What you should know about Peter OBI - ITREALMS

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Very sure every Nigerian of a voting age must have heard about Mr. Peter Gregory OBI, (CON) who was born on 19th July, 1961 at Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria.

A Nigerian to the core, Peter Obi is married with two children. He attended the popular Christ the King College also known as CKC Onitsha where he obtained his West African School Certificate (WASC). From CKC, he went to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to obtain B.A. in Philosophy.

He is widely read and has since acquired more knowledge having attended the Chief Executive Programme of the Lagos Business School, Nigeria; Harvard Business School, Boston, U.S.A. on Mid-to-Mid Marketing; Harvard Business School, Boston, U.S.A. on Changing the Game; London School of Economics on Financial Management/Business Policy; Columbia Business School, New York, U.S.A. on Marketing Management; and · Institute for Management Development, Switzerland for the Senior Executive Programme.

Taidob College, others emerge winners @2019 FirstBank sponsored national competition – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Taidob College Abeokuta, has emerged the 2019 winner of the National Company of the Year competition organized by Junior Achievement Nigeria and sponsored by First Bank of Nigeria Limited, reports ITREALMS.

With this, Taidob College would compete against student teams from 10 other Junior Achievement member countries across Africa.

The student team contestants comprise representative from the Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland), Ghana, Zambia, Gabon, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Botswana, Kenya and South Africa. The event is scheduled for Friday, 6 December 2019 at Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana.

The African stage of the National Company of the Year competition is a buildup and sequel to the national event hugely competed by 12 student companies from across the country, including the eventual winner Taidob College Abeokuta. Terra Kulture, Lagos played host to the event on 3 October 2019.

Speaking on the event, Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, First Bank of Nigeria Limited said “the youngsters from Taidob College are indeed not just solution providers, but also life savers. The impact of their innovation - the Gas Leakage Detector – would go a very long way at solving the problem of fire outbreaks due to gas leakages in homes, offices, and industries. I no doubt believe that they would make Nigeria and indeed the rest of Africa proud at the competition. We are delighted to associate with them and congratulate Junior Achievement on the feats so far attained”.

Last year, Inventive Explorers, from Caro Favored College Ajegunle, emerged the grand winners at the Africa Company of the Year competition in Ghana. Their rechargeable handheld LED traffic lights has solved a real problem in various congested communities and reduced traffic accidents, especially in areas with school children crossing busy streets. Over the years, FirstBank has been at the forefront of partnering with Junior Achievement Nigeria in Company of the year program and competition.

The National Company of the Year Competition (NCOY) is an annual flagship event by Junior Achievement Nigeria’s (JAN), which convenes the winners of the JA Company Program Regional Competitions across Nigeria together to compete for the National Company of the Year Award. The national winner then proceeds to represent Nigeria against other JA Africa member-nation companies.

Chuks Egbuna/DoP

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Buhari leads FG delegation to eNigeria’19 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

President Muhammadu Buhari has been confirmed to lead the Federal Government (FG) delegations to the 2019 e-Nigeria annual conference as the special guest of honour, reports ITREALMS.

Confirming this to ITREALMS, spokesperson to the Minister of Communications & Digital Economy, Mrs. Uwa Suleiman said, Buhari accepted and approved the invitation of the Minister, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) to serve as Special Guest of Honour, through a letter.

The confab scheduled to hold from Thursday, 28th to Saturday, 30th of November 2019 with the theme centred around: Digital Economy for a Digital Nigeria, she said, would be declared open by the President, with the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy as the Chief Host and Chief Convener, Director-General National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Kashif Inuwa Abdullahi.

They are expected to be joined by all the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of agencies under the Ministry’s purview will serve as co-hosts. 

These, she said, include the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; Managing Director Galaxy Backbone PLC, Mr. Yusuf Kazaure; Managing Director Nigeria Communications Satelite (NIGCOMSAT), Dr Abimbola Alale; Acting Executive Secretary Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) Mr Ayuba Shuaibu; and the Post-Master General, Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST) Barrister Adebisi Adegbuyi.

Also, she said the highlight of this year’s event, would be the formal public presentation for review, in line with the President’s directives, the draft document on the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, in accordance the Ministry’s mandate.

The Minister has also constituted Central Working Committee (CWC), for e-Nigeria chaired by him, with NITDA as its secretariat and coordinator, while the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Parastatals under the Ministry’s supervision serve as members.

Recall that the e-Nigeria Conference is the nation’s flagship IT Conference organized by the Federal Government and coordinated by NITDA, the Federal Government’s Information Technology (IT) develop arm, supervised by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor
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Kogi and Bayelsa 2019 Governorship Election: Foretelling the Outcome - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

Democracy is earning the power to govern through free, fair and credible elections. Nigeria is a democratic state, but the leadership recruitment process is largely undemocratic. 

Material and financial inducements determines victory, the security agencies are political, and the umpire lacks the capacity and will to conduct credible polls. Public sovereignty is departing the ballot for court as the 2019 general elections produced about a thousand petitions. 

Subjecting almost every electoral victory to judicial confirmation is making voting lose its essence. Like every human, judges are prone to errors as much as they have preference. Hence, their verdicts can’t always be a true reflection of the peoples will. Several mandates have been mistakenly or deliberately upturned. Parties and candidates must strive to end their contests at the polls, instead of the court.

Nigerians hope for this as the people of Kogi and Bayelsa state elect governor on 16 November, 2019. Over 40 parties fielded candidates, but the contest is a two horse race between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). APC’s David Lyon is slugging it out with PDP’s Duoye Diri in Bayelsa state. In Kogi, PDP’s Musa Wada and SDP’s Natasha Akpoti is challenging incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello of the APC. On the sideline, PDP’s Dino Melaye is facing APC’s Smart Adeyemi in the Kogi-West senatorial rerun. This piece foretells the outcome of the elections.

