Niger Delta warns Buhari, APC over plans to disgrace Jonathan, jail him

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A coalition of Niger-Delta activists under the aegis of Vanguards of Nigeria's Democracy group on Saturday said it has uncovered clandestine moves by President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress to probe the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and send him to prison on trumped-up charges.

A statement issued by the spokesperson of VND, Mr. Osaghae Ogiemudia, in Abuja said recent events in the country have revealed that the Buhari's regime was out to deal with the Niger-Delta people, especially the Ijaw ethnic group in Nigeria.

The coalition therefore advised the Ijaws to support the re-election of their "only son and only Ijaw governor, Henry Seriake Dickson in the forthcoming elections in Bayelsa State and resist all moves by APC to take over power through the back door. Ijaw people defecting to APC from PDP are all traitors."

According to them, the plot to imprison Jonathan has been perfected with the ongoing controversy over Excess Crude Account and the allegation levelled against the immediate-past Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala by Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Ogiemudia said, "The whole plan has been perfected and we know the direction of all the noise by Oshiomhole. We know their target and that is Jonathan. We, the members of the Vanguard of Nigeria's Democracy are aware of some clandestine moves made by the APC led government to probe, investigate, malign and imprison ex President Jonathan. We are already aware of the trumped-up charges the APC government is leveling against a man who has diligently served the Nigerian State at the highest level of government."

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Bayelsa commends FG over brass oil & gas free zone status

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The Bayelsa State Government has concluded plans to set up a collaborative committee with the management of the Oil and Gas free zone Authority of Nigeria to facilitate the taking off of the new Brass Island Oil and Gas Free Zone, reports ITRealms.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, in a press statement available to ITRealms, quoted the State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson as giving this assurance during a courtesy visit by management team of the authority at Government House, Yenagoa.

He also appreciated the initiative of the Federal Government in designating the oil free zone for Brass Island.

Commending the location of the venture in Brass, Gov. Dickson disclosed that, his administration has been doing so much to provide jobs as well as a stable environment for business to thrive.

The Oil and Gas Free Zone, ITRealms gathered is a major project that will transform the economy of the State as well as make the State the Dubai of Africa, which the government has over the years been working very hard to achieve.

The focus of his government, Gov. Dickson said, is to expand the base of the State’s economy beyond oil and gas, through the formulation of policies to attract industrialists and promote industrialisation to create wealth, job opportunities and a stable environment.

“Our focus is to expand the base of our economy beyond oil and gas. We have formulated a lot of policies to enable us expand our economy to attract industrialists and promote industrialisation; to create wealth, jobs and a stable environment for business,” he said.

In addition, he said this is what Bayelsans have always wanted to hear from their government and commended the federal government for this laudable project.

Remarking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Victor Alabo, explained that, the authority is on a visit to intimate the State Government as well as present all the regulations and laws requesting the Governor’s permission to formalise Brass as an Oil and Gas Free Zone.

The federal government, he said, has gone ahead to do all the formalities, adding that, the Governor’s role include a formal approval for the acquisition of the land for the project.

The concept of free zone, he said, is to provide incentives for foreign direct investors to come in and do business in order to catalyse business activities and boost the economy of Bayelsa State and Nigeria.

 

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Equipment Hall partners varsity on Prestigio Multiband

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The Equipment Hall Limited, an Information Technology company has concluded plans to partner with Covenant University in improving the Department of ICT of the institution by introducing Prestigio Multiband, ITRealms reports.

The Managing Director of Equipment Hall Limited, Mr. Gbolahan Olayomi made this known when he paid a courtesy visit to the management of Covenant University at Canaan Land, Ota.

Prestige, ITRealms gathered, is one of the leading network devices manufacturing companies in the world even as it also produces best network devices and awesome customer support.

Olayomi stated that the anticipated business collaboration with the university will take the ICT department of the institution to another level in terms of knowledge, training and exposure of students in ICT, saying that the programme, Prestigio Multiband, would be introduced to the department to help achieve the desired effects.

 "Everything taught can be recorded, saved and sent straightaway to the students," he said.
On his part, vice chancellor of the university, Professor Charles Ayo, ITRealms also reports, said the idea was a welcome development provided it would help enhance the vision and goal of the institution.

 "Based on what we have seen today, we would like to fine-tune the issue of partnership to make it suitable for what we require as an institution," he stated.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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President Buhari begs Nigerians for patience

ITRealms:

The President, Muhammadu Buhari has begged Nigerians for patience, understanding and for his administration if he is to succeed, reports ITRealms.

Buhari in an Eid-el-Fitr message to the nation, made this plea, saying he fully understand and share the thirst of the long-suffering compatriots for corruption-free government institutions that work efficiently to deliver visible development for the benefit of all citizens.

“I also share the feelings of those who think that we should be moving faster. But I urge them and all Nigerians to trust that my commitment to real and positive change in our nation is as firm as ever,” he said in a press statement from presidency made available to ITRealms.

He also pointed out that there is indeed much work to be done, but “we must do it well and carefully to ensure that the great opportunity which we now have is not lost to the “business as usual” group who selfishly or shortsightedly prefer a status quo that panders to their personal or group interests.”

