Saturday 11 July 2015
Male suicide bomber disguised as a female kills 14 in Chad market
"Our current count is 15 dead," police spokesman Paul Manga, said, a total which included the suicide bomber.
"The suicide bomber was a man disguised as a woman (in a burqa). He tried to enter the market when he was intercepted by police. That is when he detonated the bomb." the Chadian police spokesperson said.
Buhari Meets Amaechi inside Aso Rock, Set to Make Him SGF
Premium Times Attacks Bayelsa State Governor; Alleges He Paid Hackers To Hack Systems In Nigeria
This hacking team is reportedly notorious for equipping governments with tools to hack citizens’ computers and phones, was itself hacked Sunday night and 415 gigabyte of internal data leaked to the public.
Researchers have been pouring through the leaked documents since it was first leaked Sunday night, throwing up many shocking details of the firm’s secret dealings with Bayelsa state and other repressive governments, including Sudan, Russia, and Bahrain.
Documents allegedly seen by premium times show that the Bayelsa government, a small state in Nigeria’s oil rich Niger Delta, paid Hacking Team N98 million to carry out internet attacks, in what appears to be the most ambitious hacking project by a Nigerian state government.
The contract was signed in late 2013, Hacking Team’s internal documents, leaked after the Sunday night hack attack on the company, show.
Details of the extent of the attacks Hacking Team carried out on behalf of the state is not clear at the moment.
The contract with the Bayelsa government is classified as “intelligence ” the same class with contracts the firm unlawfully held with Russia and Sudan.
Hacking Team, now learning how it feels to have one’s privacy breached, is notorious for developing intrusive soft-wares for state clients who use them to hack citizen’s computers and smartphones. Hacking Team’s twitter account was hacked and used to announce the hack. The cost of Bayelsa government’s contract with the firm is equivalent to what the Russian government recently paid the firm for maintenance of its Remote Control System. And worth more than what Turkey, Columbia and Bahrain paid to the firm.
The firm claims its intrusion softwares – Remote Control Systems – are the most invasive and ruthless, with ability to compromise most operating systems, except iOS but including jail-broken iOS.
In one video commercial, it boasted that its software could hack offline and encrypted computers and smartphones, even if the target was outside the government’s “monitoring domain”.
Galileo, one of the company’s most evil soft-wares, is also able to secretly take snapshots and record conversations of its victims.
The Hacking Team is loathed by digital activists and freedom of expression advocates all over the world for helping oppressive regimes abuses citizens’ right to privacy and freedom of speech.
Reporters Without Borders listed the firm on its enemies of the internet index due to its primary surveillance tool, Da Vinci.
The intentions of the Bayelsa state government in purchasing the software is unclear at this time.
As at the time the Bayelsa state government acquired the software, the state was not known to be under any external cyber aggression. But it’s governor, Seriake Dickson, was persecuting a citizen over critical Facebook comments.
It was also in the run-up to the 2015 general elections.
During the same period, PREMIUM TIMES and few other Nigerian news organisations believed to be critical of the former regime, led by Goodluck Jonathan, suffered several cyber attacks.
Mr. Jonathan is from Bayelsa state and enjoyed absolute loyalty from Mr. Dickson at the time.
Hacking Team did not sell its software directly to the Bayelsa state government. The transaction was channeled through an Israeli company, NICE, and then V&V Nigeria.
V&V, also Israeli-owned, is known to have close relationship with former Bayelsa state governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
V&V is responsible for the supply of many government hacking tools in Nigeria.
The Bayelsa Governor could not be reached to comment for this story.
His spokesperson, Daniel Iworiso-Markson did not answer or return calls seeking comment. He is also yet to respond to a text message sent to him. And so also is Dan Kikile, the state commissioner for information.
Despite making all these bold claims, premium times are yet to come up with any concrete evidence to back up the claims being made.
EFCC Set to Begin Probe Of Godswill Akpabio: Investigates alleged N108.1 Billion Fraud
Mr. Ekpenyong had on June 8 petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the EFCC, calling for Mr. Akpabio’s probe and accusing him of looting Akwa Ibom state treasury. On his part, Mr. Ekpenyong was summoned on Wednesday, June 17, to adopt his petition and provide more details to some of the allegations he made against Mr. Akpabio.
