanostate.gov.ng), Kaduna (info@kdsg.gov.ng), Kwara, (contact@kwarastate.gov.ng), Kogi (info@kogistate.gov.ng), Anambra (info@anambra.gov.ng) & (admin@anambra.gov.ng), Niger (info@nigeriastate.gov.ng), Ondo (info@ondostate.gov.ng), and Taraba (admin@tarabastate.gov.ng).

Others are Abia (info@abiastate.gov.ng), Sokoto (info@sokotostate.gov.ng), Kebbi (info@kebbistate.gov.ng), Zamfara (info@zmsg.gov.ng), Nasarawa (bict@nasarawastate.gov.ng), Oyo (info@Oyostate.gov.ng) Enugu (info@Enugustate.gov.ng), Jigawa (webmaster@jigawastate.gov.ng), Delta (admin@deltastate.gov.ng), Ogun (info@Ogunstate.gov.ng), Akwa Ibom (info@akwaibomstate.gov.ng), Lagos (info@lagosstate.gov.ng) and Edo (info@Edostate.gov.ng).

The inquiries contained a question that “has the state government approved the reopening of schools” and “is it true that the state government is requesting for covid-19 test fees from students?”

After seven days, a reminder was sent to the addresses that failed to acknowledge or respond to the inquiries sent. But despite this, these inquiries were not responded to.

Delivery failed notice

In a matter of seconds, shortly after sending the emails, delivery failed messages started bouncing back from the mailer daemon, informing this reporter that delivery had failed to the recipients.


Delivery failed notice
Up to 38% of the states emailed, that is 9 states ‘did not either exist or they are full as messages bounced back.’

“Sorry, we were unable to deliver your message to the following address. The email account that you tried to reach does not exist.” most of the failure notice stated.

“No Such User Here” Yobe state email bounced back.

Also, Anambra state email bounced back, “Unable to deliver a message after multiple retries, giving up.”

The same with Ondo state “Recipient address rejected”

Not only them, but Niger state also said “No MX record found for domain=nigeriastate.gov.ng”


The state government whose addresses cannot be reached by email include the following: Oyo (info@oyostate.gov.ng), Yobe (info@yobestate.gov.ng), Ondo (info@ondostate.gov.ng), Niger (info@nigeriastate.gov.ng), Anambra (info@anambra.gov.ng) & (admin@anambra.gov.ng), and Zamfara states (info@zmsg.gov.ng).


Similarly, for Edo and Abia states, seemingly to be undeliverable email attachments were received from (postmaster@edostate.gov.ng) and (postmaster@abiastate.gov.ng) which refused to be opened on WPS, Google Doc, and PDF drive.


Only Anambra state has another email to be contacted through, but the rest have the only one which failed.

Only Nasarawa state replied, out of the states contacted

About 63%, making up to 15 state recipients, failed to acknowledge nor reply to the inquiries regardless of sending another email to them as a reminder to those addresses after one week.

Except for Kaduna state, which a seemingly undeliverable email attachment was received from (postmaster@kdsg.gov.ng), but all efforts to open it using WPS, Google doc, and PDF drive failed.

Amongst the 24 states emailed, 9 were not reached. Out of the 15 delivered, only one (seven-percent) replied.

While out of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, only three-percent respond to email inquiries sent by this reporter.

The first and only state that sent an acknowledgment was Nasarawa state government, a north-central state of Nigeria, out of the 24 states emailed.

In less than five minutes after sending the emails, a reply came in from the Nasarawa state government acknowledging the receipt of the email.

“Thank you for taking the time to contact us.” the email displayed. “Your Message has been received and will be treated accordingly. Thank you once again.” Nasarawa state government replied......


https://ybtcnews.com/how-nigerian-state-govt-poorly-interacted-with-citizens-during-covid-19/

A 16-year-old girl has become the first TikTok user to cross the 100 million subscriber mark
Miss Charli D'Amelio, from Norwalk, Connecticut, hit the milestone after a year and a half on the app

More here: https://techcentral.ng/2020/11/23/16yr-old-becomes-first-to-hit-100m-followers-on-tiktok/

YBTC News-The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has officially confirmed that Nigeria was in its worst economic recession in 33 years.

