₦airaland Forum

by Hauwa Gambo

A Sport Utility Vehicle two days ago fell into the Orashi river at Mbiama on the Rivers end of the East-West road which sits at the border of Bayelsa and killed three of its occupants, Vanguard is reporting.

According to the paper, “A woman who reportedly survived the crash sustained serious injuries and was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

It was learnt that the black Mercedes Benz G55 model SUVwith four occupants was said to be on high speed and attempted to overtake a Mazda 626 salon car when disaster struck.

The ill-fated car, Vanguard learnt, was heading to Port Harcourt when it plunged into the river at about 3pm.

Eye-witnesses around the area helped remove the victims from the river, sadly three of the car’s occupants died before they could be rescued. The bodies have been kept at the Shell Hospital morgue in Port Harcourt.

Source: http://www.ynaija.com/bayelsa-tragedy-suv-plunges-into-river-3-killed-photo/

vowiski: La Decima indeed.. so much for the overrated clown.

He brought nothing to Bernabéu but division and hates. His 400m Euros Team dismantled by a mere 40m Euros team.. Yet Mourinho is a better coach than Klopp. Will the word "hypocrisy" be out of place here?. ..

Revelations from TEMITAYO FAMUTIMI’s close-up with some Nigerian online entrepreneurs underscore the positive influence of social media

Some 15 years ago, making money online was largely synonymous with advance fee fraud, popularly called yahoo yahoo in Nigeria. That was when the Internet revolution was just taking shape in the country, which was also just getting off the hook of military juntas that thrived on trampling on freedom of information.

While many people could not yet appreciate what the Internet and accompanying social media trends stood for, most of the few that first caught the bug exploited it to dupe unsuspecting folks, especially foreigners. Indeed, that is the time the notorious and ever-recurring letter in which an online conman (or woman), who claims he is stranded in some foreign country or has problems accessing a huge fund, was first composed. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since, but some people have also proved that Nigerians too know how to make the best of the social media.

It does not matter if some of them got online by accident. The fact is that from their different professional and accademic backgrounds, they have entrenched themselves, deploying the digital phenomenon to various businesses. Whether it is an Anderson Uvie-Emegbo that has abandoned medicine for online entrepreneurship, or nairaland founder, Seun Osewa, who was pushed out of the university by an accident, the guys got to the Internet ‘on time’, and have practically become landlords, making good money in transparent ways.

Curiously, more than half of those our correspondent contacted for an interview were not forthcoming. While some, including Linda Ikeji of the lindaikejiblog fame, repeatedly declined to grant the correspondent audience, Bellanaija founder, Uche Pedro, appeared too shy to talk about herself and business – despite the fact that they are often eager to sell other people to the world.

Bella Naija

She is popularly, called Bella Naija but her name is Uche Pedro (formerly Eze). She appears to be the most influential blogger in the country, with even most of her other successful counterparts attributing their in-road into the world of blogging to their visit to bellanaija.com.

For instance, in an interview, ace blogger, Ladun Liadi, says she drew her inspiration to become a blogger from Bella Naija.

Liadi says, “One day, I was with my friend who is a radio presenter and he said, ‘Ladun, why don’t you start a blog? You have so many things going on for you.’ I didn’t really want to, because I felt owning a blog was personal (as it was meant to be about the person’s daily activities) and not meant for reporting. But he told me I was wrong and gave me a blog address to check out. It was Bella Naija. And that was how I started my own blog too.”

Also, celebrated blogger, Linda Ikeji, in an interview published on bellanaija.com, also explains that she discovered what was called blogging after visiting bellanaija.com.

Bellanaija.com, which was formally hosted on .com as bellanaija..com, started off as a small entertainment and pop culture portal. Publishing Nigerian celebrity, fashion and lifestyle news, the blog has grown to attract over one million hit per month across the continent.

Apart from fetching Pedro cool cash, her blog success has taken her to places. She has featured in many elite celebrity talk shows. One of such is the Oprah Winfrey Show, which is the highest-rated talk show in American television history.

In an interview she granted to Cable News Network’s Isha Sesay in Nigeria, Pedro, who studied in a Canadian University, said she started blogging after being bored while on a two-week holiday in Nigeria.