The former governor, now senator, was elected in 2007, at a time the nation enjoyed robust oil revenue.
Akwa Ibom State and Rivers State are Nigeria’s largest oil-producing states. The two states alternate as first and second top producers periodically.
The two states receive the highest funds allocation from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, monthly.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation indicate that under Mr. Akpabio, known for ostentatious spending, Akwa Ibom received a staggering N1. 6 trillion from FAAC between June 2007 and May 2014.
At the time he vacated office on May 29, the state received more, excluding other revenues like Ecological Funds, internally generated revenue etc. In a new petition to the EFCC dated June 22, and copied to Mr. Buhari and the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, Mr. Ekpenyong gave details of some of Mr. Akpabio’s alleged financial recklessness.
He indicated that between January and December 2014, the ex-governor colluded with two of his top aides to steal a whopping N108.1 billion from the state’s treasury.
Mr. Ekpenyong told the EFCC that the former Government House Permanent Secretary, Etekamba Umoren, and the former Accountant General of the state, Udo Isobara, colluded with Mr. Akpabio to steal the funds.
The former governor is also being accused of using state funds to acquire several assets across the country. Some of those listed include Plot 5 Okogosi Spring Close, off Katsina-Ala Crescent, Maitama-Abuja, a multi-billion naira mansionette at Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja and another multi-billion naira mansion at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Others include a multi-billion naira mansionette at Plot 23 Olusegun Aina Street, Parkview, Lagos and a multi-billion naira 25 storey building at Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Strange, mischievous and untenable
In an interview with Premium Times, Mr. Aniekan Umana, the former commissioner of information under Akabio’s administation dismissed the claims as being pretentious and false, explaining,
“Every sum withdrawn from a government account is tied to a subhead and there must be a budgetary provision. To attribute fraud to withdrawals, which had the full sanction of Government and was accommodated in the budget is strange, mischievous and untenable.”
The former commissioner also challenged the veracity some of the claim being made
“Senator Akpabio does not own a 25-storey building in Victoria Island or in any part of the world, as alleged by the petitioner. It is also a patent falsehood that the house at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi belongs to Senator Akpabio. It is a rented building which ownership can be verified from Lagos State Lands Registry.
“Senator Akpabio does not own the properties mentioned in the petition to belong to him. You can verify the ownership of the properties (5 Okokosi Close, Maitama and Plot 28 Colorado Close, Maitama) from the land registry in Abuja,” he said.
Wizkid links up with Skepta as he gets into London (photo)
EXPOSED: NLNG Funds Not Remitted Under Jonathan
Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has revealed Goodluck Jonathan administration illegally refused to transfer funds remitted to it by Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) into the federation account.
Noting that the remitted NLNG funds were not been transferred to the federation account, Oshiomhole said, “For example, all the noise that have been generated over what happened last week, there was nothing extraordinary.
“What was extraordinary is that the NLNG has over the years been remitting funds to the federal government. But the federal government illegally refused to transfer these funds to the consolidated revenue fund which belongs to the three tiers of government."
According to him, with the renewed transparency being returned to the system by President Buhari, Edo State would have gotten N10 billion consecutively in four years of the Jonathan administration.
The governor who spoke to journalists after meeting with President Buhari at the presidential villa, regretted that his state lost N10billion under Jonathan and ex-finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
He said Nigerians have always been happy with Buhari because he had been very clear from day one on his campaign promises “about putting an end to impunity and fragrant disobedience of law and order”.
Oshiomhole explained that the NLNG was not just starting to remit, as it had been doing that every year plus taxes paid by Shell, amounting to about $500 million.
He said the $500 million added to the amount of $1.6 billion from NLNG was what totalled to the amount of $2.1 billion that was shared last week.
“All that President Buhari has done is in line with his commitments to ensuring that all funds and monies accruing to the federation account are so remitted. He has directed the CBN to transfer the funds to the consolidated account.
“Our commissioners along with federal officials met last week to share those funds in line with the revenue allocation formula. If this money had come under the last president, it will have gone the same way as in previous years."
He continued: “The truth is that so much was not paid to the federation account and that explains the huge gap. That was why in some of my statements, I said it is not just question of drop in price but it is also the denial of a lot of revenue that ought to have accrued into the federation account. So, no state has gotten a dime from what we called bail out or Excess Crude Account”.
