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- See What Africa's Richest Man Did After Withdrawing $10 Million
- Osinbajo, Oshiomhole, others for APC summit in Anambra
- Abia APC counters moves to reappoint Enelamah minister
- Group to FG: Reform almajiri, curb extremism
- Adeleke qualifies to be governor, says Appeal Court
- Buhari greets Olagunju at 60
- Buhari committed in the fight against corruption, says youth group
- Lawyers mobilize 50 counsels to defend Bauchi Governor Elect in Court
- PDP Rep to INEC: obey court order, declare me winner now
- Dangote Group assures Nigerians of good quality products
- ONNOGHEN RESIGNS AHEAD OF IMMINENT SACK
- Onnoghen: The man, the judge, the end
- Dismissed Inspector charged with Kolade Johnson’s murder remanded
- Unemployment: Nigeria needs skillful youths – Buhari
- Senate Presidency: Kano senators endorse Lawan
- INEC silence on PDP access to server worrisome, says BMO
- Testing Verizon's new 5G speeds exposed three major issues with the next-gen data network
- Shazam postcredits scenes, explained
- Elon Musk: SpaceX Starhopper lifts off (a little bit)
- Unemployment: Nigeria needs skillful youths – Buhari
- Abia APC counters moves to reappoint Enelamah minister
- Tboss Baby Bump Is Getting Obvious And Her Fans Have Noticed The Growth
- Johnnie Walker has unveiled White Walker
- Moments court nullified Davido's uncle, Adeleke’s nomination as PDP candidate
- Don Jazzy reveals he now has a babe
| See What Africa's Richest Man Did After Withdrawing $10 Million Posted: 06 Apr 2019 04:12 PM PDT
Africa's Richest man, Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, told a forum in Ivory Coast on Saturday how he once withdrew $10 million in cash out of the bank just to look at it and get it into his head that this was real money, not just figures on paper."When you're young your first million is important, but after, the numbers don't mean much," Dangote, a manufacturing tycoon with a range of companies spanning cement to flour, told the Mo Ibrahim forum in Abidjan."One day, I cashed 10 million, put them in the boot of my car I put it in my room. I looked at them and thought 'now I believe I have money' and took it back to the bank the next day," he told his audience.Anecdotes aside, Dangote said that the two most promising sectors for Africa's future were agriculture and new technologies. But he advised young African entrepreneurs not to get carried away by the first flush of success, dailymail.co.uk reports."Often in Africa we spend our projected incomes. There are ups and downs" in business, he warned.Dangote said he regretted the customs and administrative problems that hamper business development throughout the continent. As an example he cited the difficulties his cement group faces in exporting to Benin from Nigerian factories 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the border. Benin imported "more expensive" cement from China instead. Source: dailymail In This Story: #Dangote #AlikoDangote #AfricaRichestMan Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Osinbajo, Oshiomhole, others for APC summit in Anambra Posted: 06 Apr 2019 03:26 PM PDT
While the Vice president will declare the summit open, Oshiomhole will deliver the keynote address, with the former Senate president, Ken Nnamani to deliver one of the lectures on the day. This is part of the activities lined up by APC in the state, under the leadership of Chief Basil Ejidike among others, to re-position the party in Anambra state. The party has equally concluded arrangements to set up a committee on how to bring back some of the elders of the party, who had backed out as a result of neglect. Some of the elders of the party were, former Governor of the state, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Senator Ikechukwu Obiora, Chief Dr, Obinna Uzor among others. Before now, the party had set up a committee to investigate the abysmal performance of APC in Anambra State during the last elections of which the report was being awaited. Addressing reporters on Saturday at the Olde English Hotels in Awka, the Acting Chairman of the party in the State, Chief Basil Ejidike, flanked by all the executive members, said 'enough is enough' He said the next target of APC was to win the Governorship election of Anambra State come 2022, adding that the party still had a lot of grounds to cover in the state. Other activities lined up by the party apart from the three day summit included, the tour of all the 21 local government areas in the state, visit to all the federal government projects in Anambra,verification of the party's register among others. Ejidike, who admitted that the party had not reached it's height in Anambra State, however, gave kudos to the members to giving their best, adding that the aim of the current moves was to take APC to where it belonged. He said another important thing starring the party in the face was putting up a committee to harmonise all the warring factions in the state, which would give the party the opportunity to take over the state completely. According to him, "our aim is to take over power in Anambra as soon as possible and our target is the next governorship election and we are saying enough is enough "Ejidike said In This Story:#YemiOsinbajo #KenNnamani #ObinnaUzor #AdamsOshiomhole #APC #Anambra Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Abia APC counters moves to reappoint Enelamah minister Posted: 06 Apr 2019 02:11 PM PDT
The party who accused Enelamah of being less concerned with activities of the party in the state in the last three years, also called on the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to ensure that Abia gets a minister who is committed to the interest and growth of party in the next Federal Cabinet. The APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Comrade Benedict Godson while addressing journalists said that most of the problems faced by the party in the state during the last election were due to Enelamah's non-commitment and lackadaisical approach to the party's issues. "We have a minister on paper, but nobody feels his Impact. Throughout the campaigns, he showed no interest. He supposed to help in the building of this party, but he has remained unconcerned and lackadaisical to the interest of APC. He's practically not an APC member. "Now he is being projected again to return as a minister which should not be so. We disown him because he's a saboteur to our party here in Abia. His attitude is serving the interest of the opposition. "We call for his immediate removal and as for the plans of reappointing him, we wish to tell the presidency that APC is too big with so many qualified members for us to be appointing none members." Speaking further, Godson said, "Enelamah is not a member of our party and should not be appointed as a minister again. No APC member in Abia knows his way about. "He has never attended any APC meeting. He kept saying he is a democrat and not a politician, but the issue here is if people didn't bring out themselves to work, campaign and mobilize for APC would he be waiting for appointment now? "If everyone had remained nonchalant, unconcerned and relaxed as he was and claimed that they're all not politicians, would APC had won the election? We must call a spade a spade you cannot reap where you didn't sow. "We are saying that he should be replaced with a real APC man who believes in the interest of the party and has worked for the growth of the party. He was used against us by the opposition who usually celebrate that Abia APC is missing in the Federal Executive Council and that they have the man's support in the state. "We are therefore calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, our Party Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and the leader of our party in Abia, Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu to look into this matter and safe the party from impending trouble should Enelamah be reinstated. "Another issue is that this minister is also from the same constituency with Nigeria's ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Dr. Uzoma Elizabeth Ikechi Emenike who also doesn't do anything for the party after getting appointment with the platform of APC. There are many qualified APC members all over Abia. "How can this party grow to the desired level when people who ought to make things easier believe that they can get appointed to any position by sitting on the fence? We can on all those concerned to look into this matter and save our party for future opportunities ahead." In This Story:#OrjiUzor-Kalu #AdamsOshiomhole #OkechukwuEnelamah #UzomaElizabeth #APC #Abia Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Group to FG: Reform almajiri, curb extremism Posted: 06 Apr 2019 01:48 PM PDT
Almajiri, a system in much of the North whereby male children are encouraged by parents to go for Islamic education in distant lands where they become street children fending for themselves away from parental care, is believed to account largely for extremism and violence around the North, as they are often easily used by evil-minded people for anti-social pursuits. A coalition of groups which articulated the position on the almajiri system against escalating violent crimes in the country, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to implement ex-president Goodluck Jonathan's Almajiri integration initiative. The Project Manager of 'Almajiri Is Also A Child', Iliyasu Usman, made the appeal while launching an advocacy for the vulnerable children in Yola on Saturday. He said, the Goodluck Jonathan administration built many integrated schools across the North to absorb a good number of the traditional almajiri children for combined Islamic cum western education aimed at giving the children all-round education for a more promising future, but the Buhari government has done little to further the initiative. Usman reiterated that continuing neglect of the initiative was a mistake, as almajiris have been found to be directly involved in alarming rate of violent extremism around the country. As if to give credence to this long held belief that the almajiri system has become a manpower source for groups like Boko Haram, a group notorious for violent crimes in Adamawa State, 'Shilla-Boys,' was recently tauted as being notorious for recruiting almajiri boys into their fold. Usman said Yola was chosen to start the advocacy due to its large numbers of almajiri tutorial system, and ensured that the over 500 almajiris who attended the launch went home with a bathroom slippers each. Adamawa State is said to be home to about 200,000 almajiri destitute children, most of them from other northern states. The number is part of UNICEF's annual report on Nigeria, which puts 2,711,767 as the number of almajiris from the Northeast, representing 25 per cent of the total 9.5 million almajiri population in Nigeria. This almajiri population represents 72 per cent of the country's 13.2 million out of school children. In This Story:#Almajiri #MuhammaduBuhari #IIiyasuUsman #UNICEF #IslamkicEducation Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Adeleke qualifies to be governor, says Appeal Court Posted: 06 Apr 2019 01:37 PM PDT