“In 2006 when I just graduated from the university. I had two weeks off before starting my first job. I had always loved Nigeria and Africa but I was just bored. But I realised the fashion and entertainment industries were more vibrant and more people were involved in politics, business and it was so encouraging.

“I was like: Let me just start something that will sort of represent these and it has grown in leaps and bounds since then.”

Seun Osewa

Interestingly, Seun Osewa, the brain behind popular online forum, nairaland, is, conventionally speaking, a drop-out. After spending three years at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, where he was studying Electrical Electronics, he, according to him, decided to go the way of super rich Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal-computer software company. He also knows the history of founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg; and Steve Jobs – the late co-founder of Apple Inc., who also dropped out of school at one time or the other.

In an online interview with our correspondent, Osewa, however, responded to just two out of the questions asked him.

He notes, “I studied Electronics & Electrical Engineering at OAU with good grades for five semesters. But then I had a little injury, which eventually caused me to crash out. I’m a 30-year-old Yoruba man raised in a small town in Ogun State. I started Nairaland eight years and some days ago.”

Asked to speak on what injury he sustained and how he had taken other educational opportunities after “crashing out,” Osewa said, “ Well, it’s personal. Thanks for the understanding.” Subsequent reminders sent by e-mail for him to answer the other questions were not replied.

Nairaland, which claims to have over one million registered users, and over 35 million page views monthly, was last month ranked the most visited website in Africa by alexa.com, a US-based firm that provides web traffic data.

According to reports, the journey of Nairaland began in 2004, when Osewa started “mobilenigeria”, a forum to cover the emerging GSM industry at that time. However, it was transformed in March 2005 to what is now known as nairaland. Interestingly, in an interview granted to dipotepede.org, Osewa was quoted as saying that all the business projects he embarked on before Nairaland were failures, except the one (mobilenigeria) that became Nairaland.

He notes,, “My web hosting business failed after just three months because I ran out of money, while I couldn’t execute many other projects I researched due to shyness and lack of capital. My blogs and the mobile phone forum that preceded nairaland were successful but not profitable. However, it was on that foundation that nairaland was built.”

Read More: http://www.punchng.com/feature/yahoo-yahoo-apart-guys-are-honestly-making-it-online/

A human rights lawyer and the former general scribe of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Malachy Ugwumadu has frown at the act exempting certain category of persons from the prohibition law on the use of tinted glass cars in Nigeria.

Mr Ugwumadu, who expressed his displeasure of the exemption act in an interview with Channels Television, said the President, Vice President, Governors, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and others exempted from the prohibition of the use of tinted glass car do not face more security challenges than the ordinary Nigerians.

He said, “These are people who are heavily paid, I mean the same category of people who are exempted, who receive what we call security votes, usually unaccounted for, usually running into billions.

“I was here the other thing and I said Governor Rochas Okorocha, in all fairness to him, disclosed to this country that what his predecessor was receiving before he came on board was N6 billion and that when people wondered why he (Mr Okorocha) was able to revive free education in Imo State; it was that he dedicated Four out of the N6 billion to the educational assignment.”

The activist said this is an example that the ordinary Nigerian, who do not have access to such fund, are more exposed to security threats than those exempted from the prohibition of the use of tinted glass car.

Mr Ugwumadu said exempting some people from certain law is discriminationary and violate section 42 of the Nigerian constitution which holds that ‘A citizen of Nigeria of a particular community, ethnic group, place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion shall not, by reason only that he is such a person:

(a) be subjected either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any executive or administrative action of the government, to disabilities or restrictions to which citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions are not made subject; or

(b) be accorded either expressly by, or in the practical application of, any law in force in Nigeria or any such executive or administrative action, any privilege or advantage that is not accorded to citizens of Nigeria of other communities, ethnic groups, places of origin, sex, religions or political opinions.

Source: http://www.channelstv.com/home/2013/05/02/banning-tinted-glass-car-lawyer-queries-exemption-for-president-others/

-Mr Cork-:
...well ama Londoner and I *DONT TRUSSS* nigerians..especially those homes base ones.!!!

THE Lagos State Government, yesterday. disclosed that 9, 660 residents of the state tested positive to HIV virus of the 102,279 patients examined in the last one year.