OAP Freeze and Wife Divorcing after 13years of Marriage
"The Lord’s goodness is awesome. His love conquers all. This birthday has been my best in over 15 years!! The Lord has removed the monster that tormented me all this while. The cause of all my misery and affliction, the plaque in my tent, the thorn in my flesh, the source of my torment that bedeviled me, taunted and teased me, yet was the force behind my ordeal. Thank you lord for setting me free."If you're lucky to have a good wife or good husband, cherish him/her dearly. What some folks go through can be classified as hell on earth, all thanks to fraudulent marriages. See their kids...
...I just feel for their kids!
Ohaneze Ndigbo accuses Tinubu behind plot to remove Ekweremadu
The youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ohanaeze Youth Council, has said that
the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Leader, Asiwaju Bola
Tinubu, is behind the plot to remove Ike Ekweremadu as the deputy senate
president.
In a statement issued in Umuahia, the OYC National President, Mazi
Okechukwu Isiguzoro, asked Tinubu and other “anti- Igbo forces in APC”
to retrace their steps or face the wrath of Igbo youths.
Isiguzoro said the plot to remove Ekweremadu was an affront on the Igbo nation which would not be tolerated.
He said,
“Being fully aware that the present plot is being orchestrated by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, we ask him to re-trace his steps forthwith or we shall declare him an enemy of Ndigbo.”
Isiguzoro, urged President Buhari to caution Tinubu and other anti-Ekweremadu forces.
He said,
“We are aware that Buhari is under intense pressure to endorse the ‘Ekweremadu must go plot.’ This is the time for the President to prove that he belongs to nobody, Tinubu inclusive, but that he belongs to everybody, Ndigbo inclusive.”
Another Igbo group, Izu-Umunna Cultural Association, also asked the APC
to accept the election of Ekweremadu as the deputy senate president as
the will of God.
In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Ugo Ihekuna, and
Secretary-General, Chief Elvis Chukwu, the association attributed the
crisis in the senate to the handiwork of politicians who wanted things
to always go their own way.
Punch
Tinubu To Emerge Chairman BoT of APC
The party is due for the constitution of its BoT on June 20, 2015 following the rectification of the process by the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, last week.
Tinubu who is a big brain behind the formation of APC by the four defunct political parties - ACN, CPC, ANPP and a faction of APGA - now known as legacy parties, apparently lost out in the power game when his candidates for the Senate Presidency and the Speakership of the House of Reps were defeated at the National Assembly leadership election.
“He is not likely to contest the position with anyone else. Many people want him for the office.”
Speaking in confidence to Vanguard in Abuja, a party source revealed that the odds favour Tinubu even though ex-Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, is said to be angling for the portfolio.
But even with this, it was also learnt that some people may not be comfortable with Tinubu occupying the office. They fear that he may use the office to attack most members of the NWC among whom are the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Barrister Yakubu Dogara whose relationship with him has gone awry following the National Assembly leadership election.
However, those who know what is right believe that he is the one who deserve the office at the moment.
Doctor who scammed patients by falsely diagnosing cancer, jailed for 45 years
Dr Farid Fata, who worked in
suburban Detroit, Michigan, poisoned around 550 victims many of whom did
not actually have cancer, by giving them excessive chemotherapy and
other treatments.
His actions wrecked his patients'
health, with many sustaining chronic health problems such as brittle
bones and fried organs. Other victims lost their homes and jobs, and
were forced into bankruptcy.
Fata asked Borman for mercy. But a prosecutor reminded the judge of the victims' "lifetime of suffering."
The judge, calling Fata's crimes "huge" and "horrific," deliberated for about an hour before sentencing Fata to 45 years behind bars.
By then, Fata's tears were gone. He stared ahead, looking emotionless.
His victims, many of whom wore bright yellow to the sentencing to symbolize the last day Fata would see the sun, remained quiet in the courtroom. Afterwards, their disappointment and anger spilled out.
"It's not enough," said Geraldine Parkin, whose husband underwent unneeded chemotherapy.
She, like many others, wanted the judge to impose the maximum possible sentence of 175 years; Fata's lawyers had asked for 25.
"We expected more," said Steve
Flagg, whose wife, Monica, testified about learning of her misdiagnosis
after her leg snapped in half.
