2019: Close Borders After Victory So Obasanjo Would Not Escape, Oba Of Lagos Urges Buhari

Oba of Lagos, Akiolu advised President Muhammadu Buhari to prevent former President Olusegun Obasanjo from “escaping” from the country once he emerges winner of the February 2019 presidential election.

In an interview with Punch, the Lagos Monarch said he will do everything within his power to ensure that President Buhari emerges winner in the election and once the results are announced, he will advice the presidnet to immediately put up measures to ensure the former president does not escape from Nigeria.
Oba Akiolu and Obasanjo have been at loggerheads since the era of the Bola Tinubu administration after the former governor and Obasanjo had a fallout that saw the funds meant for the state seized by the Federal government.
Speaking of Obasanjo, Tinubu and Buhari during the interview, Oba Akiolu said:
We were all witnesses to the battle Bola Ahmed had with former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In his first four years as the President of Nigeria, instead of facing governance, he was busy pursuing Tinubu and coming after Lagos. And that is why Lagos is as strong as it is today.
He succeeded in capturing many other states except Lagos. God was with us. All the monarchs and religious leaders stood firm with us. At that time, I even said I would rather lose my life than allow him to capture Lagos.Let me tell you that this coming 2019 election, I will use everything God has endowed me with to appeal to God that Buhari should be elected, because some of those who are throwing their hats into the ring now are not honest people. It will be like a magic, but Buhari will be re-elected. And the very week he’s re-elected, I would announce and encourage him to close the borders so that Obasanjo will not escape.

source:withinnigeria

WhatsApp Bans More Than 100,000 Accounts In Brazil Election

WhatsApp has banned hundreds of thousands of accounts in Brazil as the Facebook Inc. messaging service struggles to contain political shenanigans ahead of a runoff election in Latin America’s largest country.
“We have cutting-edge technology to detect spam that identifies accounts with abnormal behaviour so that they can’t be used to spread spam or misinformation,” a WhatsApp spokesperson wrote in an email.
“We are also taking immediate legal measures to prevent companies from sending mass messages via WhatsApp and have already banned accounts associated with those companies.”
There are around 120 million users of the messaging service in Brazil, whose population is 210 million. Facebook set up a “war room” to spot and eradicate misinformation, hate speech and other damaging content during Brazil’s election this month.
It’s a test for the social network ahead of midterm elections in the US later this year. Nudity is liberation – Harmonee While the company said it was able to thwart false information on its main social network, it’s had more trouble controlling misbehavior on WhatsApp, which is encrypted and virtually impossible to monitor.
Brazil’s runoff election is on October 28, when far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro faces leftist Workers’ Party candidate Fernando Haddad.
On Thursday, the latter accused his competitor of receiving illegal and undeclared corporate donations after local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported companies are paying for a mass social media campaign against Mr Haddad.
Mr Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter that his opponent’s party “isn’t being damaged by fake news, but rather by the TRUTH”.
WhatsApp said that it’s taking the accusation seriously. “We are committed to reinforcing WhatsApp policies equally and in a fair way to protect the users’ experience,” it added.
The messaging service confirmed that it blocked the account of Mr Bolsonaro’s son Flavio for spam a couple of days ago. The company said it was unrelated to the accusations on Thursday.
It also noted that it banned an account related to former Brazil president Dilma Rousseff, a member of the Workers’ Party.
(NAN)

Avoid Misinformation, Disinformation Through Fact-Checking, News Agencies Charged