The government also said 431 healthcare facilities across the state would be shut for contravening the state healthcare standards.

The state government, however, said it was impossible to guarantee total free healthcare services for the over 18 million residents of the state, noting: “There is no adequate fund to provide the services.”

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who disclosed these during the 2013 ministerial briefing on the activities of his ministry to commemorate the sixth year of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, said to prevent the increase in HIV virus, the state government through the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, LASACA, distributed 520,000 male and female condoms across the state.

The commissioner also saidthe state government has established HIV/AIDS counselling and testing centres in health facilities across the state, a measure to check the prevalence of the scourge within the state.

He explained: “These centres provide clients with all they need on HIV/AIDS, counselling, treatment and others. It is another of our strategy, among so many to check the problem.”

Kidnapping”ll end in Lagos soon, govt assures

Meantime, the state government, yesterday, assured residents that cases of kidnapping and terrorism would end very soon in the state.

Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State,on Political and Legislative and Power Bureau, Mr. Teslim Folami, gave the assurance during the 2013 ministerial briefing on the activities of his ministry to commemorate the sixth year of the governor’s administration.

Folami said it was very unfortunate that such cases were beginning to be noticed in the state, rated as the safest in West Africa.

He said: “We realised that corruption cases, extra-judicial killing and others were increasing daily. And when one walks or drives in the street, you will be panicking not to be kidnapped.

“We know that it is the sole responsibility of the Federal Government to address such cases but since they are not forthcoming, the Lagos State government will not sit back and watch its citizens kidnapped.

“That was why we have sent the anti-terrorism bill to the state House of Assembly for passage into law and immediately it is passed, cases of kidnapping would be nipped in the bud.”

Source: http://naijaobserver./2013/05/01/9660-people-tested-hiv-positive-in-lagos-within-one-year-govt/

A top Boko Haram Commander identified as Mohammed Chad, who has been on the wanted list of the Joint Task Force (JTF) has been killed in a shootout with JTF and men of the SSS at Ruwan Zafi of Maiduguri Metropolis in Borno.

Speaking in Maiduguri, JTF Spokesman Leuitenant Colonel Sagir Musa last night said, a special operation was conducted at Ruwan – Zafi area of Maiduguri metropolis by troops of the JTF Operation RESTORE ORDER and operatives of the department of State Security Service (SSS) at about 3:00 am on Friday 26 April, 2013 which “led to the death of a notorious Boko Haram terrorist a.k.a Mohammed Chad, an indigene of Marte, Borno State that has been on the wanted list of the JTF”.

Musa stated that the suspect is believed to be the successor to Ba,ana Assalafi a key Boko Haram Commander that lost his life during a shoot out with security agencies in Sokoto on 13 March 2013.

He also said intelligence indicated that Chad was involved in the planning/execution of many terror attacks in and outside Borno State. He was said to have masterminded the attack on Sanda Kyarimi Secondary Schools located at Ruwan Zafi, where a teacher was killed and injured 3 female students on 18 March 13.

Source: http://www.informationng.com/2013/04/jtf-kill-top-boko-haram-commander.html

Members of Boko Haram have sacked the hometown of Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, Mayo Belwa, damaging a prison, police station and a bank.

The state police command confirmed the Thursday night attacks but made no statement on the casualty figure.

This is coming a week after a clash between the Joint Task Force in the North and Boko Haram militants left 187 people dead.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ibrahim Mohammed, confirmed the incident. He, however, could not provide details.

Since the April 19 clash between the JTF and Boko Haram in Baga, Borno State, at least nine policemen have been killed in separate attacks in Borno and Yobe states.

The Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, Sanusi Rufai, said five policemen were killed during an alleged attack by Boko Haram terrorists in Gashua on Thursday, while four other policemen were killed in Bama, a border town in Borno State, the same day.

As at press time, only scanty details of the Adamawa attacks had emerged.

Despite the amnesty plans for Boko Haram, for which the Federal Government has established a controversial committee, attacks in northern Nigeria continue.

The JTF in Yobe had on Thursday introduced an extended curfew in Gashua.

The spokesperson for the task force, Lt. Eli Lazarus, said at the time that the curfew would be between 6 am and 1 pm.