Bayelsa State:Bayelsa is a riverine, less populated state of about 2.5 million persons, eight local governments, and 923,182 registered voters. Unfavorable judicial pronouncements have practically make winning an unattainable height for APC in Bayelsa state. The party’s deputy governorship candidate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, was disqualified on November 12 for providing false information in his nomination form. On November 14, the court invalidated David Lyon’s candidacy on account that the governorship primary that produced him was improperly conducted. APC miraculously got a stay of execution at the Court of Appeal few hours after Justice Jane Inyang of Bayelsa High Court gave the ruling.

Is Nigeria’s legal system so flexible that appellants can get a stay of execution the same day judgment is delivered? Did the trial judge err by granting reliefs not sought by Heineken Lokpobiri, the plaintiff who originally prayed to be declared candidate?

In any case, APC is back on the ballot and the poll won’t be a walkover for PDP. The former made an impressive performance in the last general elections and may increase the beat. From scoring a meagre 5,000 votes in the 2015 presidential poll, APC garnered over 118,000 votes in 2019. While one may argue that the party got more votes because a Bayelsa indigene wasn’t on the ballot, as in 2015, the progression is a testament that APC is making waves in Bayelsa.

Ethno-regional balance of power would earn PDP votes. The party’s primary generated resentment, but drastic measures were taken to address the impasse. Diri and the immediate past speaker of the state assembly, Tony Isenah hails from Kolokuma Opokuma. Agitations were rife that the region cannot produce governor and speaker, while Southern Ijaw, the second largest voting population, held no key position. To calm frayed nerves, Governor Seriake Dickson and other PDP leaders forced Isenah out for Monday Obolo. The move has brightened PDP’s chance in Southern Ijaw, the APC candidate’s homeland.

A major setback for the PDP is intra-party crisis. Governor Dickson backed Duoye Diri, against the wish of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and other bigwigs. Diri’s candidature was actualized through the Restoration Group, the dominant PDP faction in the state controlled by Dickson. Diri pulled 561 votes, while Jonathan’s preferred candidate, Timi Alaibe, scored 365 votes in the primary. Efforts to make Dickson concede the deputy governorship ticket to Alaibe’s faction failed. This made several PDP stalwarts decamp to APC and other parties. Gabriel Jonah, the incumbent deputy governor’s younger brother led the Otita Force group out of the PDP to APC. Some of the defectors have returned and PDP also won some APC decampees.

Recurring conflict of interest broke the cordial relationship between Dickson and his godfather, Jonathan. The latter wants to keep calling the shot, but the former feels he has come of age. Dickson is having his way as the party structure is firmly under his control. Many allege the Jonathans are working against PDP’s victory. Ex-first lady Patience reportedly attend an APC rally and the husband visited President Buhari within the same period. Politics is an interest driven game, hence it is not impossible, but most unlikely that Jonathan would support APC. This is premised on the manner the party has disparaged him since he lost power in 2015.

Every governor wants to install a successor and Dickson is no exemption. He is striving to enthrone Diri to protect himself from probe and prosecution. Bayelsa’s development is incommensurable with the federal allocation and internal revenue Dickson has accrued. His government spent mammoth funds on less impactful schemes. For instance, the Bayelsa International Cargo Airport was constructed at a prodigious rate, while the population is lacking basic amenities.

Ex-governor Timipre Sylva’s appointment as Minister of State for Petroleum has energized APC in Bayelsa. Sylva hopes to raise his political clout by capturing the state. Poised to bring honey out of the rock, Sylva will use federal might and fund for APC, but the party will not sail through. The 2019 Ameachi-Rivers scenario would most-likely occur. Sylva would predictably incapacitate PDP bigwigs, flood the state with armed officers, and do all legally and illegally possible to enthrone APC. Yet the party would lose. PDP is more formidable despite the intra-party crisis and shortcomings of the Dickson administration. Duoye Diri (PDP) would win the election.

Kogi State

‘Your Excellency’ is a title Nigerian elites admire, and do all possible to acquire. Struggle for the coveted position of governor has made Kogi the violence capital of Nigeria lately. The 2019 governorship poll will go down in history as the fiercest in the state. Yahaya Bello (APC) and Musa Wada (PDP) are not aiming for second and Natasha Akpoti (SDP) is waxing strong. They are campaigning aggressively, spewing unfulfillable promises, and going all out to win the heart of the 1,646,350 registered voters.

Kogi APC had a good outing in the 2019 general election. The party won two of the state’s three senatorial seats, and seven out of the nine House of Representative seats. While this is a pointer that APC is on course for victory, it may lose the governorship election for fielding an unpopular candidate. Bello’s track record shows he’s not deserving of governorship or any other position. He is bereft of ideas, non-tolerant, arrogant, and violent. His address during campaigns are basically hate speeches and threats, rather than a presentation of his scorecard and manifesto.

Another minus for Bello is his style of governance. He ruled Kogi like a conquered territory. His mindset is too shallow to accommodate opposite views and criticisms. You either agree with him or be hounded. He has, at different times, been embroiled in conflict with the labor union, university staffs, and the state’s Chief Judge. Bello also has issues with his former deputy, Elder Simon Achuba. He withheld Achuba’s allowances and honoraria, and influenced his unconstitutional removal from office.

A major impediment to Bello’s reelection is the non-payment of salaries in the civil service, salary-dependent state. Bello has no tenable excuse for owing as he accrued over N300 billion internally generated revenue and federal allocation within 38 months of his administration. Yet workers were unpaid and no landmark project has been commissioned. The state is enmeshed in poverty, unemployment, insecurity and underdevelopment.

Sadly, the funds that should have been used to better Kogites lot would be apparently used for vote-buying. Federal government has aided the practice by releasing N10 billion project-executed repayment fund to Bello three days to the election. It’s upsetting Buhari’s anti-corruption centered government released the fund at a time it would most certainly be used for election purposes.