As for Fata's tears, Flagg said: "It was just a show."
Authorities said they, too, were disappointed in the length of the prison term, but felt confident that it would encompass all, or most, of his life.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan called Fata's scheme "the most serious fraud case in the history of the country." No prior investigation, she said, included "the kind of stunning physical harm that we saw in this case."
Noting that chemotherapy is toxic to both cancerous and healthy tissue, McQuade said Fata "gave poison to these people not to keep them alive but to make money."
NBC News
On Friday, Fata broke down in court
as he was sentenced to more than four decades in prison for what the
judge described as a 'huge, horrific series of criminal acts' that had
affected hundreds.
The doctor had remained stone-faced
earlier in the week as his former patients had appeared in court to
detail the shocking consequences of being put through unnecessary
chemotherapy.
But during his sentencing, Fata,
whose business, Michigan Hematology Oncology, had many upscale offices
in the area, repeatedly broke down crying as he begged for mercy.
Speaking publicly for the first time
since he was arrested in August 2013, the oncologist said: 'I misused
my talents, yes, and permitted this sin to enter me because of power and
greed.'
He added: 'My quest for power is self-destructive.'
Fata, who turned and apologized to
his victims in the courtroom, admitted his patients had knocked on his
door 'seeking compassion and care', but he had 'failed them'
Fata asked Borman for mercy. But a prosecutor reminded the judge of the victims' "lifetime of suffering."
The judge, calling Fata's crimes "huge" and "horrific," deliberated for about an hour before sentencing Fata to 45 years behind bars.
By then, Fata's tears were gone. He stared ahead, looking emotionless.
His victims, many of whom wore bright yellow to the sentencing to symbolize the last day Fata would see the sun, remained quiet in the courtroom. Afterwards, their disappointment and anger spilled out.
"It's not enough," said Geraldine Parkin, whose husband underwent unneeded chemotherapy.
She, like many others, wanted the judge to impose the maximum possible sentence of 175 years; Fata's lawyers had asked for 25.
As for Fata's tears, Flagg said: "It was just a show."
Authorities said they, too, were disappointed in the length of the prison term, but felt confident that it would encompass all, or most, of his life.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan called Fata's scheme "the most serious fraud case in the history of the country." No prior investigation, she said, included "the kind of stunning physical harm that we saw in this case."
Noting that chemotherapy is toxic to both cancerous and healthy tissue, McQuade said Fata "gave poison to these people not to keep them alive but to make money."
Outside court, many former patients were disappointed with the punishment, deeming it too short.
'Prosecutors did a fantastic job -
and he got 45 years. It's a lifetime sentence for the rest of us,' said
Monica Flagg, 53, who was treated for cancer before doctors examining a
broken leg found she had no cancer. 'What about all the grave markers
out there that all the victims' families have to look at?
NBC News
My First Daughter Said I Would Die In Office – Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that his eldest
daughter, Iyabo, told him he was going to die in office. He also said
his daughter said if that should happen, she would not weep for him.
The former President said he, nevertheless, replied his daughter that such weeping or no weeping would not mean anything to him since he would not be there to appreciate it.
On how he became President in 1999, Obasanjo said: “My mind was almost made up (to vie for the position of President) but I had to consult with my children. I got four of them together in New York.
“I told them I was going to decide whether to go into politics or not. Iyabo was the most antagonistic. She burst out loudly, ‘I know you will join and you will die there and if you die, I will not weep'.
“I told her ‘if I die and you weep, it is for yourself and others, not for me as I will not know you are weeping.’
“It is ironic that within 10 years, Iyabo became a Senator and I completed two terms of eight years without a scratch.”
Obasanjo made these revelations in his controversial book - MY WATCH.
The meeting with the four children came after he had consulted almost all those that mattered.
President Obasanjo added that out of the four children in attendance when he spoke with them, it was only Segun who he said, had a few words of encouragement.
The son, according to Obasanjo, said, “Daddy, you have always said that we must serve God and humanity and if this is the way you have chosen to serve God and humanity, I will pray for you.”
Obasanjo mentioned the names of his 21 children in the book. Five of them are holders of PhD.
He said it was ironic that the same Iyabo, who made noise, later became a senator during his tenure.