President Buhari also said that the adverse effects of years of rot, corruption, inept and bad governance on the nation are immense, but certainly not insurmountable if Nigerians all resolve now to place the well-being of the country above all other considerations and work whole-heartedly with the present administration to achieve greater peace and security across the nation, and reposition Nigeria for faster economic development and progress.

“May Almighty Allah continue to guide us and bless our dear nation. I wish you all happy Eid-el- Fitr celebrations,” President Buhari asserted.

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Nicodemus Onah wins star prize @ 2015 DigitalSENSE essay on Internet Governance

ITRealms:

A 100 level undergraduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nicodemus Chidera Onah has emerged the overall winner in the 2015 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Students Essay on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D), reports ITRealms.

Confirming this, the Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa Media Limited, Mrs Nkemdilim Nweke, said that Nicodemus Chidera Onah was adjudged most outstanding by most of the judge faculty, hence his emergence.

She noted that the students essay was on this year’s main theme: Net Neutrality and Nigerian Internet Users, which must not exceed 600 words but must depict clear understanding of the subject matter by the essay writers.

She also disclosed that the first runner up, was another student from UNN also in Enugu State, by name Kizito Chijioke Onah who is a student of English and Literary studies, while the third place went to Ms Ekpobadarho Oghenetejiri Blessing from the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State.

Mrs. Nweke also said that Nicodemus who scored highest from this year’s panel of judges is a student of Electronic Engineering, 100 level, and would be attending the 2015 edition of Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF) courtesy of Etisalat Nigeria, in addition to receiving the star prize of a laptop fully equipped with free data access for 12 months.

She noted that NIGF 2015 would take place at the nation’s capital, Abuja between July 20 and 21, with special interest in the youth forum as well as the plenary sessions.

According to her, the first and second runners up will be sponsored to Lagos where they will be presented their prizes of a tablet and a smart phone respectively.

She therefore, congratulated the winners of this year’s essay contest for their efforts.

Reacting, Nicodemus Onah, the star prize winner, described his emergence as ‘unbelievable’ when contacted with the news.

He also promised to focus on making more case for cybersecurity in Nigeria at the 2015 NIGF, though he decried that the awareness on Internet Governance is still below average, he advised Nigerian youths to take advantage of the Internet and get better education.

On the way forward, he said that there is need to enact user-driven internet policies in the country, that would keep the sanctity of the Internet.

 

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Pix: Nicodemus Chidera Onah, winner of NDSF Students essay 2015

Reach for the Skye produces 3 millionaires in Ibadan

ITRealms:

Three customers of Skye Bank Plc at the weekend join the millionaires club in the city of Ibadan, Oyo State, courtesy of the bank's 'Reach for the Skye' reward scheme, ITRealms reports.

The lucky winners emerged during an electronic draw conducted in the presence of officials of the National Lottery Commission namely  Damie Morrison of Garki Junction Branch in Port Harcourt, Innocent Oguabi of Katako Branch in Abuja and Donatus Okoro of Badagry Branch in Lagos.

ITRealms gathered that four other customers were made richer with 250,000 naira each while 10 others smiled home with 100,000 naira each during the 1^st round of the bank’s draw where the total prize money redeemed by the bank was Five million naira.

Head, Retail Banking Group at Skye Bank, Ms Nkolika Okoli, said the Bank would continue to encourage adoption of the savings culture by its existing and prospecting customers.

“Our target is to disburse 60 million naira before we conclude the draw and it is open to existing and prospective customers who qualify for the scheme by opening a Skye Save Plus account with a minimum of two thousand naira but their chances at becoming millionaires increase with additional deposits of the same amount. The public draws would hold every month for as long as the bank deems it fit to sustain,” she said.

Speaking at the occasion, the Area Manager, National Lottery Commission in Oyo State, Mr. Tayo Fasuhanmi, described it as open, transparent and clear, adding that, 'It conformed with the commission's requirements of a credible draw.’’

Mr. Fasuhanmi equally encouraged Nigerians to transform their lives by opening accounts with Skye Bank in order to qualify for future draws.

ITRealms gathered that the event was anchored by an actor, Olaniyi Afonja, aka Sanyeri.

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Nigeria’s e-commerce worth $10b – ACE founders

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The electronic commerce (e-commerce) in Nigeria is estimated to yield over $10billion, about N1.99 trillion if the potentials are well harnessed, ITRealms reports.

This revelation was made by the Founders and Managing Directors of African Courier Express (ACE), a technology driven logistics company, Tunde Kehinde and Ercin Eksin. They added that robust logistics infrastructures are critical to unlocking the potential of electronic commerce in Nigeria.

The industry players who pioneered e-commerce in the country as co-founders of electronic retailer, Jumia.com, ITRealms gathered, said e-commerce should play significant roles in the economic boom, likely to come in the coming years.

They insisted that to attain the potentials belied in the industry, logistics as a challenge must be tackled. Just as they stressed the fact that with an estimated growth rate of 25 per cent yearly, the e-commerce industry, when examined in 2012 was worth $35 million about N6.95billion, is valued at $550 million aboutN109.4billion and projected to have a $10 billion potential if well harnessed, according to the ministry of communications technology.