With the ruling, the controversies surrounding the eligibility of the lawmaker to contest the election or hold the office as a governor might have ended. The Appeal Court in its ruling dismissed an appeal against the judgment of an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo which had earlier confirmed the eligibility of Adeleke to contest the governorship election. An Osun State High Court had earlier ruled that Adeleke was qualified to contest for the governorship election, having been educated up to secondary school level. The petitioners, however, proceeded to appeal against the ruling, maintaining that the Senator was not qualified and therefore Dr Akin Ogunbiyi who is the second runner up at the governorship primary should be declared the winner of the primary election of the party. The Appeal Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo state capital in its ruling dismissed the appeal on three grounds, affirming the judgment of the lower court that confirmed the eligibility of Adeleke. The first ground was that the court has no jurisdiction to hear the case. The second was that the sponsored petitioner; one Kingsley Awosiyan from Ife Central has no locus standi to file the case and third was that the matter was brought to court outside the stipulated 14 days after the conduct of the Governorship primary election. Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Adeleke, Nathaniel Oke said the latest judgment has knocked out the judgment of an Abuja High Court and rendered its conclusion ineffective, null and void with no effect on the candidacy of the PDP candidate for the September 2018 gubernatorial election. He said the Abuja High court judgment had contradicted the Osogbo High court verdict by rejecting testimonies of WAEC, an examination body which in a sworn affidavit confirmed that Ademola Adeleke sat for its examination with attached results. In This Story:#AdelekeAdemola #AkinOgunbiyi #WAEC #NathanielOke #PDP Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Posted: 06 Apr 2019 01:32 PM PDT
The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, celebrated with all family members, friends and associates of Olagunju. Buhari congratulated him for always making himself available for service to the nation and humanity, which is centrally motivated by his fear of God and sense of patriotism. President Buhari commended the former Acting Managing Director of Bank of Industry for playing a significant role in supporting the vision of diversifying the Nigerian economy through innovative and actionable ideas that translated into growth of more Small and Medium Enterprises across the country. As Olagunju turns 60, the President prayed that the almighty God will grant him long life, good health and strength to continue serving the country. In This Story:#WaheedOlagunju #MuhammaduBuhari #Birthday #60thBirthday Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Buhari committed in the fight against corruption, says youth group Posted: 06 Apr 2019 01:26 PM PDT
In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Shuaibu Mustapha and made available to journalists in Kano, the group urged Nigerians to restore their confidence in the leadership of President Buhari, insisting that his re-election will bring better tides for the country. According to the Statement, "We want to seize this opportunity to commend Nigerians for giving President Buhari another mandate. We are not unaware of the perceived sufferings of the masses. In any case, we want to urge Nigerians to remain resolute and pitch their tent with the desire of the ruling All Progress Congress (APC) government to take our great nation to the Next Level. President Muhammadu Buhari's government should be appreciated in somewhat ways such as the N-Power programme which has directly and indirectly touched the lives of the Nigerian youths. In spite of the undue propanganda being peddled by the opposition, Buhari's government has recorded huge achievements in agriculture, infrastructural development, power and technology. "We have persistently observed the tremendous efforts being put in place by the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, His Excellency, Dr. Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu which has continued to empower Nigerian youths." The group noted that, "the Ministry of Science and Technology under Ogbonnaya Onu has remained committed towards intensifying research and innovation, as well as, increase the awareness among the people in the country of the importance of science and technology to their daily needs." The group also commended President Buhari for his unrelenting efforts in the fight against corruption and called on Nigerians to lend their support to incumbent government in that regard. On the issue of insecurity, the group hailed President Buhari's resolve to stamp out terrorism, kidnapping and youth restiveness, pointing out that Nigeria can only get better when Nigerians see the fight against insecurity as a personal project. In This Story:#YPPDGG #MuhammaduBuhari #APC #ChristopherOgbonnayaOnu #ShuaibuMustapha Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Lawyers mobilize 50 counsels to defend Bauchi Governor Elect in Court Posted: 06 Apr 2019 01:14 PM PDT
This was disclosed by a group known as the Body of Bauchi Lawyers of Conscience (BOBOLAC ) BOBOLAC said the development was in response to the decision by the outgoing Governor of Bauchi state, Muhammad Abubakar and the All Progressive Congress, APC, to challenge the victory of the Governor Elect. In a press statement made available to newsmen on Saturday , the convener of the group , Shipi Rabo Esq said " We convey our assurances to his Excellency The Governor- Elect and indeed the people of Bauchi state that we are deploying the services of not less than 50 counsels which include some very senior colleagues and successfully tested hands to compliment the efforts of the legal team to defend the peoples mandate in terms of the impending election petition to be filed by Governor Abubakar " " Having said this , we also wish to observe that Governor Abubakar 's latest move to go to to tribunal in respect of the election smacks of double speak ( and with due respect to him and the APC ), insincerity. This is because as we have had occasions to observe, Governor M.A. was among the first people to call on Wazirin Adamawa Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to concede defeat in the presidential election and take the result in good faith" "The issue here is that our own Makama Babba in Bauchi is for all intent and purposes not walking the talk. Having initially conceded defeat and congratulated Kauran Bauchi knowing fully well that it is the wish of the people; Mr. Abubakar should have stick to his words. That is how statemen behave" Shipi stated though that the group has no problem with the governor going to the tribunal saying it is a welcome development which will afford it to use its God-given skills to defend the people's mandate as given to the Governor-Elect" "What we consider wrong is the governor portraying the whole matter of going to the tribunal as being the decision of so, so and so person while in reality it is not" It would be recall that the outgoing Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar disclosed last week that his party, the All Progressives Congress has assembled four SANs to challenge his electoral defeat in court. Abubakar who returned to the state after spending over one week in Abuja making consultations with the Presidency and the national leadership of the APC, backed down on his earlier decision to concede defeat. In This Story:#BalaMohammad #MuhammadAbubakar #APC #BOBOLAC Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| PDP Rep to INEC: obey court order, declare me winner now Posted: 06 Apr 2019 01:01 PM PDT  The House of Representatives candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Ajeromi/Ifelodun Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Rita Orji has urged the National Electoral Commission (INEC) to obey the pronouncement of an Abuja High Court and declare her the winner of the election. The serving member, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora Matters said her prayers was hinged on the pronouncement of Justice Bello Kawo of Federal High court, Abuja on Thursday that the electoral body should go ahead and release the result of the election with immediate effect. The court said result should be based on the original results of the election polling booth by polling booth. While commending the judiciary for standing up for the common man and in defense of the nation's democracy, the lawmaker also praised INEC for not allowing some individuals in its employ to perpetrate fraud. She said: "INEC should now do the needful by going ahead to announce the original results of the poll by polling booth by polling booth, if this is done and corrections of the noticed shortcomings carefully done, we will accept the outcome and then the Commission will be left to take necessary disciplinary against its officials. "However, if the Commission still go ahead to announce the results of the poll based on the mutilated and doctored figures, we will have no option left than to head for the Electoral Tribunal to seek redress. "The Electoral officers will have to account for all the electoral materials they collected for the conduct of the poll in the Constituency, the Presiding Officer who suddenly assumed the supper power to cancel results or change results at will will tell the tribunal how and where he got those powers". While she expressed confidence of victory at the end of the day, the lawmaker commended the people of the Constituency for their support, while urging them to remain calm and law abiding. In This Story:#INEC #RitaOrji #BelloKawo #PDP Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Dangote Group assures Nigerians of good quality products Posted: 06 Apr 2019 12:49 PM PDT