Photos: Nicki Hilton & her billionaire heir hubby step out for wedding reception
The newly married socialite wore a sparky Versace dress and shoes as she
and her husband attended a wedding reception organized in their honour
after their extravagant wedding at Kensington Palace yesterday. This is
the second marriage for Nicki - her first lasted three months - and the
first for James Rothschild. More photos after the cut...
Photo credit: Splash News
50 Cent ordered to pay Rick Ross' baby mama $5 Million for sex tape leak
According to reports, $2.5 million of the sum is for "violating her civil rights for using her image without her permission," and the other $2.5 million is for "intentional infliction of emotional distress." Leviston's lawyer originally sought $20 million total in damages.
50 was absent during the court proceedings, not attending to testify nor hear the verdict. He has denied publishing the tape online, though it undeniably features 50 Cent in his "Pimpin' Curly" outfit providing commentary from start to finish.
Source: New York Daily News
Toolz shows off her flexibility in new photo...
Friday 10 July 2015
Is Akon being used as a front for Chinese-owned businesses to sell solar power to Africa?
So says this article by Joseph Guthrie titled 'Tricking Africa?'. Read below..
When the news broke about Akon’s initiative to bring solar power to 600 million Africans, social media was awash with praise and mainstream media felt compelled to spread the word. The Senegalese-American recording artist/entrepreneur officially became the face of the plan that he had dropped hints about for a year. Upon first glance, you couldn’t really blame anyone for extending their adulation.
The world’s second largest continent and its 54 nations have repeatedly been a target for imperialism, colonialism, and conquest so seeing a descendent “give back” to the people struggling to keep their heads above water was indeed a refreshing moment.
The official Akon Lighting Africa (ALA) webpage is a spectacle to behold: Akon’s visage and signature adorning his words in the form of a quotation “…bringing hope to millions and ultimately giving Africa a better future” greet you as the page loads; three major bullet points outlining the programme’s overall goals to bring light to the African masses neatly line up next to that. For lots of people – the global black diaspora, notwithstanding – this move is beyond major.
Akon’s peers in the entertainment industry – particularly black artists and/or actors – were very vocal in their support. Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Tyrese, Timbaland, and Lil Jon used their respective spaces to tell their fans and affiliates about this incredible academy. Mike Bloomberg and organisations, including the United Nations, also spoke highly of Akon’s efforts. Countless Africans tendered their gratitude to Akon for stepping forward and using his stardom to make a significant difference in their lives. Truly, it was marvellous to see all of this positivity abounding.
Or at least… it seemed marvellous at the time.
Not even a day after ALA was officially announced, Snoop Dogg took to Instagram to air a grievance. He bemoaned the fact that major media outlets prioritised the coverage of Caitlyn Jenner over Akon’s solar academy, insulting Caitlyn – a transgender woman – in the process. Of course, I was appalled by the labelling of Jenner as “a science project,” and when I took to Twitter to air my own views on the discourse (calling out the attention ALA wasn’t getting using that kind of transphobic language is quite crass and wholly unproductive, I feel), I saw that valid questions were being asked about ALA.
JJ Bola – author, poet, and educator – was one of a few people I noticed looking at the ALA initiative critically. “…Where does that 600 million figure come from? That’s half the continent,” he tweeted. He’s not far off: The estimated total population of Africa is 1.111 billion people. Half of that is 550,500,000 – very close to the number of people that ALA has said they will deliver a clean, renewable energy source to. Even allowing for lofty ambition, I still believed the target was achievable considering ALA’s $1bn line of credit and the substantial political networking ALA has already done to get this realised. And then, I was presented with a blog post in the Corge that made no bones about why they thought ALA was merely a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Their lengthy essay laid out major concerns, stating Akon is nothing more than a “scumbag torch-bearer for the new imperialism that is coming” to the continent. Initially, the whole thing read to me like an aimless rant, effing and blinding and throwing out all manner of insults to Akon’s character. Thankfully, there was a decent amount of substance to the concerns and a bit of righteousness to the anger. It also provided answers to my own questions about ALA, upon further research and fact-checking. Consider the following:
Who is funding ALA? ALA has been provided a $1bn line of credit via China Jiangsu International, a state-owned international conglomerate, headquartered in Nanjing, China, specialising in economic cooperation and foreign trade. China Jiangsu International was founded in December 1980 and has more than 30 overseas subsidiaries, offices and branches to extend their reach and influence to roughly 80 countries around the world. According to their website, “CJI has exported chemical products, API, electrical equipment, and materials exports, exceeding a total volume of $10bn USD per year.”