Vote-buying shouldn’t be aiding poor performing politicians to victory, but most Nigerians are descendants of Esau, the biblical character who sold his birthright for a plate of porridge. Pecuniary gain makes many praise-sing and reelect failed governments. Kogi people won’t act different. Many would vote the poor performing governor after receiving peanuts. Vote-buying is not a one party affair. PDP also induce voters and will do so again in Kogi.

Ethnic politics reigns supreme in Kogi. The population often deliver bulk votes to their tribesmen, irrespective of party. Igala tribe has numerical advantage and principally determines who carry the day. In 1999, Abubakar Audu won the governorship election under the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, defeating PDP which had better structures at the time. Igala people are domiciled in Kogi East and constitutes over half of the state’s voting population. PDP’s Wada and the APC deputy governorship candidate, Edwin Onoja are Igala natives.

If ethnic voting occurs, Wada would win as Bello hails from the less populated Ebira tribe. Onoja’s influence won’t earn APC majority vote; Igala people would rather be first than play second fiddle. Moreover, Wada’s allies are conversant with the tactics of winning elections in Kogi state, especially Igala land. The PDP candidate is the brother of ex-governor Idris Wada and in-law of ex-governor Ibrahim Idris.

Bello is hoping to harvest Ebira votes in Kogi Central, but Akpoti is a pain. The budding politician’s fan base is increasing outstandingly. Her supporters are largely women, a crucial and influential arm of the voting population. Akpoti knows she can’t win, but wants to split Bello’s vote in Kogi Central, not minding who her action benefits. Having her way would propel PDP to victory and Bello’s army of thugs won’t watch that happen. They allegedly set her campaign office ablaze and have been harassing her routinely. This misstep is earning Akpoti the popularity she might have joined the race for. It would also earn her sympathy votes, which may be inadequate to make her win, but sufficient to make Bello lose. In case Bello gets injured in Kogi Central (which is most unlikely), he will hope on recovering at Kogi West.

Kogi West Senatorial Rerun

One man’s misfortune is another’s stroke of luck. Dino Melaye’s trouble turned into blessing for Wada when he needs it most. The former’s senatorial mandate was nullified and rerun is holding alongside the governorship election. Melaye who had initially distanced himself from Wada’s campaign, having lost out in the primary, backtracked upon realizing him and Wada must either rise or fall together.

Melaye is facing arch-rival Smart Adeyemi of the APC in an epic rerun. In the nullified February 2019 election, Melaye defeated Adeyemi in six out of the seven local governments constituting Kogi West. He won despite being hounded by the state and federal government, and under a party in opposition at both levels of government.

Melaye is in tune with the masses than Adeyemi and other APC bigwigs in Kogi West. James Faleke’s reconciliation with Bello will not help APC much in the district. Faleke is late Abubakar Audu’s running mate in the 2015 governorship poll. He’s been inactive in the state since he lost the party’s mandate to Bello after Audu’s demise. Bello came second in the party primary.

Faleke is currently a federal lawmaker representing Lagos. He and Adeyemi’s political strength does not match Melaye’s in Kogi West. Melaye has over 100 projects to his credit; a contribution neither Adeyemi, Faleke nor Bello has made to the district. Call it uncivilized, Melaye’s politicking is admired by his people. His comical utterances and songs has won him the hearts of the population who sees other politicians as arrogant and inaccessible.

Melaye is a grassroots politician and popular in Kogi West. He stands a chance as none of the major opposition candidates in the governorship election hails from Kogi West. Based on the prominence of ethnic voting in the state, Melaye would lose if a strong opposition governorship candidate like Bello hails from Kogi West. Favored by these odds, Melaye (PDP) would defeat Adeyemi (APC) in the senatorial rerun election. In the same vein, for governorship, Musa Wada of the PDP would garner more votes than Yahaya Bello of the APC in Kogi West.

Governorship Election Outcome

Bello’s underperformance, misgovernance, dwindling admiration, and the odd-against ethnic voting permutation would deter his win. PDP’s Wada would get bulk ethnic votes in Kogi East. Melaye’s senatorial rerun coincidence would earn Wada majority vote in Kogi West. Natasha Akpoti would split Bello’s bulk vote in Kogi Central. The lowest of Wada’s vote would come from the district, while highest would come from Kogi East.

In a free, fair and credible contest, PDP’s Musa Wada would defeat APC’s Yahaya Bello. But the election is not going to be free; not going to be fair; and not going to be credible. Thugs would disperse voters and smash ballot boxes in Wada’s stronghold. The security agencies won’t arrest disruptors, and would be grossly partisan. Above all, the Independent National Electoral Commission would be ‘remote controlled’ by the ‘powers that be’. Several votes would be cancelled and the election would be declared inconclusive.

Virtually all the election winning indicators point to Wada’s emergence, but the pundit foresees Kogi 2019 governorship election ending with a rerun, and if it does, APC’s Yahaya Bello would ultimately be declared winner.

Note: Foretelling the outcome of an election doesn’t mean the writer has access to one sacred information or the election winning strategy of any candidate. Assessing candidates’ fortes and flaws to foretell election results is a common practice in developed nations. This doesn’t mean the pundits are demeaning the electoral process or influencing election results. Bayelsans and Kogites have already decided who they would vote for, and nothing – not this prediction – can easily change their mind.

*Omoshola Deji is a political and public affairs analyst. He wrote in via moshdeji@yahoo.com

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Sokoto ready to host All Nigeria Editors Confab 2019 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The city of caliphate, Sokoto is ready to host the 2019 All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC), slated to hold at the International Conference Centre, Sokoto, from Wednesday, November 27 to Sunday, December 1, reports ITREALMS.

The All Nigeria Editors’ Conference, is the flagship event of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE.