The Corporate Communications Manager of the group in Lagos, Mr. Okey Nwankwo gave the assurance in Enugu on Saturday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the fair. The group spokesperson said that all the products manufactured by the company met the international standard. Nwankwo said that their products were always affordable and also cheaper than every other product both in the supermarkets and open markets. "We are participating at the Enugu International Trade Fair because it is the biggest trade fair in the southern part of the nation. "As the biggest indigenous conglomerate, we have to market our products and also partner with the good people of the east. "The group is also here to bring our products nearer to consumers and also to have time to discuss with our distributors to see the challenges they are facing. "We have four companies in Dangote participating in this trade fair which include the Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, flour and the allied industry in charge of salt and seasoning. "We also came with our newest product which is Dangote fertilizer; we will educate people on the new fertiliser and the usage," he said. The manager said that they were doing promo in all the products they came with at the fair. According to him, if somebody buys two cartons of the noodle, the person will get one extra making it three cartons. "The offer is just for the fair and people have been winning fantastic prices like micro waves, blender, electric kettle and others in our stand,'' Nwankwo said. He appreciated Nigerians for their patronage over the years and encouraged them to keep on supporting made in Nigeria products particularly Dangote products. The communications manager also commended the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) for well organised fair especially the constant power supply at the fair. He said that in terms of security, that Enugu is very cool. In This Story:#OkeyNwankwo #ECCIMA #DangoteGroup #EnuguChamber Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| ONNOGHEN RESIGNS AHEAD OF IMMINENT SACK Posted: 06 Apr 2019 12:15 PM PDT
His resignation came less than 48 hours after the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommended his compulsory retirement. His resignation, it was learnt, was aimed at pre-empting the action that President Muhammadu Buhari would take on the report of the NJC. It was gathered that at the time the embattled CJN tendered his resignation, President Buhari was still seeking legal advice on whether to retire him or subject him to full trial on the allegations levelled against him. Onnoghen, however, decided to beat the President to it in order that he might remain on the honours roll of past Chief Justices of Nigeria and also enjoy the full benefits accruing to the office. Explaining why Onnoghen resigned his appointment in a telephone conversation with one of our correspondents yesterday, counsel to the suspended CJN, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, said he acted in the interest of the judiciary. Awomolo, who confirmed that Onnoghen resigned on Thursday, said: "I have just spoken with him. He confirmed to me that he resigned yesterday. He said he resigned in the interest of the Judiciary." Awomolo is the lead defence lawyer in Onnoghen's trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on charges of non-declaration of asset. Another Senior Advocate in Onnoghen's defence team, who sought anonymity, also confirmed that the suspended CJN put in his resignation letter on Thursday, saying that he addressed it to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Another top source in the Supreme Court said the suspended CJN resigned on Thursday evening following a fait accompli decision taken by the NJC. The source said: "The CJN was shocked at the decision of the NJC, so he offered to resign instead of being thrown out through compulsory retirement. "I think he chose resignation because it is a better option than a compulsory retirement, which implies some indictment. "The truth is that if a public or a judicial officer is compulsorily retired, he is not entitled to some benefits. "Technically, compulsory retirement has some stigma attached to it while resignation would allow the CJN to get full complement of his entitlements, including a N2.5 billion package. "One of the official perks enjoyed by past Chief Justices of Nigeria is a retirement home worth about N2 billion, provided by the NJC." Another source, who confirmed the resignation of the CJN said: "I believe Onnoghen opted for resignation because President Buhari can either accept or reject his retirement. "And do not forget that if the President accepts Onnoghen's compulsory retirement, he has to subject it to a two-thirds consent of the Senate in line with Section 292 of the 1999 Constitution. "The alternative is to allow the process to drag in the Senate and the fate of Onnoghen will hang in the balance. "Definitely, the Buhari administration will not send its decision to the 8th Senate; it will only leave it for the 9th Senate to decide in June." But a judicial officer who is conversant with the case said: "Onnoghen's resignation is an afterthought, because he was given the same window when a delegation of the NBA met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on his fate. "It was decided at the meeting that some senior members of the bar should sell the resignation idea to him. Unfortunately, some lawyers persuaded him not to resign without knowing that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has more dossiers on him. "Going by precedent, NJC decision has more pre-eminence before President Buhari than an emergency resignation. "Now, the President has two letters on his table including the one from the NJC and the other, which is a subterfuge ploy, from Onnoghen." BMO, CHRICED call for Onnoghen's dismissal But the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) and the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) yesterday demanded tough sanctions against the embattled former CJN. In a statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, its Coordinator and Secretary respectively, the BMO said the failure of Justice Onnoghen to declare his assets and thus breaching the Code of Conduct expected from judicial officers, among several other malfeasances and breach of the Money Laundering Act, are too grave to be treated with kids gloves. It noted that the offences that are being prosecuted and that have been petitioned against Justice Onnoghen have tainted the sanctity of the judiciary and are not matters to be played with or treated with levity. "Justice Walter Onnoghen is alleged to have outrightly failed to declare some of his assets. In fact, he declared only salary accounts but failed to declare accounts where he had funds that were far above his legitimate earnings as a public officer. "There is also no evidence that he ever declared his assets since his appointment as a judicial officer from 1989 up until 2016. This is an outright THE NATION ISATURDAY I APRIL 6 I 20192 •Continued on breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers under the 1999 Constitution, and is the least expected from a man who sat at the pinnacle of Nigeria's judiciary, and should ordinarily be the one to mete out punishments to others who commit such breaches. "The 'Chief Justice of Nigeria' is also alleged to have had money that he could not reasonably explain the source, but which were lodged in various accounts operated by him. He had over $1.7 million in his dollar accounts, which he conspicuously never declared." According to the group, the alleged receipt by the Justice Onnoghen of pecuniary gifts from various lawyers who had cases in his court breached the Rules of Judicial Conduct which outrightly prohibits judges from receiving pecuniary gifts from lawyers who had cases before them. "Justice Onnoghen received several gifts, ranging from a luxury car worth N7 million to a deposit of $30,000 from lawyers who had cases before him," they said. They criticised Justice Onnoghen for maintaining suspicious relationships with lawyers who had serious cases in his court, noting that such conducts created perceptions of bias which is against the Rules of Judicial Conduct. The group noted that Justice Onnoghen failed to maintain the minimum standard of decorum expected from judicial officers, saying "the many infractions of Justice Walter Onnoghen are so grave, they have fouled the temple of Justice. "It is even most unfortunate that this man was sitting in the highest judicial office of the land. He has embarrassed the legal profession and brought shame and disdain to the judiciary. "We must not treat this matter with kid gloves. We expect the toughest sanctions to be meted out to him. What Justice Onnoghen has done does not deserve mercy but serious punitive and corrective sanctions that must send a clear message to other members of the Bench, while assuring Nigerians that the judiciary still remains the last hope for the common and even uncommon man." CHRICED, on its part, recommended summary dismissal of Onnoghen to send a clear message that the law is no respecter of anyone. The body faulted the NJC for recommending compulsory retirement for Onnoghen, saying it was strange that the Council would propose a soft landing for the suspended CJN even after it had established that funds running into millions in foreign currencies were traced to his bank accounts. It said potential investors and partners of Nigeria are closely watching to see if the judiciary would rise up to the occasion by using the Onnoghen case as a litmus test to demonstrate readiness to address the rot in the system. It demanded summary dismissal of Onnoghen to send a clear message to the public that the action taken against Onnoghen by the Federal Government was meant to clean the Augean stable in the judicial arm of government. CHRICED made its position known in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi. The statement said: "The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) is seriously concerned about reports making indicating that the National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended that President Muhammadu Buhari should compulsorily retire suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, with full benefits and privileges. 'For us, it is curious that the NJC is making this kind of recommendation, despite establishing a clear case of judicial misconduct and unbridled corruption against the suspended CJN. 