Is this a private venture or is ALA not-for-profit? How will it be paid for? It appears ALA isn’t what you’d call a completely philanthropic endeavour, to say the least. Quoth Akon: “We invest our own money to get things started. We go in, plead our case to the country, put up pilots with our own dollars using sophisticated equipment…It shows people that we’re not coming in to pull money out of the country, we’re there to provide jobs for the locals and to enable them to feed their families.” So what does he mean by this? According to the ALA website, the average investment per village is $75,000 USD and will see the partnership of public (read: government, heads of state) organisations and private firms (read: Solektra, Give1 Project, Akon Corp, Sumec, Nari, and Huawei) in order to oversee the delivery. Given the private companies getting involved and private dollars getting spent, one would expect these companies to see a return on that investment. Sure enough, Samba Bathily – one of the cofounders for ALA and head of the holding group that owns Solektra – dropped more knowledge on the subject. “It means anyone who installs our systems can make payments over [several] years. Most of these countries couldn’t allocate the money to pay for a big project up front, but they can afford if they pay by installments.” [REF.? this I think is the embedded link at ‘knowledge’ above] At this stage, one would be well pressed to make ALA out to be altruistic.
Source: Mediadiversified.org
When the news broke about Akon’s initiative to bring solar power to 600 million Africans, social media was awash with praise and mainstream media felt compelled to spread the word. The Senegalese-American recording artist/entrepreneur officially became the face of the plan that he had dropped hints about for a year. Upon first glance, you couldn’t really blame anyone for extending their adulation.
The world’s second largest continent and its 54 nations have repeatedly been a target for imperialism, colonialism, and conquest so seeing a descendent “give back” to the people struggling to keep their heads above water was indeed a refreshing moment.The official Akon Lighting Africa (ALA) webpage is a spectacle to behold: Akon’s visage and signature adorning his words in the form of a quotation “…bringing hope to millions and ultimately giving Africa a better future” greet you as the page loads; three major bullet points outlining the programme’s overall goals to bring light to the African masses neatly line up next to that. For lots of people – the global black diaspora, notwithstanding – this move is beyond major. Akon’s peers in the entertainment industry – particularly black artists and/or actors – were very vocal in their support. Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Tyrese, Timbaland, and Lil Jon used their respective spaces to tell their fans and affiliates about this incredible academy. Mike Bloomberg and organisations, including the United Nations, also spoke highly of Akon’s efforts. Countless Africans tendered their gratitude to Akon for stepping forward and using his stardom to make a significant difference in their lives. Truly, it was marvellous to see all of this positivity abounding. Or at least… it seemed marvellous at the time.
Not even a day after ALA was officially announced, Snoop Dogg took to Instagram to air a grievance. He bemoaned the fact that major media outlets prioritised the coverage of Caitlyn Jenner over Akon’s solar academy, insulting Caitlyn – a transgender woman – in the process. Of course, I was appalled by the labelling of Jenner as “a science project,” and when I took to Twitter to air my own views on the discourse (calling out the attention ALA wasn’t getting using that kind of transphobic language is quite crass and wholly unproductive, I feel), I saw that valid questions were being asked about ALA.
JJ Bola – author, poet, and educator – was one of a few people I noticed looking at the ALA initiative critically. “…Where does that 600 million figure come from? That’s half the continent,” he tweeted. He’s not far off: The estimated total population of Africa is 1.111 billion people. Half of that is 550,500,000 – very close to the number of people that ALA has said they will deliver a clean, renewable energy source to. Even allowing for lofty ambition, I still believed the target was achievable considering ALA’s $1bn line of credit and the substantial political networking ALA has already done to get this realised. And then, I was presented with a blog post in the Corge that made no bones about why they thought ALA was merely a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Their lengthy essay laid out major concerns, stating Akon is nothing more than a “scumbag torch-bearer for the new imperialism that is coming” to the continent. Initially, the whole thing read to me like an aimless rant, effing and blinding and throwing out all manner of insults to Akon’s character. Thankfully, there was a decent amount of substance to the concerns and a bit of righteousness to the anger. It also provided answers to my own questions about ALA, upon further research and fact-checking. Consider the following:
Who is funding ALA? ALA has been provided a $1bn line of credit via China Jiangsu International, a state-owned international conglomerate, headquartered in Nanjing, China, specialising in economic cooperation and foreign trade. China Jiangsu International was founded in December 1980 and has more than 30 overseas subsidiaries, offices and branches to extend their reach and influence to roughly 80 countries around the world. According to their website, “CJI has exported chemical products, API, electrical equipment, and materials exports, exceeding a total volume of $10bn USD per year.”