Acting President of the Guild, Mr. Mustapha Isah, said Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has confirmed the readiness of Sokoto State to host this year’s ANEC as a mark of his strong belief in the media as a strategic partner in nation-building and strengthening of the nation’s democratic structures.

The theme of this year’s conference is: A Distressed Media: Impact on Government, Governance and Society. The keynote speaker is Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, a multi-award winning editor, Fellow of the Guild and current Editor-in-Chief of Vanguard newspapers.

This year’s ANEC, the 15th in the series, would be chaired by former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba. Osoba is a widely travelled journalist of repute and the first Nigerian journalist to win the Nieman Fellowship for Journalism at Harvard.

Other speakers include Mr. John Momoh, Founder/CEO of Channels TV, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Publisher Thisday Newspapers and Chairman of Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher Premium Times, representatives of Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), etc.

Press statement made available to ITREALMS and signed by the Publicity Secretary of the Guild, Mr. Ken Ugbechie, said the theme was chosen to reflect the prevailing realities and challenges in the Nigerian media.

He noted that the theme was informed by an urgent and compelling need for editors and other stakeholders in the society to examine the state of the media which has in recent years come under inclement economic and regulatory circumstances.

In explaining the reason for the focus on the media, the Acting President said: “The choice of this year’s conference is deliberate. The Nigerian media is distressed and its capacity to play the watchdog role in society is being eroded and challenged on several fronts and by multiple factors. We have reached the point where all media stakeholders must come together to seek answers to the many questions and puzzles that threaten media practice in Nigeria.

“We have carefully assembled the crème of outliers in the profession drawn from print, broadcast and new media to share their thoughts and perspectives with Nigerian editors so that collectively we can proffer solutions to our challenges,” Mr. Isah said.

ANEC was first held in 2004 at Ada, in Osun State. Since then, it has been held in different parts of the country. It brings together no fewer than 400 editors and other media professionals from all over the country and beyond to focus on a designated national issues that affect the future and wellbeing of our country.

The conference also attracts foreign speakers and editors from organizations such as the West Africa Editors Forum (WAEF), the African Editors Forum (TAEF), the World Editors Forum (WEF) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

Nenye Dom/Editor

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Pix: Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State

Kaspersky backs Paris Peace Forum 2019 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Paris Peace Forum is back for a second edition with the support of Kaspersky, reports ITREALMS.

Kaspersky said it will be supporting and joining this second edition, to present its 'Global Transparency Initiative, a cornerstone of its commitment to a more secure digital future, reports ITREALMS.

This forum, ITREALMS gathered has been slated for 11 to 13 November 2019, at the Grande Halle in La Villette.

This year, the forum brings together a multitude of public, private and civil society actors to discuss global governance and multilateralism issues.

ITREALMS reports that over 30 heads of state and government are expected, with the stated objective of accelerating international cooperation and providing a collective response to the major societal challenges of today and tomorrow.

Involved in building a safe, caring and secure digital world for over 25 years, Kaspersky (Kaspersky.com) joined the Paris Appeal for Trust and Security in Cyberspace in 2018 and is supporting the second edition of the Paris Peace Forum this year. This commitment is part of the deployment of the Global Society Transparency Initiative – a reference of good practice in the sector aimed at building trust in cyberspace with the help of all stakeholders.

On the occasion of the Paris Peace Forum, Eugene Kaspersky, founder and CEO of Kaspersky, will speak about the crucial importance of building trust in cyberspace. "For several years, confidence in all things digital has been eroding. 

"Given this, today the world’s at a crossroads. As a company, we’ve decided to act, and have made ‘increasing trust in cyberspace’ an objective of the utmost social importance with our Global Transparency Initiative. We call upon other IT companies to follow this new standard of transparency and not to let fear and mistrust prevail in the digital world," said Eugene Kaspersky.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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TRACE live resumes 2019 with 2Baba - The Reign - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

TRACE Live resumes 2019 in style with a living legend and arguably the pioneer of modern day Nigerian music, 2baba. Come Thursday 21st February at the Terra Kulture Arena, 2baba will take a select audience through his musical journey themed: “2BABA - THE REIGN”.

2baba The Reign, is the fifth instalment in the TRACE LIVE series and promises to be a spectacle. Beyond the awesome sounds, thrilling lights, and enthusiastic fans the Reign will be a standout occasion as it presents a hit catalogue that spans two decades and has seen the artiste evolve from “Plantashun boiz” to 2baba.

Innocent Ujah Idibia, known by his stage name 2Baba, is one of the most decorated afro pop artists in Africa. 2Baba is a singer/songwriter, producer and entrepreneur. He is also credited as one of the key figures in the rise to global prominence of what has been described as the sound of 21st century Africa.

2baba, who is also the founder of Hypertek Entertainment has been able to sway us with dynamic sounds across the spectrums of R&B, HIP HOP, REGGAE, GOSPEL AND AFRO POP. He is arguably one of Nigeria’s most sensational artiste and without a doubt the king of the last 2 decades.

TRACE LIVE, is a new landmark in live music that highlights only the best blend of vocals and musical instruments. The show which spotlights one artist and a band is the biggest live performance show from TRACE, Bolanle Austin Peters and Cabal Entertainment.

TRACE Live with 2baba is a celebration of 2baba’s passion, tenacity and consistency, join us at Terra Kulture on Thursday 21st February as we stand up for King 2baba!

Members of the public can purchase tickets here or attempt to win on our social media page here at or attempt to win on our social media here

Nenye Dom/Editor

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AfDB to present 2019 African Economic Outlook @32nd AU Summit - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The African Development Bank would on Friday, present the 2019 edition of its flagship African Economic Outlook (AEO) report on the sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, reports ITREALMS.