'As the organisation which spearheaded the efforts of credible civil society organisations (CSOs) to investigate and report Onnoghen's asset declaration infractions to the NJC, CHRICED finds it strange that the Council is proposing a soft landing for the suspended CJN even after it has established that funds running into millions in foreign currencies were traced to the bank accounts of Onnoghen, which he could not convincingly explain how he came about such huge amounts that were far above his legitimate income as a judicial officer. "In the course of the hearing at the NJC, it was also established through extensive documentary evidence, and by the admission of the suspended CJN himself, that he breached the Code of Conduct for public officers by his failure to declare his assets as required by law. "With these facts in mind, it is our considered position that the NJC is working towards rewarding the breaking of laws, financial impunity and judicial corruption by making this kind of recommendation. "The proposed steps give the impression that the judiciary as an institution is not prepared to clean up its act in the face of the deep rooted problem of corruption. "CHRICED therefore calls on the President not to accept the NJC recommendation, which would further embolden misconduct in the judiciary. "Given the weight of the infraction committed, and as admitted by the CJN, the kind of punishment which would serve as deterrent to other judicial officers is nothing less than summary dismissal of Onnoghen. This would send a clear message to the public that the action taken against Onnoghen by the Federal Government is to clean the Augean stable in the judicial arm. "For the umpteenth time, CHRICED deems it necessary to remind the NJC and all other institutions connected with this case that the whole world, including potential investors and partners of Nigeria, are closely watching to see if the judiciary would rise up to the occasion by using the Onnoghen case as a litmus test to demonstrate readiness to address the rot in the system. "If the soft landing being recommended is allowed to stand, then the impression would have been further created that the rule of law, justice and accountability have no place in Nigeria's judicial system. "Such precedence would also damage public confidence in the anti-corruption drive, especially as it would fuel the narrative of a separate kind of justice for the rich and powerful, while there is another kind of justice for the poor and less-connected citizens. "Finally, CHRICED hopes that in taking a final decision on this case, the President would be guided by clear provision of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which unambiguously mandates in Section 15(5) that: 'The State shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power'. "Only a faithful application of the laws of the land would guarantee a just and fair closure of the Onnoghen matter." In This Story:#WalterOnnoghen #NiyiAkinsiju #AdegboyegaAwomolo #EFCC #NJC #YemiOsinbajo #Resignation Sharing Is Caring.Share This Story  | ||||
| Onnoghen: The man, the judge, the end Posted: 06 Apr 2019 12:04 PM PDT  WALTER Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, born December 22, 1950, started his career as a pupil state counsel between 1978 and 1979. He left public service to join the firm of Effiom Ekong & Company (1979 till 1988). He later became the Principal Partner at Walter Onnoghen & Associates, Calabar from 1988 to 1989. Soon after, he began a career on the Bench. As High Court judge of Cross Rivers State, he was made the Chairman of the state Armed Robbery and Fire Arms Tribunal, a post he held for three years between 1990 and 1993. In 1998, he served as the Chairman, Failed Bank Tribunal, Ibadan Zone. Onnoghen was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 1998 from where he served until 2005 when he was elevated to the Supreme Court. In February 2016, Onnoghen led a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court who reviewed and upheld the death sentence of Chukwuemeka Ezeugo a.k.a. Rev. King of the Christian Praying Assembly. In 2007, Justice Onnoghen played a huge role in the 2007 elections which saw the late Umaru Yar'adua becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He had a dissenting judgment that annulled the presidential election. His position was, however, a minority judgment. Appointment as CJN Onnoghen's confirmation as CJN was dogged by controversy following its protracted nature. The National Judicial Council (NJC) on October 10, 2016 recommended him to President Muhammadu Buhari, being the most senior at the Supreme Court after the retirement of Mohammed Mahmud. It took until February 7, 2017 for Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to transmit Onnoghen's name to the Senate for confirmation as substantive CJN. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 2017 and sworn in on March 7, 2017. His trial Onnoghen made unwanted history as the first CJN to be suspended and docked. Onnoghen's trial started when a petition was filed by the civil rights group the Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI) at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). It was alleged that he owned "sundry accounts primarily funded through cash deposits made by himself up to as recently as 10 August 2016, which appear to have been run in a manner inconsistent with financial transparency and the code of conduct for public officials." The trial commenced on January 14 but Onnoghen was absent. It was then adjourned to the following week because Onnoghen faulted the summons procedure. The next hearing was slated for January 22 but he failed to show up in court again. Following his absence again, President Buhari suspended him on January 26 and appointed Tanko Ibrahim as Acting CJN. Onnoghen's office was thereafter sealed by the police, which sparked outrage from lawyers and politicians. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar described Onnoghen's suspension as "dictatorship taken too far", but Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, accused those criticising President Buhari over Onnoghen's suspension as hypocrites. In the course of the saga, different courts gave orders of injunction against his arrest and prosecution, most of which were subsisting before the CCT order that led to his suspension. Following Onnoghen's suspension on January 25, the United States issued a statement on the development, with Osinbajo saying he was not aware of the former CJN's planned prosecution. Even the Senate weighed in, challenging Onnoghen's suspension at the Supreme Court. Onnoghen sued the Federal Government over his suspension but lost his bid to stop his trial at the CCT, which ordered his arrest, forcing him to appear for his arraignment, which took place on February 15. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on February 7, said it traced $30,000 paid to Onnoghen's account by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The CCT, on March 29, dismissed Onnoghen's no-case submission, following which he opened his defence, calling only one witness. He closed his defence on April 3. After NJC recommended him for retirement, Onnoghen tendered his resignation before the President could act on the recommendation. The case against Onnoghen The NJC reached the decision to suspend Onnoghen after reviewing damning evidence by EFCC against him, argued by two brilliant prosecuting counsel Ekene Iheanacho and Rotimi Oyedepo. They argued successfully that Onnoghen violated the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers. He was accused of infidelity to the Constitution and violation of other laws prohibiting economic and financial related offences. EFCC said he could not prove the legitimate source or origin of the sum of $1,716,000.00 found in his account. "The respondent, who never declared having $1,716,000.00 in his asset declaration form as cash in hand, wanted this honourable Panel to believe that he accumulated the said sum in his house and only deposited them in the bank between 2009 and 2016 in cash. "My lords, the respondent also attempted to suggest to the Honourable Panel that the $1,716,000.00 cash deposit was earned by him upon his part-time appointment as Justice of the Supreme Court of Gambia. "My lords, this explanation, with due respect, is laughable in that the Respondent was appointed on the 22nd day of November, 2012. "On the face of the appointment letter, it is clear that the Respondent is entitled to the 5,000 GBP and 22,000 Dalasis which is payable per session to be determined by the Chief Justice of Gambia in line with the Rules of the Supreme Court of Gambia. "The respondent failed to show this panel that consequent upon his appointment in November, 2012 and the assumption of that office in 2013 the number of sessions he sat as a member of the Supreme Court of Gambia. "The respondent also failed to state how much he earned from Gambia, how he was paid whether cash or through his account. What is clear is that if the respondent is to earn any fee from Gambia it will be GBP and not USD. What is in issue is the USD paid in exhibit P4C." EFCC also questioned a Mercedes Benz GL 450 worth N7, 000,000.00 from Mr. Joe Agi (SAN) to Onnoghen in 2009. The commission said the SAN also made a cash deposit of $30,000.00 on June 29, 2009 to His Lordship's account. "The respondent failed to show this Honourable Panel how he paid for the vehicle from his lawful earnings. "As a matter of fact, the respondent was confronted with all his account before this honourable panel during cross examination to prove how and the source of the money he purportedly gave to Joe Agi, SAN, as purchase price of the vehicle but couldn't as there is no such payment. "Our findings and humble submission is that these defence shows clearly that the respondent is fully aware that by virtue of his appointment as a Judicial Officer, the receipt of car gift worth N7,000,000.00 and $30,000 from a practicing legal practitioner is clearly misconduct under the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers. "We therefore urge my lords to find in our favour that the respondent received the car gift and the sum of $30,000.00 from the DW2, a practising lawyer who had appeared, appearing and may still appear before him." EFCC also said Onnoghen received pecuniary gifts from practising lawyers, namely Ogunsanya Adewunmi (N250,000), Paul Usoro, SAN, (N350,000), Emeka Etiaba (SAN) (N250,000), Onyechi Ikpeasu (SAN) (N300,000), and Eze Duru Iheoma (SAN) (N100,000). Although Onnoghen said the cash gifts were given to him during his daughter's wedding, and that the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers does not forbid judges from accepting gifts that are cultural, EFCC said Onnoghen was under the obligation to avoid situations which might reasonably give rise to the suspicion of or appearance of favouritism or partiality with individual members of the legal profession who practice regularly in court where the respondent presides. "My lords, by the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, members of the public expect a high standard of conduct from a Judge who, at all time, must avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all his activities both in his professional and private life. "It is, therefore, our humble submission that in view of the evidence before this Honourable Panel, the petitioner has established the breach of the Code of Conducts for Judicial Officers against the Respondent and we urge my lords to so hold," EFCC said. In This Story:#WalterSamuelNkanuOnnoghen #MuhammaduBuhari #EFCC #OgunsanyaAdewunmi Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Dismissed Inspector charged with Kolade Johnson’s murder remanded Posted: 06 Apr 2019 11:53 AM PDT