Is this a private venture or is ALA not-for-profit? How will it be paid for? It appears ALA isn’t what you’d call a completely philanthropic endeavour, to say the least. Quoth Akon: “We invest our own money to get things started. We go in, plead our case to the country, put up pilots with our own dollars using sophisticated equipment…It shows people that we’re not coming in to pull money out of the country, we’re there to provide jobs for the locals and to enable them to feed their families.” So what does he mean by this? According to the ALA website, the average investment per village is $75,000 USD and will see the partnership of public (read: government, heads of state) organisations and private firms (read: Solektra, Give1 Project, Akon Corp, Sumec, Nari, and Huawei) in order to oversee the delivery. Given the private companies getting involved and private dollars getting spent, one would expect these companies to see a return on that investment. Sure enough, Samba Bathily – one of the cofounders for ALA and head of the holding group that owns Solektra – dropped more knowledge on the subject. “It means anyone who installs our systems can make payments over [several] years. Most of these countries couldn’t allocate the money to pay for a big project up front, but they can afford if they pay by installments.” [REF.? this I think is the embedded link at ‘knowledge’ above] At this stage, one would be well pressed to make ALA out to be altruistic.
Source: Mediadiversified.org
Nigerian-Ameican singer Jidenna says he had to import a lot of AK47 when he came to Nigeria to bury his dad
"I have had a particular type of upbringing that is not the traditional. Whatever the traditional is for a light skinned mixed African American. I am Nigerian-American and more specifically I am Igbo American, Igbo being the ethnic group where I am from and that means you are in the South East of Nigeria.
You are way from the city so it means when you go to your village you are the only person or one of the few people that look like you. In my case, our family is light. Therefore when we go to our village, when I actually buried my father I had to bring in a lot of AK47, I had to employ military commandos because when you are light skinned, you are a heavier target for being kidnapped because you are seen as more valuable. You are seen as white therefore you have money.
You are American therefore you have more money. If you have more money then you are easy to kidnap and if you are easy to kidnap then we are going to get you. So for me being light-skinned in Nigeria, in our family, it was difficult. We have been hounded. We have been robbed. Our family has been assaulted. We have had a lot of issues. You can say these to a family that is dark skinned color. They may or may not have these experiences but for us we have always been the target but when you come to America, its the opposite. The police may look you over. They may not pull out the gun faster the way they would have done if you were darker"he said.
Chibok Girls: Buhari Accuses His Service Chiefs Of Failure
While the president strongly indicted the service chiefs of the former Jonathan government, the National Security Adviser, NSA and the presidency, all implicated in the agencies that failed Nigeria in what is recognized as a treacherous response, the president has unusually maintained most of these same officials at the helm of Nigeria's security agencies.
This contradiction and dangerous inconsistency has led to the first public protests against the new administration as Boko Haram continues to successfully kill Nigerians in their hundreds.
President Buhari said:
“It is unfortunate that the security and Federal Government’s conflicting reports initially presented the government and its agencies in a very bad light both nationally and internationally.
“This is because the law enforcement agencies and the government were conflicting each other sometimes within hours or within weeks…that is not very impressive.
“The delayed and late reaction by the former government and its agencies was very unfortunate as I said. I think you will agree with me that the present government takes the issue very seriously...”“This is because the law enforcement agencies and the government were conflicting each other sometimes within hours or within weeks…that is not very impressive.
Other analysts have said that he is over compensating as Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú said here, “In an attempt to escape the perennial epithet of a dictator, the president is always trying too hard to showcase his democratic credentials by being soft, understanding and accommodating.”