According to the NBS gross domestic product report for the third quarter of 2020, Nigeria’s economy contracted by 3.62 per cent to record its lowest growth rate in three decades.

This is the second consecutive quarterly GDP decline since the recession of 2016.

Also Read: Prepare For Resumption as FG Agrees to Exempt ASUU from IPPIS

The cumulative GDP for the first nine months of 2020, therefore, stood at -2.48 percent.

The last time Nigeria recorded such cumulative GDP was in 1987 when GDP declined by 10.8 percent.

The bank had said in June that the collapse in crude oil prices, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, was expected to “plunge the Nigerian economy into a severe recession, the worst since 1987”.

https://ybtcnews.com/breaking-nigeria-officially-slides-into-worst-recession-since-1980s/

YBTC News-Federal Government has finally accepted the demand by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that its members be exempted from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)

At Friday’s meeting with ASUU, the federal government’s side shifted grounds on a number of issues, including the insistence that all the academic staff of the federal universities must be paid through the IPPIS platform.

While reading out the communique at the end of seven hours of negotiations at the conference hall of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Minister, Senator Chris Ngige, said the government had agreed to ASUU’s demand to pay their member's salary arrears from February to June using old salary payment platform, GIFIMS.

The government also offered to increase the Earned Allowances of university staff from N30 billion to N35 billion and revitalization fund from N20 billion to N25 billion.

On his part, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said that the union has received the new proposals by the federal government and that it would go and consult with its organs before taking a position.

“I don’t really have much to say as the minister had said it all. The government has given us offers and we have promised to go back to our organs to brief them and then come back to the government. We acknowledge that progress has been made,” he said.

Ogunyemi said that ASUU would need till Friday next week to meet with its organs before reverting to the government. The meeting was therefore adjourned till next week Friday.


https://ybtcnews.com/prepare-for-resumption-as-fg-agrees-to-exempt-ASUU-from-ippis/

Cable News Network, CNN has reacted to the threat of sanctions from the Federal Government, on its investigation into the shooting at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos.

It insisted that it stands by its report.

A statement by its spokesperson read, “our reporting was carefully and meticulously researched, and we stand by it.

Also Read: Nothing wrong with freezing #EndSARS protesters account-Akeredolu

“The report was based on testimony from dozens of witnesses and verified footage of soldiers appearing to shoot in direction of protesters”.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SucZsRRXyU&t=263s

https://ybtcnews.com/lekki-shooting-we-stand-by-our-report-cnn-tells-nigeria-government/

FG insists on the need to regulate social media

YBTC News-The Federal Government on Thursday said it has no plan to shut down the internet or social media. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this at a press conference in Abuja.

The Nigerian government would only work with stakeholders to regulate social media. Mohammed observed that social media was used wrongly to cause mayhem in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest, the Minister said.

“The irresponsible use of social media by some unscrupulous persons aggravated the violence that erupted in the wake of the EndSARS protest and helped to precipitate the violence.”

https://ybtcnews.com/fg-insists-on-the-need-to-regulate-social-media/

What then is AI?


AI was coined by John McCarthy in 1956 and it is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans, which performs cognitive functions done by humans; such as problem-solving, research.

The Role of AI in the Legal Profession
It refers to computer software and systems that don’t just do tasks they’ve been programmed for in advance, they actually learn as they go, improving their performance through feedback. Some examples of AI include; LawPavilion, Casetext(CARA), Kira Software, etc

https://techcentral.ng/2020/11/19/role-of-ai-in-creating-a-sustainable-law-practice/

University Students to Resume Next Week, ASUU Says

YBTC News-The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged Nigerian university students to prepare for resumption next week.

ASUU said this on its official Twitter page as the education body expressed hope of an agreement with the federal government.

The Union expressed optimism that students would return to universities next week after its meeting with the federal government.


https://ybtcnews.com/university-students-to-resume-next-week-ASUU-says/