Lazarus said the curfew was to enable the JTF to continue with its ongoing cordon-and-search operation following the attack in which the policemen were killed.

The Northern State Governors Forum on Friday described the death of the policemen as a great national loss, referring to them as heroes who died in the course of service to their fatherland.

The governors expressed serious concern at the recent attacks, appealing to the Boko Haram sect to give peace a chance.

Chairman of the forum and Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, said in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Danladi Ndayebo, “The renewed violence in Borno and Yobe states negates all efforts to restore peace to this region.”

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/boko-haram-sacks-adamawa-governors-hometown/

No fewer than nine candidates going to sit for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations today were feared dead in an auto crash on the Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway.

The Public Relations Officer of the Abia State Police Command, Mr Geoffrey Ogbonna, said seven persons, including the driver died instantly while two others died later in hospital. The police did not identify the victims.

The police image maker said that the candidates were travelling on a Hiace bus with registration number Rivers XY 249 from Port Harcourt to Aba. Ogbonna said that the driver of the bus rammed into a truck with with registration number Lagos XC 109 SLK, parked off the road.

He said that the accident occurred at Obeaku-Ihie in the Ugwunagbor Local Government Area of Abia at about 10.40 a.m.
Ogbonna said that the dead had been deposited at the mortuary while six survivors of the accident were in critical condition and receiving medical attention in a hospital Aba.

He said that the 15 seater-bus, was conveying mainly people, going to sit for the JAMB examination, slated for 27 April.
According to him, the clue comes from the items recovered at the scene of the accident.

A witness, Mr Peter Okolo, attributed the accident to over-speeding and recklessness on the part of the driver.

He said that the driver lost control of the vehicle when he wanted to overtake a vehicle in front of him.

“When he saw an upcoming vehicle while he was over-taking the car in front of him, he veered off the road and then rammed into the truck parked off the road,” Okolo said.

Source: http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/04/27/9-jamb-candidates-die-in-accident/

By Premium Times

Boko Haram were paid N500 million ($3.15 million) to free seven French hostages kidnapped in February, a confidential document from the Nigerian government available to Reuters states.

The insurgent group kidnapped the French hostages in Cameroon on February 19 near Wasa National Park in Northern Cameroon, which borders North-Eastern Nigeria.

The hostages, a family of seven including four children, are believed to have been brought into Borno State after the kidnap. They were released two months after the kidnap on April 19.

The document, according to Reuters, did not state who paid the ransom although French and Cameroonian authorities denied that any ransom was paid.
The Negotiations

Apart from the money the insurgents were paid, the document states, Cameroonian authorities also released some Boko Haram suspects in detention as part of the deal.

The sect had threatened, in a video released on YouTube in March, to kill the hostages unless Nigeria and Cameroon release some of its members in custody.

The report also states that Abubakar Shekau, the sect’s leader had asked for N1 billion to free the hostages but finally accepted half of the money, after agreeing to the release of his members in Cameroonian jails as part of the deal.

French President, Francois Hollande, denied that any ransom was paid when the hostages were released, same as Cameroonian authorities. No one has, however, said what got the insurgents to release the hostages.

Boko Haram is blamed for killings of several hundreds of people in Northern Nigeria and has claimed responsibility for several attacks.

Efforts to get the federal government to react to the report were unsuccessful. The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, and his spokesperson, Joseph Mutah, could not be reached as their telephone numbers were not reachable on Friday evening.

The spokespersons to the Nigerian President, Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe, did not pick or return calls to their phone as at press time.

According to Reuters, the report suggests that the ransom was paid because officials did not want to endanger the lives of the hostages in a rescue attempt; after a rescue attempt last year March to save a Briton and an Italian hostage kidnapped by another Nigerian sect, Ansaru, led to the death of the hostages.

A rich Boko Haram
Apart from waging a war against the Nigerian Government, Christians and Muslims opposed to his terrorist acts, Boko Haram has also delved into kidnapping for ransom, largely to finance its operations.

Apart from kidnapping for ransom, the group also robs banks in Northern Nigeria to finance its operations.

PREMIUM TIMES had also exclusively reported how a security report sent to the Nigerian Presidency last year showed that Boko Haram got N40 million from an Algerian terrorist sect as part of a long term international terrorism collaboration.