The theme for this year’s African Economic Outlook is “Integration for Africa’s Economic Prosperity.” The annual report highlights economic prospects and projections for the continent as a whole and for each of the 54 countries. It offers short- and medium-term forecasts on the main socio-economic factors, while at the same time examining the challenges and progress.

The report is the result of the work and analysis of the Bank's economic experts. It is a tool for policymakers, academics, investors, development and financial industry professionals and the press and is widely used to inform policy dialogue and enhance operational efficiency of institutions.

The presentation of the AEO to development experts, business and political leaders, media and policy makers follows its official launch at the Bank’s Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on 17 January, 2019. The Addis Ababa presentation will be one of the key side events of the African Union conference.

The African Economic Outlook 2019 is available in English, French and Portuguese.

#2019AEO

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Innovectives Roadmap for Financial Inclusion for 2019 - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

As a third generation and last mile FinTech Company, 2018 was an interesting and affirmative year for us at Innovectives. We reflected on our journey in this recent past year and feel we should share our experience and learning with you.

2018 was the year we travelled far and wide to many of the rural and semi-rural communities in our country where more than half of our population still reside, in order to better understand the distinct peculiarities affecting consumption of organized financial services.

On these trips we came face to face with the gaping needs and how they have crippled the micro economy. We identified the lack of fit-for-purpose and sustainable initiatives to stimulate the demand side of digital financial services. The disproportionately higher number of financially excluded, economically active adults and non-existent access to credit to the productive segment of our society, were indicators that we had to raise our game.

These gaps are not new but the scale and impact on the micro economy calls for intentional and systematic interventions.

Back home, within the organization, 2018 was the year we were able to affirm the agility of our integrated and aggregative strategy for agency banking business through our participation in the Shared Agent Network Expansion Facility (SANEF), a project powered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Bankers Committee and NIBSS.

We opted to build an integrated shared agent banking platform that is Financial Institution agnostic because we believe a financial super highway would serve the interest of the customers and service the people better.

In 2018, we wereable to increase the number of FIs and NFIs connected toKesh Express, our agency banking platform, from four to seventeen. Today, Kesh Express is connected toZenith, GTBank, Access Bank, Stanbic IBTC, UBA, Ecobank and Cowries Microfinance Bank. Wema, Sterling and Jaiz Banks will be live in two weeks. We also connected to NIPOST IFS, Angaza, Masterpass, mVisa, Quickteller, NIBSS and Remita platforms.

Our target for 2019 is to achieve 100% connection to all retail-focused deposit money banks, major micro-finance banks and international remittance platforms.

Yes! Remittance platforms…. We want our agents to be able to pay out Western Union and MoneyGram money transfers from their shops in 2019.

We have been able to recruit over 25,000 agents across the 36 states, out of which over 10,000 agents are connected and actively carrying out financial transactions for customers on our platform. Our plan for 2019 is to speed up agents onboarding process and therefore increase the number of activated agents from 10,000 to 50,000.

Amongst several other services, our agents have been able to open over 750,000 bank accounts for various banks connected to our aggregated, integrated and shared Kesh Express agent platform.

Our minimum target in 2019 is for our agents to open over 5 million accounts for our bank partners and recruit over 50,000 new merchants.

To address the challenges of inadequate floats, we commenced a micro-credit scheme for our agents in Q4 of 2018. We have supported our agents with over N30,000,000 and recorded zero default. Our plan in 2019 is to support our agents with N1.5 billion flexible interest loans.

Last year, we recorded over 1.2 million transactions and were able to drive transactions worth over N800,000,000 on our agency banking platform. Our target for 2019 is to record 10 million transactions worth N10 billion.

At the end of 2019 we believe we will have many more insights to share as we drive the mission to the next level. I encourage you to stay with us on what promises to be an exciting journey. Please keep an eye on our blog for new quarterly updates.




Very best wishes in 2019.

*Emmanuel Agha is the Chief Executive




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3,000 Ekiti youths get 2019 free JAMB e-Registration pins - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Ekiti State Government has distributed free JAMB forms to 3,000 qualified but vulnerable youths and out of school youths across the sixteen local government areas of the State, reports ITREALMS.

Distributing the forms on Friday, Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, said the present administration will continue to prioritize the education of Ekiti Youth for national development.

According to the Wife of the Governor, beneficiaries were chosen having obtained a minimum of six credit passes in either WAEC and NECO at one sitting.

Speaking at the event, Erelu Fayemi said this kind gesture of the present administration will benefit the youths in securing their future since they are the leaders of tomorrow.

"This is a commitment of Governor Kayode Fayemi towards extending the dividend of democracy to our teeming youths and actualization of his knowledge economy agenda."

"This singular act, if effectively utilised would permanently liberate the candidates from the shackles of ignorance, abject poverty and backwardness in life," she explained.

She however assured that the present administration would leave no stone unturned in preparing the future leaders of Ekiti with requisite qualification to enable them to improve upon the solid foundation that the present government is laying upon.

The Wife of the Governor told the audience that twenty million naira had been committed to the purchase of 2019 JAMB PINS as well as the creation of a profile, provision of  E-Training, JAMB online registration and thumbprinting exercise at no cost to the candidate.

Erelu Fayemi urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture by being committed to their studies and desist from act capable of truncating their future.

Earlier the permanent secretary Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi said the gesture will in no small measure relieve parents who are struggling to make ends meet from the financial burden of providing JAMB pins for their wards.

He advised beneficiaries of the programme to attend the training provided by the government and maximize the opportunity to acquire more knowledge.

The highpoint of the event was the presentation of JAMB scratch cards to some selected candidates by the wife of the Governor.

Some of the beneficiaries lauded the state government for the kind gesture with a promise to be more committed to their studies.

Uj. N. Dom

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PIX: L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; and Permanent Secretary, Teaching Service Commission, Dr (Mrs) Bimpe Osundare; presenting a JAMb/UTME form to one of the beneficiaries at the flag-off Ceremony for the Distribution of 2019 Free Jamb/UTME forms at Ola-Oluwa Muslim Grammar School Hall, Ado-Ekiti…on Friday.

