Tunde Fashola’s N78m website divides APC

ITRealms:

The Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (LSPPA) has disclosed that the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) used the sum of N78.3 million to upgrade his personal website, www.tundefashola.com, ITRealms authoritatively revealed.

This is, ITRealms reports that the expose has divided the All Progressive Congress (APC) both in Lagos State and at the national office.

LSPPA, established on the 2nd of April, 2012 under the Lagos State Public procurement Law, 2011 ensures probity, accountability and transparency in Public Procurement throughout Lagos State.

Investigations by ITRealms, also showed that the upgrade of www.tundefashola.com was purportedly for post May 29, 2015 and was awarded to Info Access Plus Limited as the number 13 item in the LSPPA report on contracts awarded by the state in 2014.

Although, LSPPA certified the award, it did not indicate the month of the contract which has since its recent publication, ignited anger and surprise from Nigerians, who wondered what really went wrong with the supposed crusader of accountability and transparency, Mr. Fashola.

Some of those reactions, so far came from a social critic, Mr. Tolu Ogunlesi, who wondered how one could build “a WordPress website for 78 million naira? Are you mad? Or am I the mad one for thinking you might be mad?”

Alarmed by this revelation, Blossom Nnodim lamented that this Fashola’s website “must have been designed by @ArturoFirenze for @tundefashola.”

 

Nigeria's civic technology organisation, focusing on public finance, @BudgITng asked how exactly is that amount for a website justifiable? Wondering that “even Facebook didn't cost that much to build.”

According to BudgITng, "Corruption - the process of wasting or diverting public funds which are captured by private interests against the public gain" is the concern of the organisation

While Opeoluwa blamed his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) now infused into All Progressive Congress (APC) which seems to have developed blind eyes, because some of them do not want Fashola in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet and alleged sabotage for using N78m for a website.

For Larry Hover “It’s regrettably lugubrious that such an amount can be spent on building/ designing a mere website, in sooth it repugnant to natural justice equity and good convenience and inconsistent with spending policy. He should refund that balance money ASAP. Nigerians are not illiterates. We know what it will cost. Ahh. Fashola, U and your Opon imo brothers.”

+ITRealms DSA +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +Babatunde Fashola, SAN
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Airtel Nigeria hits 30 million subscriber milestones

ITRealms:

Airtel Nigeria has hit a milestone as it marks 30th million telecommunication subscribers, reports ITRealms.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airtel Africa, Mr. Christian de Faria, made this disclosure saying that the company’s success was mainly driven by its reliable GSM network and a stable internet growth from its residential and business segments, that have further accelerated its subscriber base.

“This is a great milestone for Airtel Nigeria which has been successful despite the numerous challenges in the market, notwithstanding the increasingly competitive telecoms landscape. This is a testament of our focus on delivering quality products and services backed by innovations, that impact the day to day lives of our customers.” said Mr. de Faria.

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, the total number of mobile subscribers in the country has risen from 144 million in May 2015 to 146 million in June 2015. In addition, Nigeria’s mobile operators added 2.1 million new subscribers in June 2015 with the subscriptions to fixed networks increasing from 181,625 in May 2015 to 182,643 within the same period.

Also speaking, the Airtel Nigeria CEO and Managing Director, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya said this achievement signals a major milestone in Airtel’s Africa growth story.

“It is a clear sign that our strategy is working and that our customers continue to enjoy the wide range of quality services that we offer. We remain committed and will continue to invest in Nigeria to tap into the huge potential that this market offers,” he said.

ITRealms recalls that this landmark comes two months after Bharti Airtel moved up one position in global rankings, becoming the third largest mobile operator in the world with over 303 million customers across 20 countries.

 

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Ijaw professionals blames Bayelsa APC over Nembe attacks

ITRealms:

The Ijaw Young Professionals (IYP) in Bayelsa State has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the recent attack on military men in Nembe in which four soldiers and a mobile policeman were reportedly killed.

The IYP described the attack as part of a plot allegedly being used a former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva and APC to create a sense of insecurity in the state ahead of the December 5 governorship elections.

IYP spokesperson, Seighfa Tonye-Brown, Saturday told correspondent that the yet to be identified gun men had attacked the military personnel at about 12 midnight on Thursday, and killed four men in uniform and collected their rifles. 

He also claimed the gun men removed four machine guns from the military boats and another machine gun that was placed on duty, adding that these weapons were being collected to be used during the elections.

Tonye-Brown alleged that this latest incident was among the plans being hatched by the opposition party to unleash, between now and the election, tension and insecurity in the state in order to force the hand of President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency and possibly take over the state. 

The strategy, he said, would also lead to change in the security high command in Bayelsa State as a ploy to claim that the change was necessary because of high level of violence and insecurity in the state, adding that the impending change could take place next week.

“By next week, we are well informed, that the Police Commissioner and Director of SSS will be replaced with new officers who will do the bidding of the APC in the forthcoming governorship elections”, he stated.