Source: http://saharareporters.com/news-page/boko-haram-got-315-million-free-french-hostages-premium-times

walcolm: did you guys notice his clothes was greenish when his back was showing and it was yellow when he turned around? straight up sticking it to Etisalat

a1solution: As long as it cant be used on PC it's not a good news yet.

President Goodluck Jonathan has given conditions under which the Federal Government will make refunds to states that fix or build federal roads.

He said such states must comply with the Due Process Law.

Jonathan spoke yesterday at the inauguration of WEMPCO Steel Mill Company Limited at Magboro, Ogun State.

He was responding to remarks by the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, that his efforts to develop the state were being hampered by some agents of the Federal Government who feel the state is interfering with its involvement in the maintenance and construction of some federal roads.

“I wish to state that Your Excellency would have visited the state more than the four times earlier mentioned if not for the fact that our investment drive is being greatly hampered by an embarrassing dichotomy called Federal and state roads,” Amosun said.

“However, we are being accused by agencies of the Federal Government for improving on the standard of roads in our state. What is more painful is that, these federal roads are very germane to our investment drive because, they link most of our industrial sites,” Amosun said.

The President, who arrived at the venue in a helicopter, escorted by two Air Force choppers, said there should be no controversy at all in any state or local government intervening in anything owned by the Federal Government. Anything owned by any arm of the government belongs to the people, Dr Jonathan said.

He went on: “I will emphasise that the ordinary Nigerian does not want to know whether it was the Federal Government, or the state that built a road. All that Nigerians want are good roads.

“But for us to pay, you must ensure that the procurement process must follow our due process law. So, those are the conditions. So, if you follow the due process, we can payback that part and you can pay the rest. But, assuming that you have enough money to fix the roads, then you don’t have to bother us with our procurement laws, you can go ahead and build the roads. We will never stop you from building the roads, but we will not refund any part because you did not follow our due process law.”

He said the government will release a blueprint to address the issue.

In his words: “But if some state governments want to give out federal roads to private persons for the purpose of tolling, we’ll say no. If the state governments have the money to build the roads for the people, we will give them the go ahead to do so.

“There is no reason the government will give the road to the states, and the states in turn will give it out to a private person. No, we will not accept that. But if you want us to refund some money, you can involve our Ministry of Works, then our due process guidelines must be followed. ” He said the government would come up with a clear blue -print on the issue.

The President praised Amosun for making Ogun State conducive for investment, adding that the government is working assiduously to bring the security challenges in the country under control.

He noted that the steel sector offers immense opportunity for the country, but observed that the potential has not been fully exploited.

No nation can industrialise without a vibrant iron and steel sector, the President said, adding that the government was working towards attaining three million metric tonnes of liquid steel by the end of this year and 12million metric tonnes by 2020.

Jonathan said the government was committed to ensuring that Nigeria becomes self-sufficient in steel production.
Amosun said Ogun State has attained the second position, nationwide in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). He said from N700million monthly IGR 23 months ago, the state now generates about N3.9billion monthly IGR, making it second only to Lagos State.

He said: “Our administration will continue to give its unflinching support to serious investors by providing incentives needed for business to thrive. We have fast- tracked the process of land acquisition, registration and approval, which hitherto had been very difficult. Extension of infrastructure to industrial sites and the accompanying waivers can now be assessed at finger tips.”

The governor pleaded for collaboration between the state and industrialists who, he said, should complement the efforts of the state government through prompt payment of taxes and levies, assuring that the state, on its part, will continue to serve as a catalyst for industrial growth through the provision and improvement of infrastructural facilities which will generate profitable and competitive business for the benefit of stakeholders.

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Lewis S.N. Tung, listed Nigeria’s potential for steel development to include oil and gas, iron ore and coal, massive human resources and a huge market.

Tung said whatever deficit, machinery and technology can be easily sourced from outside.

At the event were Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru; his Trade and Investment counterpart, Olusegun Aganga and his Iron and Steel counterpart, Musa Mohammed Sada, as well as the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Deng Bo Qing, and the GMD of Access Bank, Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede.

Many traditional rulers, including the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, were at the ceremony.

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/new/business/federal-roads-jonathan-gives-condition-for-payment/