Magistrate A.O. Salawu remanded Ogunyemi at Ikoyi Prisons, pending advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The court's order was sequel to an application by the police. Ogunyemi, 45, of No. 17, Alhaji Ede Street, Igando, was docked on a one-count charge of murder. Prosecuting Inspector Kehinde Olatunde told the court that the defendant committed the offence on March 31, at about 5:10pm, at Onipetesi Estate, Idi-Mangoro, Lagos. He alleged that Ogunyemi, who served in the Anti-Cultism Unit of Lagos State Police Command, shot Johnson, a 36-year-old father of one, to death, with his Ak47 rifle. The offences, the prosecutor said, contravened Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Olatunde informed the court that he had a remand application order by the police to remand the defendant for the next 30 days. The plea of the defendant was not taken by the court because magistrates' courts don't have jurisdiction to try a charge of murder. But the defendant's counsel, Sola Adeyemi, opposed the 30-day remand request. Adeyemi prayed the court to instead remand the defendant for the next 14 days. In a bench ruling, Magistrate Salawu upheld the prosecutor's application and adjourned till May 6. In This Story:#OlalekanOgunyemi #Salawu #KehindeOlatunde #KoladeJohnson #Murder Sharing Is Caring.Share This Story  | ||||
| Unemployment: Nigeria needs skillful youths – Buhari Posted: 06 Apr 2019 11:47 AM PDT
The President, who was a Visitor at the 31st Convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), stated that the era of handing certificates to graduates without self-sustaining skills is no longer sustainable. Buhari who was represented by the State Minister of Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, observed that the growth and establishment of new industries to absorb the graduates is rather too slow. According to him, "there is a need to re-double efforts in turning out graduates with self-sustaining, globally competitive skills and talents for the realization of national goals of building a free, democratic, just and egalitarian society, a united, strong and self-reliant nation". He continued that, "our universities are also challenged to key into modern trends in Computing and Information Technology, Cyber security, artificial intelligence, solar and alternative energies and modern biomedical technology, which is where the future is headed". The President assured that, "on our part as government, we remain committed to changing the negative narratives of our universities by making effective and efficient policies that will place our higher education at the right pedestal". He disclosed further that the Federal Government has completed the energy audit of 37 Federal Universities and is set to award the contracts for the commencement of Independent Power Plants in those Universities, "when completed, it will put an end to the perennial problem of power challenge in all Federal Universities in Nigeria". Earlier in his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Francis Eze, said that the University within the available resources has continued to provide facilities and equipment for effective teaching, learning and research. He however noted that the University urgently needs a befitting Senate building, staff quarters, a sustainable power supply and refurbishment of existing old buildings and other facilities. Meanwhile, 2,506 were awarded with degrees with 42 bagging First Class Honours. In This Story:#MuhammaduBuhari #FrancisEze #FUTO #AnthonyAnwuka #CyberCrime Sharing Is Caring. Share This Story  | ||||
| Senate Presidency: Kano senators endorse Lawan Posted: 06 Apr 2019 11:39 AM PDT
The ambition of Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, to become the Senate President in the 9th Senate has received a boost with three senators from Kano State endorsing his candidacy. The three senators, namely Barau Jubrin, Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya and senator-elect Malam Ibrahim Shekrau, threw their weights behind Senator Lawan's candidacy, describing him as eminently qualified to occupy the exalted seat, going by international parliamentary best practices. Senator Barau Jubrin, who is the secretary of Ahmed Lawan Campaign Organization, led other members of the campaign train to the residence of Senator-elect Shekarau, who also endorsed Lawan. Among those who visited Kano with the Senate Leader were Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), chairman, Ahmed Lawan Campaign Organization; Senator Danladi Sankara who is the new Senator-elect for Jigawa North-West Senatorial District; Senator Bello Maudiya (Katsina South); Senator Solomon Adeola Olamilekan (Lagos West); Senator Degi-Eremienyo (Bayelsa East) and Senator Lekan Mustapha (Ogun East). According to Senator Jubrin, "the National Assembly leadership is elected based on international parliamentary best practices. What used to be the case was a beat appellation to that parliamentary best practices. "In every parliament, leaders are elected based on ranking, based on experience, and once a parliament goes by election and the party that gets the majority in that election produces the leader, and in this case, the majority leader in such a parliament automatically becomes the Senate President or the Speaker, as the case may be. "Now, Ahmed Lawan is the current leader and he will be the oldest senator, the most ranked Senator in the 9th Senate. He was a two-time member of House of Representatives and four-time member of the Senate. So, he is the most experienced and most ripe for the job of the Senate presidency, going by intentional parliamentary best practices." On his part, Shekarau, two-time governor of Kano State and senator-elect for Kano Central who hosted the Lawan's campaign train, said: "I am so highly honoured to be visited by this high-powered delegation led by the leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan. "I am now a Senator-elect and I pray the 9th National Assembly will be a very peaceful and smooth one, where we will all join hands together to move Nigeria forward. "I also congratulate you for aspiring to lead the National Assembly. It is one thing to be there, it is another thing to be identified as a leader. It is a challenge and we are all proud of the fact the it is one of those that we have known before that is aspiring to lead the National Assembly. "I believe you have all it takes to lead the National Assembly. We are already your canvassers. Whether you are around or not, you need not to be out to it, or recruit us to do it. We understand where we need to go and who needs to have the responsibility to lead us. "It is not that you a super person among the rest, but one thing is that you are the first among the equals, and I believe that with all the other experienced people around, you will be able to give Nigeria, a Senate that everybody will be very proud of. "So, I pray Allah in his wisdom will see you through and I pray you will make it, you will succeed. For the fact that others are interested is nothing new. It is a contest, many others may want to come in. "Sometimes it is more interesting to say that I won election than just say it is dashed over. So, I pray Allah in his wisdom will grant you the success. Allah will give you the required guidance and bless you." In his response, Senator Lawan said they were in Kano to solicit the support of Malam Shekarau whose wealth of experience he said is much needed to move the 9th Senate forward. According to him, "we are very happy you are going to be part of the 9th Senate. The 9th Senate will be a very good one because we have so many people who have gone through some other experiences in life. "Even before you became a governor, you were a very disciplined person, a very thorough person and a very considerate person. "Now, when you became a governor, you introduced sanity in Kano. You have gathered a lot of experience in life. We hope and pray that such experience will be made available in the Senate and I want to say that you are going to be one of our leaders in the Senate because we always have a small group of people that we refer to as leaders, not because they are former governors, but because they have seen so much in life. In This Story:#AhmedLawan #MalamShekarau #KabiruIbrahimGaya #BarauJibrin #9thNationalAssembly Sharing Is Caring.Share This Story  | ||||
| INEC silence on PDP access to server worrisome, says BMO Posted: 06 Apr 2019 12:38 PM PDT  The Buhari Media organization (BMO) has expressed concern over the long silence by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to claims by the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to have had access to its backend servers saying the long silence was worrisome and frightening. Chairman and secretary of the group, Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, respectively said in a statement that the claim by the PDP that it had gained illegal access to the servers of INEC through the assistance of some INEC officials was too grave a criminal confession for the electoral Commission to keep mum, as if it had consented to such a notorious allegation of breach. The pro Buhari group said "This is most frightening. That INEC is not alarmed or bothered by such blatant claim by the PDP to have procured the hacking of its systems – whether it is false or not- is most worrisome. We would have expected INEC to swing into clearing the air immediately and distancing itself from such a criminal conduct. But INEC has kept a deafening silence. "INEC's silence on this confession of criminality against it is not golden. It is suspicious and carries a weight of taint that must be called out. "It can be likened to a scenario where a thief says he has robbed a bank and the bank remains silent on the confession of robbery against it, whether its safes and moneys are intact or not. Silence is very weighty in any such instance". BMO said that it knew that the claim by the PDP that it was in possession of results fraudulently fetched from the INEC servers was "a hoax and only an exhibition of the innate fraudulent character of the PDP. For instance, according to the group, the so-called results did not tally with reality, with fundamental errors such as the absence of votes of other political parties that participated during the election. Still, we believe that INEC ought not to be silent in the face of such wild allegations. "The very character of the PDP is one of fraud, dishonesty and malfeasance; it is not out of its character to have made moves to procure the hacking into the INEC servers by some of the Commission's staff. Its Freudian slip of this admission of the stupid attempt, however unsuccessful, must be dealt with and addressed with all sense of seriousness. This, INEC has failed to do." The group said that the recent claim by the PDP to have colluded with INEC staff to have access to INEC's back-end servers raises serious posers as to an unholy romance between INEC and the PDP. In This Story: #PDP #INEC #BMO Sharing Is Caring: Share This Story  | ||||