“The Nigerian e-commerce market presents peculiar challenges,” the duo posited in a recent media chat.

For them, ITRealms gathered, Nigerians are not as trusting of electronic retail as westerners, and the implication is that almost e-retail transactions in the nation is pay-on-delivery.

“In Nigeria, this leads to logistics issues concerning finding customers at a time when customers have the cash for their purchases, and issues surrounding cash remittance to the merchant. These are the conditions that compelled us to create ACE, a firm that aims to redefine the way e-commerce is handled, by placing focus on creating a technological infrastructure and adapting processes that should allow Nigerian – and by extension African e-commerce to develop stronger,” they said.

In addition, they said ACE’s technology was developed in-house by talented, entrepreneurial minds, and allows the firm to provide merchants with more details and information about their shipments – enabling them to make better business decisions.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 
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CAN accuses Sultan, Oloyede of falsehood

ITRealms

 

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused the Secretary-General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and former Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede of lying against Nigerian Christian community, ITRealms reports.

Among the falsehood said to be disseminated by the highly placed religious leaders are that Christians in Nigeria were unduly dragged into dirty waters of politics for their selfish reasons, if not for the maturity of NSCIA, Muslims would have had a serious confrontation with their Christian counterparts over the last general election and that the 2014 National Conference was skewed to favour Christians over Muslims in the ratio of 70:30.

CAN, ITRealms gathered, says that it has decided to alert the public because perception can be made stronger than reality. We can no longer continue to keep quiet because we are in a society that is gullible and where people swallow lies hook, line and sinker.. He has been giving an impression that every Christian leader in Nigeria, except his two friends, were dragged into the 2015 partisan politics. But good enough, he contradicted himself by saying that Muslim leaders under NSCIA decided to gang up against ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to CAN, the likes of Oloyede have carefully, for his personal interest, with the blessing of his mentor, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'ad Abubakar 11, refused the true composition of religious leaders, thereby making NIREC ineffective. How do we explain the exclusion of respected Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and astute Islamic preachers like Sheikh El-Zaki Zaki, an amiable President of Supreme Council for Islamic Preachers in Nigeria, Sheikh Mohammed Ahmed Ibn Nurain, from an umbrella body of religious leaders like NIREC, whereas CAN comprises all Christians in the country?

In the press release signed by the Director, National Issues, CAN, Sunday Oibe, ITRealms learnt, CAN appealed to Oloyede, having admitted that he is not a religious leader, to honorably resign as the National Coordinator of NIREC for the organization to move forward. It said Christians did not raise any objection to the position he has been occupying for close to 10 years. But now that it is the turn of Christians to produce the Executive Secretary of NIREC,  Oloyede, with the active connivance of the Sultan of Sokoto, who is a co-chair of NIREC, has frustrated every move for NIREC to meet in the last two years. Yet, these same group of persons, turned around, polarized NIREC along ethnic and religious consideration, dishing out wrong impressions and lies why NIREC has not been meeting.

CAN also said ii is not ignorant of the plan of Oloyede and the Sultan of Sokoto not to allow the meeting of NIREC to hold, until the expiration of the tenure of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor as CAN President.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Eid-el-Fitr: Buhari charges Nigerians on sacrifice for nation building

ITRealms:

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, has charged Nigerians on key lessons of self-denial and sacrifice as muslims mark the 2015 Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, reports ITRealms.

“I greet and felicitate with you all, especially our citizens of the Islamic faith on this auspicious occasion of the 2015 Eid-el-Fitr celebrations,” he said.

According to a press statement made available to ITRealms by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, quoted Mr. President as congratulating all those who have successfully completed the Ramadan fast in keeping with the muslim injunction of the Creator.

Buhari noted that although faithfuls have come to the end of this year’s month of Ramadan, he believes that a greater acceptance by Nigerians of its key lessons of self-denial and sacrifice will serve the country well as the nation strives to overcome present challenges, “undo the damage done by years of bad governance and accelerate the pace of national development.”

He reviewed the dire circumstances and the many missed opportunities of the past, some commentators and observers have said that this is Nigeria’s last chance to get its act together and finally begin to fulfill its God-given potential for greatness.

“I certainly believe that now, more than ever before, our country needs greater self-denial, sacrifice and patriotism from all of its citizens, if we are to quickly recover from our numerous problems and start moving in a positive direction,” he charges.

This current period offers Nigeria a great opportunity to break from the vicious triangle of insecurity, corruption and under-development, hence Nigerians must collectively resolve to seize this opportunity and unite to confront the problems.

“I remain wholly committed to giving the required leadership towards undoing the wrongs of the past, ensuring that Nigeria truly begins to unlock its great potential and that the benefits of our immense national resources are shared and enjoyed by all, not just by successive cabals of corrupt leaders and their cronies.

“I was very aware of your high expectations when I assumed office and I reassure you, my fellow citizens, that since my inauguration on the 29th of May this year, I have been working with utmost dedication to meticulously plan and tackle the many national challenges which we identified and promised to resolve,” he urged.
 
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