Media experts have charged African news agencies to avoid misinformation or disinformation by fact-checking their reports to ensure adherence to professional ethics.
They gave the charge at the conclusion of the maiden News Directors Forum organised by the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) in Rabat, Morocco.
The forum with the theme `Newsroom Management Challenges’ brought together news and information directors from 22 of the 24 members of FAAPA.
The experts agreed that Journalism may not be able to combat the preponderance of fake news in the media landscape, which is considered as one the greatest challenges imposed on the profession by the emergence of social networks.
However, they insisted that fact-checking would protect the profession from unscrupulous politicians, and influential citizens across nations who want to misinform people and thereby discredit the media.
In her contribution, Mrs Aicha Akalay, the Publishing Manager, TelQuel Magazine, described fake news as “a vicious tool used by influencers, and politicians’’ among others, not only to misinform but also to disinform readers.
Akalay enjoined news agency managers to always verify the authenticity of statements and statistics provided by politicians and not allow their media to be used to propagate fake news.
She also advised that where false information was published, it must be quickly corrected, stressing that “it can be dangerous to disseminate erroneous information. “The people who are willing to give false information are much more than those ready to check facts.’’
Akalay, therefore, advised news agencies to deploy resources to fact-checking, noting that it was the current global trend in the media industry.
Mrs Samira Sitail, the Information Director of 2M, a popular electronic media in Morocco, said: “Fact-checking is a way of exercising caution; its necessity has become imperative for those who want to be serious with their work.
“We have to be patient; seek independence from authorities and cross-check information before publication,’’ Sitail said.
In his contribution, Mr Mohamed Douyeb, noted that as long as access to information on social media was not restricted, fake news would continue to thrive.
Douyeb, however, said that it was the responsibility of the media to cross-check facts available as they were the easy target used to spread fake news.
He urged the civil society and other concerned groups to join in the ongoing global effort to combat fake news through enlightenment of the populace on the dangers posed by the challenge imposed by technology.
(NAN)

Defection: Senator Ekweremadu Finally Speaks on Dumping PDP for APC

Deputy Senate President and a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South East, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has reacted to speculations making the rounds that he was on the verge of decamping to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
There were reports that the lawmaker was leaving the party following some decisions taken by the PDP leadership which were not in his favour.

There was also ill feeling after a former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi was picked as the running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar without the consent of the party leadership in the region.
But reacting to the rumours in a Facebook post obtained by DAILY POST on Wednesday, Ekweremadu said he was still a member of the main opposition party.
According to him, “In the past 24 hours, I have been inundated with calls from friends and political associates seeking clarification on the rumours of my departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has dominated the media.
“Let it be known that my path in politics is in the hands of the Almighty God, who has indeed been very faithful and gracious to me. I’m very grateful to God for this.
“My vision in politics is a system that works for everybody, a social and political environment where everybody, every section, and every tribe not only counts, but is also seen to count.
“As leaders, we must be mindful of this, for any system built on anything less will not endure.
“I am grateful to you – members of my family, my friends, political associates, and admirers across Nigeria and beyond – for your uncommon concern. I am indeed humbled by your kind words of solidarity and support.
“Please, be rest assured that I am still in the PDP.”

KWSG Warns School Administrators Against Unauthorized Fees

The Kwara State Government has warned school administrators imposing unauthorized fees to desist from such an act or face sanctioned.
This warning was made as the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) announced that all teaching and non-teaching staff that were successful in the 2015 to 2017 promotion exercise to come for their promotion letters.
The chairman, Alhaji AbdulRasaq Ibrahim in the statement released on Thursday added that the Kwara State Government is committed to free education for all pupils in Primary and Secondary Schools across the state.
He called on all school administrators to eschew any act that could be detrimental to the growth of education in the state.
Furthermore, the TESCOM Chairman noted that schedules for the collection of the promotion letters are: Friday, 26th October, GL 7 to 8; Friday, 2nd November, GL 8 to 9; Friday, 9th November, GL 9 to 10; Friday, 16th November, GL 10 to 12; Friday, 23rd November, GL 12 to 13; Friday, 30th November, GL 13 to14; Friday, 7th December GL 14 to15; Friday, 14th December, GL 15 to 16.
He urged the concerned officers to report to the TESCOM headquarters on the scheduled dates by 9:00am with copies of their original certificates, staff Identification card, letters of first appointment, letters of confirmation of appointment and letters of last promotion.
source: Ilorinfo