| Testing Verizon's new 5G speeds exposed three major issues with the next-gen data network Posted: 06 Apr 2019 10:49 AM PDT
Thursday at 10 a.m., I trudged through a cold drizzle, coffee clutched desperately in hand, for one reason: Garrett's cheddar and caramel popcorn. Just kidding. I came to Chicago to test Verizon's new 5G network the day after it launched in parts of downtown Chicago and Minneapolis. After using it for six solid hours on the Moto Z3 and its 5G Moto Mod, I walked away with a clearer understanding of the biggest issues facing Verizon and other carriers as the next-generation data networks begin to roll out. I'd like to say that using Verizon's 5G was a mind-blowing experience, with download speeds beyond my wildest imagination. I wish I could tell you that I downloaded entire albums of music and streamed video instantly. Unfortunately, all I can honestly say after a long day is that I found it confusing. Frustrating. Absolutely insane. The new network isn't a silver bullet that will magically make your data dreams come true. It faces growing pains, and we're going to have to grow right along with it. At times, the 5G speeds recorded by the Speedtest.net benchmarking test got us the 600-plus megabits per second download speeds Verizon has promised. Other times it was closer to 200Mbps, and still other times, the phone professed to be on 5G, but acted a lot like 4G. I had a battalion of upload and download tests I was going to try Thursday in downtown Chicago, but it was so hard to keep a 5G connection long enough to run the most basic tests, I had to throw those plans out the window. Verizon and Motorola are well aware of these issues. I spent hours with PR reps from both companies, and kept in close contact with them throughout the day. They both acknowledged the start-up issues and said that engineers were following up with trouble locations. Read: Verizon defends its 5G network's rocky start, throws shade at AT&T, T-Mobile That's not a great start, and it indicates that something isn't working well -- the network, the phone, the Moto Mod attachment or the way they all come together. It's an awkward place to be for a network boasting to be the country's first live 5G network. Verizon jumped the gun by turning on 5G earlier than its April 11 target, a move that underscores the carrier's belief that acting quickly and aggressively in 5G will give its network, already the largest in the US, a first-mover advantage. 5G, the next-generation wireless technology, is widely championed as the cure to laggy data connections and slow phone download speeds. verizon-5g-moto-z3-speed-test-chicago-april-4-2019 Data speeds from benchmarking tests on Verizon's 5G network in Chicago, just a day after launch. Notice the variation in speeds. Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET 5G is positioned to revolutionize the industry, increase data connections from 10 to 100 times the current 4G speeds and enable a host of new uses, like distance surgery and smart traffic lights that talk to one another to keep traffic flowing smoothly. That's not what I saw. But to be fair, neither was I expecting mind-blowing speeds. 5G is a brand-new technology, prone to pitfalls, stumbling blocks and rough edges. Verizon has been very clear about the limited coverage areas, and has promised that it'll cover parts of 30 cities with 5G speeds by the end of 2019. While 5G comes online for the first time in one city, network engineers will also expand service in, say, Chicago. 5G speeds are also expected to easily top 4G, gaining momentum as carriers build out their 5G networks over time. I spent the day all over downtown Chicago to test real-life 5G speeds, far from carefully constructed demos. Here's what happened: the good, the bad and the aggravating. moto-z3-5g-mod-1 The 5G Moto Mod is a magnetic attachment. Forget AT&T's fake '5G E': Here are the real 5G phones that are coming Galaxy S10 5G, Mate X: Why you shouldn't buy a 5G phone right now Verizon's mobile 5G will cost you an extra $10 a month A word on 5G before we begin 5G isn't just one thing. There are multiple approaches. Sub-6. Millimeter wave (mmWave). AT&T has even been accused of (and sued for) "fake 5G." With this new world of 5G comes a cosmos of new jargon. For example, Verizon's 5G network uses the 28GHz and 39GHz bands for mmWave to bring 1GHz of bandwidth on average nationally. If that doesn't mean much to you, it might help to get up to date with our 5G primer. A word on the Moto Z3 with 5G Moto Mod We also need to talk about this Moto Z3 for a minute. It's a midrange device that is able to channel Verizon's 5G network through the power of a chunky "fin" sticking out the top and the internal modem inside the 5G Moto Mod, which is sold separately. moto-z3-verizon-5g-chicago Verizon's 5G speeds could get very fast with this benchmarking tool. The Mod has four mmWave antennas and infrared sensors that signal the right antenna to kick into gear. Say you're blocking three with your hands, the fourth will take over. The Moto Z3 is on sale now at $240 (usually $480); the Moto Mod is also on sale now at $200 (usually $350), and you have to have a Z3 on your account to buy it. Verizon 5G service is a $10 premium over the regular plan, but your first three months are free. The road to testing hell is paved with good intentions The day began cheerily enough, with a visit to Verizon's big store on Michigan Avenue. Just after its 10 a.m. opening, workers on ladders were just beginning to unpeel giant "5G" stickers on the windows. Three digital screens exclaimed, "It's here! It's here! It's here!" Verizon's friendly PR reps handed out test phones and pointed to a large black rectangle affixed to a wall near the entrance -- this was the 5G "node," a part of the network that delivers 5G speeds to the store. If your 5G device is within line of sight, it should receive Verizon's fastest data speeds. Verizon says to expect "typical speeds of 450Mbps, with peak speeds of nearly 1Gbps, and latency less than 30 milliseconds." That 5G icon -- now you see it, now you don't. It was immediately clear this wouldn't be the case. Even carefully positioned a few feet away from the 5G node, the large on-screen icon exclaiming Verizon's 5G network toggled back and forth from 4G to 5G. It felt like all I had to do was move the phone or look at it funny and the 5G UWB (Ultra Wideband) insignia would flicker away. After two hours, we had run maybe one clean speed test side by side with the Galaxy S10 Plus. At the same time we were trying our luck upstairs, a "SWAT team" of troubleshooting engineers from Verizon, Motorola, Qualcomm (the chipmaker) and Ericsson (which makes the networking infrastructure gear) swarmed the store. Apparently the node was acting up. Time to move on. Fast benchmarking speeds but real-world failures The second and third stops were better, at least as far as the benchmarking went. The second speed test took place across the street from the Merchant Mart, which is home to Motorola's headquarters. It was standing outside in a valet lot in the rain that we were able to see those blazing 5G download speeds, at least some of the time. A couple times I saw theoretical download speeds kissing 600Mbps. Other times, the download would start strong, the phone would flicker to show the 4G logo, and speeds would plummet. And still other times, the 5G logo was on, but speeds fell in between the two. Speed tests from the Moto Z3 on Verizon's 5G network, taken at multiple locations throughout Chicago, but all close to 5G nodes if not directly underneath them. You can see how speeds vary Real world test 1: Downloading a large file It's here outside Motorola's HQ that I was finally able to try my first real-world test: downloading the game PUBG. It's a large, 1.81GB file, which took roughly 5 minutes, 45 seconds to download with the 5G icon going strong. Then I uninstalled the app, took off the Mod to ensure 4G LTE speeds only, reinstalled it over data and... it took exactly the same time. That was unexpected, especially since reviewers from other outlets experienced faster download speeds. Uplink is the same on 5G and 4G, Verizon said, at least for now. Real world test 2: Downloading a Netflix show The preeminent scenario for the 5G dream is being able to download entire seasons of Netflix from the time you walk down the airplane gangplank to the time you settle into your seat. Ditto downloading a big presentation or a bunch of photos before you're forced to go offline. This would be the perfect test for our third location, the intersection of Michigan and Monroe outside the famous Art Institute of Chicago. Once again standing directly below the node (outdoors, they're attached to street lights), we ran a few speed tests for a baseline, and then attempted to download a 50-minute episode of Planet Earth II from Netflix. Verizon's 5G network is under construction. With the 5G logo on full display, we turned on the stopwatch using another phone and watched the progress pie chart inch forward a sliver, and then another, and then... nothing. After several more attempts, we tried it again in 4G, with the Moto Mod taken off. The result was identical: a sliver of progress, followed by the same stalling for minutes. After 20 minutes in the rain, it was time to try our luck at one more spot. Real-world test... oh, forget it Our final test site was a total bust. A few blocks from the famous Chicago Theater, I stood beneath the 5G node and tried every reboot, cycling and reattachment trick for a good 5 minutes. Nothing happened. I tried again. Still nothing happened. I reported it to Verizon's SWAT team and called it a day. What happened to all the other tests I planned? Like I said earlier, I started the day fresh-faced and caffeinated with a plan to throw loads of comparison speed tests, lots of downloads and gameplay at the Moto Z3. The problem is that it took too long to lock onto a strong enough 5G network to complete one task that there wasn't time for the rest, especially if we wanted to check out four different locations around the city -- and we did, to get a sense of Verizon's real-world deployment of 5G coverage. If 5G repeatedly cuts out and cycling airplane mode, disconnecting and reconnecting the Moto Mod and even rebooting the phone won't reliably bring it back again, how can you accurately assess the impact of downloading large files or play resource-heavy games? You can't. Those deeper tests will have to wait for a more stable network. 