Brown, who called on the security agencies to take his allegations seriously, said that an APC chieftain had during the week boasted that Governor Seriake Dickson will be removed from office by all means, noting that the opposition party had perfected strategies to carry out the plot to remove the governor by resorting to violence to achieve its objective.

“Already, this attack on the military men is a clear pointer to the execution of the evil plot and we are reliably informed that more sinister actions are on the way”, he alleged.

He, however, assured Bayelsans that, given the strong security architecture in place in the state, the Dickson-led government has sworn to deal with any security threat.

The group also called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to be drawn into the Sylva-led APC antics, stating that violence has been the opposition leader’s stock in trade.

“To former governor, Timipre Sylva, violence is a normal way of life. The resort to violence as the only means of winning elections in this state is no longer fashionable. The people of the only Ijaw state say no to violence. We reject APC and its brand of violent politics. Their hope that with increased violence and insecurity will force Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Bayelsa State has failed”, he declared.

 

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Mba-Uzoukwu: High net worth Nigerians should invest in startups

ITRealms:

The Information Technology (IT) entrepreneur and vice chairman of Demo Africa 2015 edition, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, has urged high net-worth individuals (HNIs) in Nigeria to start investing in technology startups, arguing that returns on investment (RoI) in technology businesses has proven to be one of the most attractive in the world, reports ITRealms.

Managing director/CEO of InfoGraphics Nigeria, Mba-Uzoukwu, noted that most studies have shown that rapid growth start-ups generate the most new jobs in an economy and require the highest amount of equity risk capital. He quoted Craig Mullett from the Branison Group as stating that a 2005 study of 37 countries showed that out of various sources of funding including debt, private equity, venture capital and angel investor capital, “only angel investor capital significantly positively influenced the propensity to be entrepreneurs.”

While all successful entrepreneurial hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston, New York, Tel Aiv, Bangalore and Warsaw all have developed angel investor networks, which incubated start-ups rely for financing, contacts and strategy advice, Nigerian HNIs are slow in stepping up to create the platforms and enterprises of tomorrow. 

“Interestingly Nigeria HNIs appear unaware of, disbelieving of, and/or uninterested in the latent potential of local technopreneurs despite the relatively low entry barriers to investors and a burgeoning start-up community. We recognize that the tech industry is still in early stage development,” he said.

Mba-Uzoukwu also said that they must be intentional and aggressively so in looking inwards if we are to find sustainable and uniquely suited solutions to the challenges facing our country in the context of a 21st century global economy. Demo Africa is a great step and a new class of indigenous Nigerian investors must rise up and be counted because technology offers the most realistic stairway to a brighter future for Africa.”

While informing that Demo Africa connects African startups to the global ecosystem, he said the initiative “is the place where the most innovative companies from African countries get a platform to launch their products and announce to Africa and the world what they have developed.”

A successful entrepreneur with proven capability, Mba-Uzoukwu explained that several options are available to potential investors under engagement models, which range from business angels to venture capital and private equity, for funding technology startups.

 “Whether it is purely a financial investment or a business decision to diversify business portfolio or an eagerness to join the next big game-changer, it seems pretty obvious that every savvy investor should have a technology company in his portfolio.  Local investors who shun technology businesses today will definitely see the earliest pickings taken by their Western counterparts at ridiculously low valuations despite the apparent high risk,” Mba-Uzoukwu cautioned.

While describing technology as the fourth wave that should not be missed if Africa would hope for economic transformation, he likened the likes of Konga and Paga as signposts of things to come with Nigerian entrepreneurs requiring an infusion of foreign blood in order to scale in the absence of local HNI interest.

He explained that investing in start-ups would soon be a serious investment option from banks to corporate organisations and individual investors. “By simple logic, if you have cash and have already made investments in real-estate, shares, other financial instruments, gold and possibly your own enterprise too, what can you do with any residual cash that you have? Invest in a start-up stands out as a good option – given that Nigeria is now a fertile ground for ideas and innovation, and being an entrepreneur is cool. And if you are wondering if any have been successful, just look at Interswitch, Hotelsng, M-Tech, IrokoTV, and Jobberman.”

According to him, the technology start-up industry has never been more vibrant with ideas and willingness to tread the uncharted waters and a burning desire to bring change to the communities in which they exist.  “There is a smoldering fire in the eyes of Nigerian youths that view technology as a means of self-expression, actualization and a driver for creating the Nigeria of their dreams.

“Socially-committed, deeply convicted and determined to see the fullest expression of their values and ideas in the markets they have in focus. They want the double-impact – to make it big and to make it happen. High net worth Nigerians should support them. Look around you – there will be an entrepreneur near you and that is the exciting thing about Nigeria. Therefore, if you don’t have the next big idea or experience or inclination to start your own venture, you can play a part in the start-up community by funding them,” he said.

 
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