Nigeria: $2b arms EFCC may invite Jonathan

It was learnt that more suspects have named Dr. Jonathan in the approvals and withdrawals of huge cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), and the Emeritus Chairman of Daar Communication, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, claimed that they got approvals for all projects they were accused of running.
The EFCC is said to have stumbled on fresh clues that some recovered funds from the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha’s family members might have been used for the arms purchase.
There were concerns last night that the votes being investigated might have been more than $2 billion.
The EFCC has asked some of the suspects to produce relevant written approvals from the ex-President on some of the expenditures.
It was learnt that some of the suspects acted on verbal approvals to carry out transactions.

Nigeria: SSS officials arrested for stealing N310 million Naira

The State Security Service, SSS, said on Sunday that it arrested two of its officials involved in the theft of N310 million.
The officials allegedly robbed a Bureau De Change operator of the money on November 20.
Three other SSS officials involved in the robbery are still at large, the agency, also known as DSS, said in a press release. It also said N66 million of the stolen funds has been recovered.

I met my dad after seven – Cynthia Morgan

Popular dancehall singer, Cynthia Morgan, has revealed that the first time she laid eyes on her father was when she turned seven years.

The delectable singer said that although she did not grow up with her father, she made the best of the situation by determining to be a success in life and make her mother proud.

She said, “The first time I met my father was when I was seven years old and I know what it feels like. There is the psychological effect that comes with growing up without your parents together as a kid. It is only few people like me that came out normal and I became determined to be successful in life so as to make my mother proud. Some people use that as an escape to be wayward and turn out to be a single parent just like their mothers who gave birth to them. They forget that no woman wishes to be a single parent if they really knew what they were going into. Everyone wants the best for their kids and having a father is one of those things.”

Nigeria: I will reconcile with Audu’s family, Kogi governor-elect says

The Governor-elect of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has stated that he would commence the process of reconciliation with the family members of the late candidate of the party, Abubakar Audu, whom he replaced after getting the nod of the leadership of the party.
Mr. Bello was announced as the winner of the election on Sunday after the results of supplementary election, which held in 19 polling units, were announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
After the death of Mr. Audu, and the announcement by INEC directing the APC to replace its candidate in order to complete the election earlier declared inconclusive, the Kogi State chapter of the party had asked the national leadership of the party to allow the son of the late Mr. Audu, Mohammed Audu, run with the running mate of his father, James Faleke.

Biafra: Uwazuruike renames MASSOB to BIM

The leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has in a surprise move, announced a new name, Biafra Independent Movement, BIM, for the group.
Chief Uwazuruike, made the announcement Sunday while addressing the press in Owerri, he said, he was irked by the bad corporate image some dissidents of MASSOB, was attracting to the group.
“The change in name became absolutely necessary because of the sad introduction of violence by the disgruntled dissidents and this is at variance with the non-violence stance of MASSOB over the years”, Uwazuruike said.
He said that real loyalists of MASSOB feel ashamed to be associated with violence, promising that they will restructure MASSOB to make it the youth wing of the Biafra Independent Movement.
While saying that there is vicarious liability in civil law, Chief Uwazuruike equally recalled how he recruited Nnamdi Kanu in 1989, to head Radio Biafra.
“I recruited Nnamdi Kanu in 1989, when I established Radio Biafra and appointed him the director of the establishment. He started preaching hatred and brainwashing the youths. MASSOB sacked him”, Uwazuruike recalled.