2019: INEC bans mobile devices inside voting booth - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that there will be a partial ban on the use of electronic mobile devices inside the polling booth during the 2019 general elections, reports ITREALMS.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Publicity Committee at INEC, Barrister Festus Okoye made this disclosure in his address at the sensitization forum for the media in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, saying they have introduced a partial ban on the use of mobile phone and other photographic devices.

Okoye, who was represented at the forum by the outgoing Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Prof. Abdulganiyu Olayinka Raji, said the ban on mobile devices is strictly on voters at the polling booth.

“We have introduced a partial ban on the use of mobile phone and other photographic devices by voters while in the voting cubicles,” he declared.

Okoye also expressed dismay over the issue of vote buying and INEC has responded to this by first altering the configuration of polling units by moving the ballot boxes closer to the voting cubicles in order to make it difficult for voters to expose their marked ballot papers.

According to him, it is in the same stead that the partial ban on mobile phones and photographic devices was introduced.

In addition, INEC he said, has introduced the “rolling and flattening of ballot papers by voters before casting them into the ballot boxes, stressing that financial inducement by partisan actors through the collection of the voter identification numbers (VIN) and their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

“We want to reassure Nigerians that we are aware of the new tricks. It is a futile effort. We will work with the security agencies to deal with the violators of our electoral laws,” Okoye insisted.

He emphasised on the role of the media to deeply engage in voter education, general enlightenment and mobilization.

Remmy Nweke/HO

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As election 2019 draws near - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

It should be agreed that there are different ways of apprehending and describing the situation in Nigeria as the country draws near “Election 2019”, the general elections beginning on February 16, 2019. But I have chosen, naturally and unsurprisingly, an angle and a perspective informed by the burning interests of the working, toiling and poor masses of the country. This angle and this perspective, I believe, coincide with and describe the general position of the Nigerian Left. By “general position”, I mean an ideological – political position to which every tendency of the movement which considers itself both Left and Nigerian ought to subscribe. And, finally, and for the avoidance of doubt, readers are reminded that by the Nigerian Left I mean, in this historical period, the aggregate of Nigerian Marxists, socialists and radical democrats—where “radical” carries its original meaning, “from the roots”.

The Nigerian situation as we approach “Elections 2019” can be sketched around five issues. Three of these are “problems of Nigeria” as summarized in my last published piece, Nigeria 2019: Hoping for another reprieve? (January 3, 2019). The fourth issue may be called the “power of incumbency”. The fifth is the problem of the Nigerian Left.

The problem of the Nigerian Left forces itself into this exercise on account of its critical importance. This importance can be expressed as a proposition: Both the survival of Nigeria as a united country, de facto and de jure, and the concrete positive transformation of quality of life in it depend, in the immediate future, on what the Nigerian Left does—within and outside electoral politics. The Nigerian Left? Yes, the Nigerian Left—its current fractiousness and factionalism notwithstanding. There is simply no other historically–determined sociopolitical force to perform this task.

In the article cited above, I summarized the “three problems of Nigeria” as: “Massive class exploitation and state robbery resulting in grinding mass poverty and misery; elitist understanding and practice of “democracy”, moral degeneracy and bankrupt governance ideas on the part of Nigeria’s ruling class; and the national question whose enormity and complexity not only the ruling class but also many progressives and liberals—and even Leftists—do not appreciate”. These three problems will, below, be taken up and briefly expanded. This will be followed by brief statements on the other two issues.

All segments and factions of Nigeria’s ruling class—directly and through their ideologues—acknowledge the existence of “grinding mass poverty and misery”. It is simply impossible to ignore: they see it and breathe it on their way to and from their “paradise on earth”. But beyond corruption they blame the situation on the incompetence, mismanagement, insensitivity, neglect, selfishness and shortsightedness of rival political groups. They completely ignore class exploitation and reduce “state robbery” to only corruption. But class exploitation is rooted in a political economy—capitalism—whose most effective lubricant is corruption. And state robbery goes beyond “high-profile stealing” by state functionaries, which is punishable by the “law of the state” to what can be described as “armed robbery by the state,” itself.

Armed robbery by the state? Yes, armed robbery by the state. For when the state goes beyond its development plans, beyond its budgets, beyond its propaganda and starts manipulating “discretionary powers” to seize what belongs to the working and toiling masses and goes beyond lies, blackmail and bribery, and begins to threaten protests with “law and order” measures—of which it has legal monopoly—what do you call this?

Nigeria’s ruling class, as a class, cares little about democracy or its history. The doctrine to which it subscribes says that “democracy” only came to Nigeria 20 years ago, in 1999, that the first period of its young life, (1999-2015), was administered by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), that PDP was succeeded in 2015 by the All Progressives Congress (APC). The legacy of that first period is a dominant subject of the present campaign. The manner of the 2015 transfer of power, though an important subject, seems to have been stepped down by mutual consent, as a subject, by all factions of the ruling class. Pursuing it will hurt all factions. Their theory and history of party organization start and end with PDP, APC, other ruling class parties of the Fourth Republic and the inspirations they claim they derive from ruling class parties of America and Western Europe.



Nigeria’s ruling class, as a class, does not see the coming elections simply as a struggle between APC, PDP and other participating parties. Rather, it sees the contest as a battle involving the ruling class’ two power blocs and a number of political forces. These blocs and forces are seen as essentially ethnic, regional and religious. Put differently, Nigeria’s ruling class does not see APC, PDP and other ruling class parties as the highest political expressions of their class. Rather, it considers the power blocs and political forces as higher political expressions. If you cannot easily apprehend my use of “power blocs and political forces”, look at the formations described by the Nigerian media as “sociocultural” or “sociopolitical”: Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Middle-Belt Forum, etc.