3 big, unacceptable problems and how to fix them Any way you slice it, this was a disaster of a launch. Yes, Verizon was first in the US to launch a "real", commercial 5G network for phones, but at what cost? The journalists who came to Chicago spent all day outside in cold, rainy weather with very little to show for it. While speed tests worked in some locations, real downloads weren't any faster, even when standing directly beneath a node. As far as I can tell, three things went majorly wrong. The flickering 5G icon Hours after our testing day was done, Verizon informed us that the 5G logo only turns on when you're actually using 5G. So switching rapidly between the two logos is a sign that the 5G network is engaged. It dips back to the 4G logo any other time. I don't buy that. When 4G butted in during speed tests, the downlink speeds on the screen fell sharply, in line with 4G speeds. If 5G returned while the test ran, speeds picked up. That doesn't fall in line with the engineers' explanation. The fix: Assuming that's the case and not a line, Verizon needs a persistent 5G icon -- just like the 4G icon now -- so people know they can access those speeds. What else are they paying $10 a month more for? The time the Moto Mod died and I didn't know it Remember that final location near the Chicago Theater where 5G didn't work at all, no matter what I tried? What I realized later was that the Moto Mod was dead. Motorola gave the 5G Mod its own 2,000-mAh battery, and when it goes, so does 5G. Yes, there's a battery indicator on the screen, but that's for the phone itself. There's no other visual meter showing the Mod's battery life. There is, however, a notification that appears, along with all your other notifications. Motorola also says it shows you a temporary notification on the home screen that the battery life on the Mod is dead. Maybe the phone was in my purse while I was en route. Maybe I looked away when it flashed. For whatever reason, I didn't see it. I agree that having a dead Mod suck power from your phone's battery isn't the right move, at least not without your permission. If 5G dies, no big deal, you can live with 4G speeds. But if your phone dies as a result of fueling 5G, then you're really in trouble. The fix: Like Verizon, Motorola needs a lesson in better communication. A battery indicator for the Mod is a must, and it's got to stand out as distinct from the phone's battery indicator. Also, any future Mod (and OMG, I hope there's never another one like this) needs to offer to share battery if you have plenty to spare. Verizon's rush job In its rush to be first to 5G, Verizon appears to have thrown its hands up and hoped for the best. The utter breakdown and embarrassment of this day will pass. Verizon is playing a long game. And there is an advantage to rolling out 5G first. However, on-the-spot troubleshooting doesn't make Verizon look particularly capable or smart, even if a massive amount of technical skill and planning went into the deployment. It would have been better to wait a week, for a better showing. The fix: Unfortunately, Verizon can't Back to the Future us to Tuesday when it apparently had its go/no go launch meeting. But it can throw resources (aka tons of money and people) at working on its mistakes before human guinea pigs pay good money for irregular and unreliable 5G. Verizon should be prepared to credit early adopters for uneven service as a reward for sticking through what's almost guaranteed to be some turbulent times. Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G and other phones are coming up. What I learned, and what it means for you I can't speak for the folks who sampled Verizon's 5G launch in Minneapolis, but this experience in Chicago underscores the rocky road ahead for 5G. The new technology isn't unique in having a rough start. The same happened when we transitioned from 3G to 4G. It's par for the course. But maybe there are some new lessons here, primarily that networks and phone brands need to make it crystal clear when you're receiving 5G and when you're not. I'm still excited about 5G once the carriers work out big kinks. But I can't recommend a 5G phone in the near future based on this experience. Before you rush to join the 5G revolution, think carefully about your options. Consult a coverage map. Do the math to see how much more it will cost. Look into what's down the road. Qualcomm has a smaller chip for 2019's 5G phones that will make the Mod and even the Galaxy S10 5G obsolete. Phones, too, will get cheaper over time. My first 5G tests marked an unforgettable look at our 5G future. But it's not the version of our 5G future that anyone really wants. Galaxy S10 Plus vs. iPhone XS Max: See which camera is better. Galaxy S10's five worst features: Even phones as good as Samsung's have their rough edges. In This Story: #Galaxy S10 Plus #iPhone XS Max #5G #Verizon #Moto Z3 Sharing Is Caring: Share This Story  | ||||
| Shazam postcredits scenes, explained Posted: 06 Apr 2019 10:40 AM PDT  No superhero movie is complete without at least one bonus scene during or after the credits, and DC's amazing Shazam gives us both. One of Shazam's post-credit scenes is the kind of reference requiring the wisdom of Solomon (or at least his comic book knowledge) to decipher, so let's take a look. SHAZAM! Early in the movie, sharp-eyed viewers will spot a mysterious worm in a jar at the Rock of Eternity. We later see the jar cracked and empty, and there's no sign of the strange worm as Shazam (Zachary Levi) and his friends take down Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) and the Seven Deadly Sins. However, midway through the credits, we cut to an imprisoned Sivana scrawling on the wall of his cell. He's trying and failing to regain his lost powers, until he hears a mocking voice from the window. It's the worm, which clearly has some sort of deal for the desperate Sivana. "You assume there's only one way to gain magic," the worm says. "The Seven Realms are about to be ours." Mister Mind plays a big role in a current Shazam comic series. DC Comics What it means This creepy character is Mister Mind, a super-intelligent alien worm with telepathic powers who first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures No. 22 back in 1943. This version of the character was pretty cartoony, speaking through a "talk box" that hung around his neck (as seen in the movie) and wearing glasses due to shortsightedness. However, DC's comics continuity reboots gradually made the creature look a lot more sinister. As the name suggests, Mister Mind can take control of people's minds. The worm can also spin extremely tough silk to quickly make cocoons and is linked to the Monster Society of Evil (a supervillain team, in case you hadn't guessed). One of Mister Mind's biggest moments came in the series 52, which ran between 2006 and 2007, where the villainous creature evolved into a monstrous Hyperfly that fed on time itself rather than his usual diet of brainwaves. It might sound ridiculous, but 52 is well worth a read. Mister Mind also had a comic book moment that was very similar to the movie's postcredits scene in 2013. In Justice League No. 21, Sivana tries to get into the Rock of Eternity to acquire the magic within, but can't get through its shield. A trapped-in-a-bottle Mister Mind greets Sivana, saying they'll be "best of friends." This version of the character's goal is domination over all powers of the Magiclands -- seven realms of magic. Most recently, the worm and Sivana have teamed up in writer Geoff Johns and artist Dale Eaglesham's ongoing Shazam comic series, which started last December. The postcredits scene gives us a little more of Shazam and Freddy. Scene 2: King of the Sea? Maybe not … After the credits have finally finished rolling, we return to find Shazam's foster brother/teammate Freddy Freeman (Jack Grazer) recording him talking to a goldfish. They're still trying to figure out the full range of Shazam's powers, and want to see if he can mirror Aquaman's ability to "command billions in the sea." "Well, that's not that cool," Shazam says. What it means Turns out Shazam can't talk to fish, so he won't be challenging Aquaman for the throne of Atlantis any time soon. This is just a bit of fun, so it's up to you whether you want to stick around for the full length of the credits. In This Story: #Shazam #Aquaman #Sivana Sharing Is Caring: Share This Story  | ||||
| Elon Musk: SpaceX Starhopper lifts off (a little bit) Posted: 06 Apr 2019 10:35 AM PDT
SpaceX isn't wasting any time between tests of its prototype Starship "hopper," now known as the Starhopper. Founder Elon Musk shared some fresh fiery test footage this weekend, declaring that "Starhopper just lifted off and hit tether limits!" Starhopper is undergoing tests with a single Raptor engine attached underneath it at SpaceX's facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The hopper first fired up on April 3. The tethered prototype isn't meant to reach space. Musk's declaration that Starhopper hit the end of its tether indicates the second hop was likely higher than the first. Space aficionados are on the ground in Boca Chica watching the test hops from afar and discussing them on the NASA SpaceFlight.com forum. The site posted another look at the hop from outside the road blocks around the facility. SpaceX is developing Starship with the goal of getting humans off this rock and some day around the moon and all the way to Mars. Musk already set an ambitious timeline for launching a Starship full of artists around our lunar neighbor in 2023. The tethered rocket engine tests are important, but just a hint of what could come. Starship itself should end up sporting seven Raptor engines, but it's also meant to be paired with a SpaceX Super Heavy rocket, which could use up to 31. That would be a big show. In This Story: #SpaceX #Starship #Boca China #Starhopper Sharing Is Caring: Share This Story  | ||||
| Unemployment: Nigeria needs skillful youths – Buhari Posted: 06 Apr 2019 10:31 AM PDT