Facebook planning live Video for Everyone

#Facebook is planning live video for ordinary people, not just celebrities and journalists. Tests have already begun with a group of iPhone users in the US.
Streaming live video has been available for some time now through applications like Periscope and Meerkat on Twitter.
Several months ago, Facebook started a live video service as well, but it was limited to celebrities and journalists.
Now, according to Facebook product managers Vadim Lavrusik and Thai Tran, that service will soon to be extended to ordinary people like you and me.
"Today we’re beginning to test the ability for people to share live video on Facebook, starting with a small percentage of people in the US on iPhones," the pair announced through Facebook's newsroom.
Unlike Periscope and Meerkat, however, Facebook’s "Live" feature will be built right into the program. It is not something you need to download and add on. It is also designed to share live videos primarily with your friends, but that setting can be changed if you need to.
"To share live video, tap on "Update Status" and then select the "Live Video" icon. You can write a quick description and choose the audience that you want to share with before going live. During your broadcast, you’ll see the number of live viewers, the names of friends who are tuning in, and a real-time stream of comments. When you end your broadcast, it will be saved on your Timeline like any other video, which you can then delete or keep for your friends to watch later."

Nigeria Senate insists on Regulating Social Media

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday vowed to continue with the process for the passage of a bill seeking to regulate the use of social media in Nigeria despite public criticism of the bill.

The Senate had passed into Second Reading a bill seeking two years imprisonment with an option of N2 million fine or both for any Nigerian who posts “abusive statements” on the social media.

Senator Dino Melaye, coming through a point of order during plenary, ‎expressed dissatisfaction with the abuse of the social media by some online publishers whom he said sold their “conscience”.

Melaye, who specifically mentioned prominent online platform, Sahara Reporters, said others in the online news business are in the habit of fair reportage.

He said Sahara Reporters is known for outright falsehood.

He added that Sahara Reporters operates from New York in the United States of America and the Nigerian Government should write the US Government on the platform’s penchant for misinformation.

Contributing to the point of order, Senator Abiodun Olujimi said the amount of falsehood flying everywhere is staggering and a scapegoat has to be made as deterrent for others.

Olujimi revealed that she had to exit all social media platforms because of the continued lies and falsehood peddled around.

US set to send homeland security team to tackle terrorism in Nigeria

United State of America USA has concluded plan to export her homeland security team known as Security Governance Initiative (SGI) into Nigeria as part of efforts to tackle terrorism.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, revealed this in Abuja when he paid a visit on the Minister of Interior, at his office.

Entwistle said his country has concluded plan to send a team to Nigeria by January, to grow the spirit of partnership with Nigeria and also end all form of insecurity in Nigeria and the world at large.

Responding, the minister of Interior who expressed gratitude to the US ambassador, assured that Nigerian governance will partner with the US to ensure fruitful implementation of the project.

He noted that Nigeria will adopt the new innovation of Security Governance Initiative, SGI to enhance the fight against all forms of insecurity in the country.

Nigeria: Bill seeking to curtail media excesses pass through second reading

A bill seeking a two-year jail term for any person who makes allegation or publishes any statement or petition in the newspaper, radio or medium of whatever description against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder, passed second reading in the Senate.

The bill also prescribed that anybody or group of persons who send any false text message or post false message on the social media against another person shall be jailed for two years upon conviction by the law court.

The bill, tagged: “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected therewith”, sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South, compels petitioners to accompany their petitions with sworn court affidavit, failure of which attracts a six- month imprisonment upon conviction. 

Declare me governor elect now – Audu’s running mate, Faleke tells INEC

The running mate of the late Prince Abubakar Audu, who was governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the November 21 poll in Kogi State, Mr. James Faleke, has opposed the proposed supplementary election by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state on December 5.

In the Saturday election, the APC candidate had polled 240,867 votes, 41,353 votes higher than the Peoples Democratic Party candidate and incumbent state governor, Capt. Idris Wada (retd.), who scored 199,514 votes.

In separate letters on Thursday to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Faleke’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), sought the immediate declaration of his client as the governor-elect for Kogi State.

Olanipekun said to the best of his client’s knowledge, information and belief, the November 21 election, having substantially satisfied the requirements of the Electoral Act 2010, was deemed concluded.

He said Faleke saw no reason why INEC should have declared the election inconclusive, adding that the reason adduced by the electoral umpire for its action was alien and unconstitutional.

He believed that by directing the APC to conduct a fresh primary to elect another candidate for an election, which was already concluded, INEC was knowingly or unknowingly instigating political and legal conundrums, which the commission should have distanced itself from.