Nigerians have lost patience as the president refuses to resign or accept the resignation of his Security Adviser and Service Chiefs indicted by the people, the families of Chibok, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, ENDS and other Civil right advocacy organizations, the United Nations and now his very self.
Nigerians have complained that they did not vote out Jonathan alone but voted him and his agency heads out, knowing full well that a president’s culpability extends to his team. They see the retaining of these people as a betrayal of the mandate given to the new administration.
The over 200 girls abducted due to this bungled security and government response, still remain abducted over 400 days later along with other abducted Nigerians. Some females recently freed in a pre-election military campaign had been severely abused with many impregnated by the terrorists.
Dr. Peregrino Brimah
http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something]
Email: drbrimah@ends.ng Twitter: @EveryNigerian
Boko Haram Prisoners Have Been Moved Out of South East
He told journalists during an inspection tour of projects in Abakaliki that since the suspects had already been taken to Abuja, the protest was unnecessary.
He said, “The traders have the right to protest but there was no need for the protest because we (South-East governors) had enjoined the Federal Government not to relocate any Boko Haram prisoner to any prison in the South-East. Those suspects brought to Anambra State have been taken back to Abuja.
“The state decided against the protest for the reason that the governors of the region had intimated the Presidency on their opinion on the matter, and so no need for anyone to encourage people of the state to take to the streets.”
It was gathered that the planned protest by the traders was expected to take place simultaneously across the five states of the South-East.
The traders in Abakaliki, according to sources, were expected to convene at the Abakpa main market at 8am. They were to march round the state capital before converging at the Government House gate where Umahi was also expected to address them.
It was observed that riot mobile policemen had taken over the market to prevent the traders from embarking on the protest and to avert possible breakdown of law and order in the state.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Chris Anyanwu, said that the command had to beef up security on major roads and locations of the state to avert any possible breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr. John Lebo, on Thursday said the state would resist any attempt to send Boko Haram suspects to prison facilities in the state.
No one wants to entertain Boko boys in their state.
You Mean I’m Now A Prisoner? – Ex-Governor Lamido Cries
The quartet were remanded in prison custody on Thursday by Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano after they were docked on a 28-count charge of corruption and money laundering brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
After the judge’s pronouncement, a mild drama ensued between Lamido and the Deputy Chief Registrar of Federal High court, Barrister Solomon Akpedah.
Lamido was asked to proceed to board the waiting van taking him to Kano central prison when he exclaimed, “you mean I’m now a prisoner?!”
They were arraigned alongside four companies where the Lamidos are believed to have interest.
The companies are Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamiana Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminum Limited and Speeds International Limited.
Lamido is said to have abused his position as governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015, by awarding contracts to companies where he has interest, using his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha as front.
Justice Anyadike consequently remanded the accused persons in prison custody pending consideration of their bail application and adjourned to September 28, 2015.
The arraignment of Lamido and his children was not without incident as an unruly crowd of supporters loyal to the former governor threatened to disrupt the court session. It took reinforcement of the detachment of policemen at the court to maintain order.
The travails of the Lamidos began in 2012 when one of his sons, Aminu was arrested by Operatives of the EFCC at the Aminu Kano Airport, Kano, for failing to declare a sum of $40,000.
He was prosecuted and convicted with 50 percent of the undeclared sum forfeited to the Federal Government.
Inquiries into the source of the funds led investigators into the closely guarded web of corruption and money laundering involving members of the former first family of Jigawa State and their cronies.
Lamido is said to have abused his position as governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015, by awarding contracts to companies where he has interest, using his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha as front.
Justice Anyadike consequently remanded the accused persons in prison custody pending consideration of their bail application and adjourned to September 28, 2015.
The arraignment of Lamido and his children was not without incident as an unruly crowd of supporters loyal to the former governor threatened to disrupt the court session. It took reinforcement of the detachment of policemen at the court to maintain order.
The travails of the Lamidos began in 2012 when one of his sons, Aminu was arrested by Operatives of the EFCC at the Aminu Kano Airport, Kano, for failing to declare a sum of $40,000.
He was prosecuted and convicted with 50 percent of the undeclared sum forfeited to the Federal Government.
Inquiries into the source of the funds led investigators into the closely guarded web of corruption and money laundering involving members of the former first family of Jigawa State and their cronies.
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