KWASU School Of Business And Governance Ready For Commissioning

All is now set for the commissioning of Kwara State University(KWASU) School of Business and Governance, located in Ilorin.
The Project consultant, Arc Jamiu Faworaja who conducted the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Barrister Abdullah Alikinla round the edifice, Thursday in Ilorin, said that the project is 90 per cent completed.
The project consultant told the commissioner that the edifice contained twelve classrooms, mini-lecture room, seminar room, library among others.
He explained that outing work included mechanical and electrical fittings, furniture, landscaping and perimeter fencing were not captured in the earlier agreement.
He told newsmen that a report on perimeter fencing had been sent to the Governor for approval, assuring that the fencing would be completed as soon as it is approved.
Engr Faworaja who spoke through Engr Seun Ojo told the commissioner and his team that the project is carefully carried out in accordance with specifications and assured that the project would be completed and delivered by December this year.
The State commissioner for Tertiary Education, Barrister Abdullah Alikinla in his response expressed satisfaction over the level of workdone, saying that "the level of work done is commendable and satisfactory".
He explained that what was left is perimeter fencing and road network, and assured that all would be completed as soon as the project got the governor's approval.
He added that the fencing of the premises would be approved within few weeks by the governor with a view to guaranteeing adequate security in and around the post graduate school.
He maintained that the state Governor is eager to commission the project and see it being put to use by students from across the nooks and crannies of the country.

Source: olasplash

We’ve Elected Uneducated Leaders –Sanusi

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Saturday said Nigerians must ensure they elect into public offices, leaders who “are educated and know the value of education.”
Sanusi said Nigerians had made mistakes in the past by electing leaders without education, who subsequently could not give quality education when they got into the government.
The Emir stated this at the 6th convocation of the Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, where he urged Nigerians not to elect leaders without quality education to public offices.
Sanusi, who was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Science, alongside the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, said the Federal Government must use part of the trillions of naira it spent on subsiding petroleum products to educate the youth of the country.
The Emir said, “We have to take an interest in the quality of our leaders and representatives in the level of education. If you look around this country at many levels of leadership, we have elected and we have chosen to elect people who do not have education. And because they are not educated, they cannot give education.

“We need to lay more emphasis on the quality of people we elect to executive and legislative offices and we need to make sure that those to whom we entrust policy are themselves educated and know the value of education.
“Let us invest more in education and let us give up some of the privileges that we have such as the trillions we are spending subsiding petroleum products. That money should go into educating our young people.
In a remark, the Alaafin of Oyo commended the university for the award, saying the honour would motivate him to contribute more to the country.
Vice-Chancellor, Nile University, Prof Huseyin Sert, said 21 students bagged First Class; 67 got Second Class Upper; 96 got Second Class Lower Division, and two persons got Third Class, making a total number of 365 students who graduated.

source:punchng

Leicester City owner's helicopter crashes outside King Power Stadium

Local police have confirmed that emergency services are on the scene following a reported helicopter crash outside of the King Power Stadium.
Shortly after Leicester City's draw with West Ham, a helicopter that reportedly belongs to Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha crashed in the club's car park.
Emergency services were quickly on the scene after witnesses saw the craft go into a spin after taking off, according to Sky Sports .
“We are assisting Leicestershire Police and the emergency services in dealing with a major incident at King Power Stadium. The Club will issue a more detailed statement once further information has been established," a Leicester City spokesman said in a club statement.
It is not clear who was on board the helicopter or what condition those impacted are in. The incident reportedly occurred around an hour after the match.
Srivaddhanaprabha bought Leicester in August 2010 and was named chairman in February 2011. The Thai businessman oversaw Leicester's remarkable Premier League triumph in 2016.
Srivaddhanaprabha has four children but it remains unclear if any family members were on board the aircraft.It is known that Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester’s vice-chairman and Srivaddhanaprabha’s son, was not at the game and was not on board. Sky Sports also reports that Leicester Director of Football John Rudkin was not aboard the helicopter.
New reports claim that Srivaddhanaprabha was on board and that King Power will release a statement on Sunday, though there has been no confirmation of casualties to this point.
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust urged members of the public to stay away from the scene.
"We received a call at 8.38pm this evening to reports of a helicopter crash near King Power Stadium. We sent a doctor, two paramedics in ambulance cars, a crewed ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team, with the first resource arriving within two minutes of the call," read a statement.
"We are currently working with our colleagues in Leicestershire Police and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service at the scene. We advise members of the public to stay away from the area while we deal with this incident."

source: goal.com