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said that Nigeria at this point requires the youths to be highly skillful in order to solve the problem of unemployment, security and youth restiveness. The President, who was a Visitor at the 31st Convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), stated that the era of handing certificates to graduates without self-sustaining skills is no longer sustainable. Buhari who was represented by the State Minister of Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, observed that the growth and establishment of new industries to absorb the graduates is rather too slow. According to him, "there is a need to re-double efforts in turning out graduates with self-sustaining, globally competitive skills and talents for the realization of national goals of building a free, democratic, just and egalitarian society, a united, strong and self-reliant nation". He continued that, "our universities are also challenged to key into modern trends in Computing and Information Technology, Cyber security, artificial intelligence, solar and alternative energies and modern biomedical technology, which is where the future is headed". The President assured that, "on our part as government, we remain committed to changing the negative narratives of our universities by making effective and efficient policies that will place our higher education at the right pedestal". He disclosed further that the Federal Government has completed the energy audit of 37 Federal Universities and is set to award the contracts for the commencement of Independent Power Plants in those Universities, "when completed, it will put an end to the perennial problem of power challenge in all Federal Universities in Nigeria". Earlier in his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Francis Eze, said that the University within the available resources has continued to provide facilities and equipment for effective teaching, learning and research. He however noted that the University urgently needs a befitting Senate building, staff quarters, a sustainable power supply and refurbishment of existing old buildings and other facilities. Meanwhile, 2,506 were awarded with degrees with 42 bagging First Class Honours. In This Story: #President Muhammadu Buhari #Professor Francis Eze #Prof. Anthony Anwuka Sharing Is Caring: Share This Story  | ||||
| Abia APC counters moves to reappoint Enelamah minister Posted: 06 Apr 2019 10:08 AM PDT
The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disassociated itself from the moves by the President Muhammadu Buhari government to name Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah, current Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment as a member of his new government. The party who accused Enelamah of being less concerned with activities of the party in the state in the last three years, also called on the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to ensure that Abia gets a minister who is committed to the interest and growth of party in the next Federal Cabinet. The APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Comrade Benedict Godson while addressing journalists said that most of the problems faced by the party in the state during the last election were due to Enelamah's non-commitment and lackadaisical approach to the party's issues. "We have a minister on paper, but nobody feels his Impact. Throughout the campaigns, he showed no interest. He supposed to help in the building of this party, but he has remained unconcerned and lackadaisical to the interest of APC. He's practically not an APC member. "Now he is being projected again to return as a minister which should not be so. We disown him because he's a saboteur to our party here in Abia. His attitude is serving the interest of the opposition. "We call for his immediate removal and as for the plans of reappointing him, we wish to tell the presidency that APC is too big with so many qualified members for us to be appointing none members." Speaking further, Godson said, "Enelamah is not a member of our party and should not be appointed as a minister again. No APC member in Abia knows his way about. "He has never attended any APC meeting. He kept saying he is a democrat and not a politician, but the issue here is if people didn't bring out themselves to work, campaign and mobilize for APC would he be waiting for appointment now? "If everyone had remained nonchalant, unconcerned and relaxed as he was and claimed that they're all not politicians, would APC had won the election? We must call a spade a spade you cannot reap where you didn't sow. "We are saying that he should be replaced with a real APC man who believes in the interest of the party and has worked for the growth of the party. He was used against us by the opposition who usually celebrate that Abia APC is missing in the Federal Executive Council and that they have the man's support in the state. "We are therefore calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, our Party Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and the leader of our party in Abia, Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu to look into this matter and safe the party from impending trouble should Enelamah be reinstated. "Another issue is that this minister is also from the same constituency with Nigeria's ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Dr. Uzoma Elizabeth Ikechi Emenike who also doesn't do anything for the party after getting appointment with the platform of APC. There are many qualified APC members all over Abia. "How can this party grow to the desired level when people who ought to make things easier believe that they can get appointed to any position by sitting on the fence? We can on all those concerned to look into this matter and save our party for future opportunities ahead." In This Story: #President Muhammadu Buhari #r. Uzoma Elizabeth Ikechi Emenike #Adams Oshiomhole #Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu #Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah #APC Sharing Is Caring: Share This Story  | ||||
| Tboss Baby Bump Is Getting Obvious And Her Fans Have Noticed The Growth Posted: 06 Apr 2019 07:00 AM PDT Former Big Brother Naija housemate, TBoss, has added more fuel to speculations that she is expecting a child with reality TV star/actor, Uti Nwachukwu. Although, the duo have neither denied or confirmed the rumors.  After she shared this close-up shot of her tummy this evening, her followers began to congratulate her with some even wishing her a safe delivery. See some screenshots below.     In This Story: #Tboss #BabyBump #Getting #Obvious #Fans #Noticed # Growth Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Johnnie Walker has unveiled White Walker Posted: 06 Apr 2019 06:30 AM PDT
At the launch event held at the FCA Showroom in Victoria Island Lagos, the winter-themed event treated celebrities, media influencers and fans of the hit show to an unprecedented immersive experience with a live orchestral performance of the GOT Theme song as arranged by Johnnie Walker.  Created by whisky specialist George Harper, alongside the small team of experts blender at Johnnie Walker, guests were treated to the best way to enjoy the innovative whisky directly from the freezer, echoing the chilling presence of the White Walkers. Speaking of the highly coveted partnership, Guinness Nigeria Plc's Marketing Director, Adenike Adebola, explained that "At the heart of this innovative new blend are single malts from Cardhu and Clynelish, one of Scotland's most northern distilleries where whiskies have endured long Scottish winters, not dissimilar to the climate north of the wall. White Walker by Johnnie Walker is best served cold directly from the freezer and features an unexpected icy reveal on the bottle when chilled: So enjoy Season 8 of Game of Thrones with some White Walker inspired cocktails".  Speaking of White Walker by Johnnie Walker as a perfect companion for GOT fans as they enjoy great moments from the final season, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, said: "The return of Season 8 of Game of Thrones, and this partnership with Diageo's White Walker is both exciting and phenomenal for us. It's our own way of delighting our DStv Premium customers and encouraging other subscribers to step up, so they don't miss out on our exciting and entertaining contents. Game of Thrones as we all know is a medieval fantasy epic, which tells the story of powerful families playing a deadly game to sit atop the Iron Throne. So, without a doubt, our Premium subscribers are in for a wonderful experience. Game of Thrones premieres Monday 15 April on M-Net channel 101 at 10pm. That's 24 hours after it airs in the US and exclusive to DStv Premium customers."  
White Walker by Johnnie Walker is available in Shoprite, Spar, Game or online at drinks.ng and other retail stores near you. The ABV for the blend is 41.7% and is playfully inspired by the show – there are 7 kingdoms, but only 1 Iron Throne. More information on White Walker by Johnnie Walker, visit https://www.johnniewalker.com/en/our-whisky/limited-edition-whiskies/white-walker-johnnie-walker/ and Follow @Johnniewalkernigeria on Facebook, @johnniewalkerng on Twitter and @johnniewalkerng on Instagram. Also check out the hashtags #JWWhiteWalker and #WinterIsHere. In This Story: #JohnnieWalker #unveiled #WhiteWalker Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Moments court nullified Davido's uncle, Adeleke’s nomination as PDP candidate Posted: 06 Apr 2019 06:00 AM PDT
The Justice Oathman Musa-led court nullified Adeleke's candidacy on the ground that he was not qualified academically for the position. Adeleke was dragged to court by two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Wahab Raheem and Adam Habeeb. Both APC chieftains accused Adeleke of not possessing a secondary school certificate which was a prerequisite for him to contest for the office of the governor. However, Davido tried to deflate the nullification of his uncle's candidacy in the election. Davido, while sharing a report of the nullification on his Twitter handle, wrote: "Story for the gods." In This Story: #Moment #court #nullified #Davido #uncle #Adeleke #nomination #PDP #candidate Sharing is caring. Share this story  | ||||
| Don Jazzy reveals he now has a babe Posted: 06 Apr 2019 05:30 AM PDT
Don Jazzy revealed yesterday on Instagram that he has a girlfriend now. The singer said this while warning ladies who may want to 'toast' him to stay off, adding that he is no longer single. Before now, Don Baba J has been very private about his love life since he became a household name in the music industry. The renowned music director wrote, "I know u will want to toast me now. But it's too late I have a babe now." His love life has always been a major topic of discussion on social media. In This Story: #DonJazzy #reveals #HasABabe Sharing is caring. Share this story  |
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