To examine my proposition, it is sufficient, for a start, to check out the current debate within the ruling class, through leading party and government functionaries and spokespersons of the sociocultural and sociopolitical groups on the movement of Nigeria’s presidency in 2023. You will see that from time to time these functionaries and spokespersons are compelled—for the avoidance of doubt—to come out openly on the ethnic, regional—and even and religious—dimensions of the struggle which the fractions and factions of their class are currently waging.

In response to this debate and the reality informing it, the task of the Nigerian Left is two-fold: One: To resist closing its eyes to reality (what Nigeria is today) and seeing only its hopes for the future. Two: To come out clearly with its own position – and not to “moderate” the debate or support one side or another, or dismiss the debate as irrelevant or, worst of all, pretend not to hear the debate. It is in respect of this second task that I remind readers of the political proposition I have been offering for at least 25 years and which has currently assumed the name, Popular-democratic restructuring or Restructuring under popular-democracy.

Some Leftist parties are participating in the coming elections. Some others are not participating because they are still consolidating. Yet others are not participating either because they were refused registration or have not applied for registration. And then, there are formations of the Nigerian Left that ideologically and politically reject registration as a condition for participating in political struggle. Although the result of all these is the current relatively small specific weight of the Nigerian Left in electoral politics, the situation we now have is a step forward beyond 2015. The next qualitative step is not the formation of new parties or groups, or renewed attempts to register those already in existence, but the establishment of a centre for coordination, ideological education, research, documentation and publicity.

In general, the control of state power during elections by a group or groups participating in the contest or partisanly interested in who wins, is a factor in that contest. This is what is popularly called “power of incumbency”. But the relative weight of this factor varies from place to place, period to period and system to system. Even within the same space, the same system and the same period, the weight varies from regime to regime. What is obvious now is that the “power of incumbency” in “Election 2019” is very much stronger than it was in “Election 2015”, and perhaps strongest since “Election 1999”.

*Contributed by Edwin Madunagu, a mathematician and journalist, writes from Calabar, Cross River State.

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Nigeria: Facebook bans foreign electoral adverts for 2019 - ITREALMS

Exclusive@ITREALMS:

Beginning from today, Facebook has banned foreign electoral advertisements for the forthcoming Nigeria’s general elections 2019 on the platform, reports ITREALMS.

According to public statement made available to ITREALMS, Facebook said this was in continuation of its attempt to ensure build political transparency around elections and across the globe.

This ban on foreign electoral advertisements equally applies to Ukraine.

“We'll temporarily expand enforcement and not accept foreign electoral ads around their elections, starting with Nigeria on January 16,” official declared.

In the coming months, Facebook also said it intends to roll out additional protections ahead of upcoming elections.

Stressing that these efforts are to prevent foreign interference and avail people more information about the ads they see across Facebook platforms.

“We're continuing our focus on preventing foreign interference and giving people more information about the ads they see across our platforms.”ITREALMS gathered that this had been implemented in the US, UK and Brazil.

As gathered, Facebook said, political advertisers in these countries must confirm their identity and location before they can run ads, and their ads are housed in a public, searchable Ad Library for up to seven years.

Further to this effect, Facebook said that in February, it would launch similar Ad Library and enforce authorizations ahead of the Indian’s general elections this spring.

While in the European Union (EU) “We plan to roll out ad transparency tools before May elections.”

Globally, ITREALMS reported that by the end of June, Facebook said it will provide a set of these tools for advertisers around the world.

Pointing out that by shining a light on political ads, news organizations, regulators, watchdog groups and people anywhere in the world can hold advertisers and Facebook more accountable.

Chuks Egbune/HO

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Igwe Ofemili declares 2019 ‘year of advancement’ - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The traditional ruler of Awba-Ofemili in Awka-North Local Government Area of Anambra State, His Royal Highness Igwe Ezekwesili Maduagwuna, has declared this year, 2019, as year of advancement for his people, reports ITREALMS.

Addressing the General Assembly of the Awba-Ofemili Development Union (ADU) at its end of 2018 session, Igwe Ofemili 1 of Awba-Ofemili expressed optimism that before the end of first quarter, the electricity supply must have been stepped down at the remaining Umuosite village to enable the citizens enjoy the goodwill of the Anambra State government under Governor Willie Obiano and his leadership in the community.

This, he said, will no doubt boost the economics of his community at all levels, especially with their massive rice cultivation undertakings.

Igwe Ofemili who also offered progressive prayers with kola nut at the meeting, urged indigenes to support the current leadership of ADU-led by Dr. Ike Oforkansi, even as he planned to embark on a nationwide tour alongside the president for a townhall sessions with ADU branches so as to bring them up to speed with developments and prospects within the year, 2019 and beyond.

He equally warned trouble makers to stay clear of Awba-Ofemili as their time is up and there is no room for regressive people in the town and sued for peaceful coexistence of all well-meaning indigenes, and committed Awba-Ofemili into God’s guidance.

Also speaking, the President General (PG) of Awba-Ofemili Development Union, Dr. Oforkansi, used the opportunity to beckon on indigenes to support his administration, assuring them of fiscal accountability on every income.

Oforkansi-led ADU equally gave account of the internally generated revenue since inauguration last year with applause as participants enjoined them to sustain the accountability and openness towards educating people by ensuring they carry peace-loving majority along.

Further, branches in attendance shared their activities in the past year with some insights into 2019 plan of activities including Lagos and Port Harcourt among others.

Chuks Egbune/HOP

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Civil society groups endorse Sanwo-Olu for 2019 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Some civil society groups in Lagos State have endorsed the gubernatorial aspiration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for the 2019 governorship election in the centre of excellence, reports ITREALMS.

Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Humanity Services Project (HSP), Centre for 21st Century Issues (C2CI), United Action for Democracy (UAD) and Free Bond Labour Services (FBLS) were amongst the seventy (70) groups that gave their commitment to support Sanwo-Olu for victory in the coming election.

The groups said their decision to endorse the APC candidate was premised on the outcome of the integrity test conducted on all the gubernatorial candidates in the State, in which Sanwo-Olu trounced other contenders in all the parameters used by the organisations.

The leader of the groups, Comrade Rasaq Olokoba, speaking at an interactive session with Sanwo-Olu on Thursday, stated that the candidate symbolized the progressive thinking and yearnings of the generality of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Lagos State. He added that Lagos State was clearly on another journey of social justice, welfarism and good governance.

"There is a resolve that Lagos State will never fall in the hands of reactionary leaders. What we have witnessed is successive progressive government in this State. So we are very delighted that a great leader like Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu is the candidate of the APC. We know his contributions to progressive movement and the less privileged of the society, who are the major interests of all of us here. We want a government that will listen to and answer the cries of the people with little or no voice in the society.

"So we are very convinced that Sanwo-Olu is the answer. He has overwhelmingly surpassed other candidates in our integrity test. That's the reason we are openly endorsing him and giving our commitment to his victory in the coming election. Lagos State is certainly on another glorious journey of welfarism and good governance, " Olokoba said.

On her part, the Director, Centre for 21st Century Issues, Ms. Titilope Akosa, said it was important for Lagos State to continue to lead on all development fronts, adding that he was certain Sanwo-Olu was up to the task of taking Lagos to greater heights.

She, therefore, added that the candidate should work towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and renewing the government's engagement with the civil society community if elected.

"Lagos state must take leadership on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the state must renew its partnership with the civil society community to help speedy achievement of many of its goals. So we humbly ask that, when you are elected, you will prioritise these areas which include improvement of the education system in the State and the empowerment of our women.

"The gender equality and opportunity bill has been lying idle all this while. We do hope that when you are elected you will help to give the necessary support and boost for this progressive proposal. Lagos State must continue to show an outlook of a 21st century state in all forms. A state that will give adequate support to the women, children and the needy in the society. We believe in you and we hope that you will perform beyond expectation", she said.

The governorship candidate, while acknowledging the presence and support of the various organisations, stated that the civil society groups were important stakeholders.

He said they were the eyes and ears of the vulnerable people in the society, adding that they were also the watchdog consistently putting government on its toes to perform optimally.

"I want to assure you that you've found a partner in me. I value your role in building a better society. That's why we are committed to opening access to government to achieve our dream of greater Lagos.

"I commend you all because not many people have the strength to get on this noble but demanding path you have chosen. With this partnership, I'm absolutely certain that we will reach the Lagos of our dreams sooner than envisaged", he said.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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'Biggest threat to 2019 is fake news' - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Federal Government has described fake news and hate speech constitute the biggest threat to the 2019 general election, and appealed to states to join in the ongoing campaign to sensitize Nigerians to the dangers posed by the twin evils, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the assertion in Kaduna on Thursday, during the official opening ceremony of the 47th National Council on Information (NCI).

''With the 2019 general elections just a little over 60 days away, there is no issue that is more relevant to the election than the issue of fake news and hate speech,'' he said. ''This issue transcends political party lines, religion, ethnicity, and even nationality. Left unchecked, fake news and hate speech constitute the biggest threat to the forthcoming elections.''

Alhaji Mohammed said fake news has the capacity to alter the course of elections and create legitimacy problem for the winner, citing as an example a report that said fake news helped to depress Hillary Clinton's votes during the 2016 US election, in addition to tainting the victory for the winner.

He also said hate speech was a catalyst in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which left at least 800,000 people dead.

The Minister said while the Federal Government has been unrelenting in calling attention to the dangers posed to the nation's peace, security and democracy, including through the launch of the National Campaign Against Fake News on July 11 2018, it cannot do it alone.

''The campaign against fake news and hate speech is not just a responsibility of the Federal Government. It is for all tiers of government. Therefore, I expect that the Honorable Commissioners who are here, and those who are not, will launch the campaign in their various states.

''The media will bear the brunt, if the people lose confidence in them because of fake news. This is why the media must lead this campaign,'' he said

Alhaji Mohammed described as 'very fitting and most timely' the theme of the meeting, which is 'Tackling Fake News and Hate Speech to Enhance Peace and National Unity'.

He urged the participants at the meeting to 'brain storm and evolve policies' that would comprehensively address the menace of fake news and hate speech.

Commissioners of Information from about 20 states are among the participants at the three-day meeting, which was declared open by Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, represented by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye

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CTO opens fellowship call for 2019 - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) has opened a call for applications for the 2018 - 2019 Commonwealth Professional Fellowships, reports ITREALMS. 

The scheme supports mid-career professionals from developing member countries of the Commonwealth to spend three months with a UK host organisation, such as the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), on a professional development programme.

The CTO will host fellows who will be working on number of ICT projects and application is open until 3 December 2018.

These projects will focus on emerging ICT related areas including "Universal Service Obligation (USO) Study –During the recent Commonwealth ICT Ministers Forum in London in June 2018, the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) was mandated to conduct a study to understand how or whether CTO member countries have deployed USO frameworks. In addition, the project aims to understand challenges facing many countries in terms of achieving USO goals and plans for the future. The project will draw on work done by other nations to understand trends in the field and identify examples of where the USO funds have been utilized to substantially increase broadband access.

"Digital Currencies Regulation - This projects aims to identify emerging issues and challenges relating to digital currencies regulation and propose a framework that can be adopted across Commonwealth countries, to enable use of good practice in regulating digital currencies. These considerations will include, and not limited to - exchanges, trading and mining; crowdfunding and ICOs; and emerging financial products. 

"Critical Information Infrastructure Protection - This project aims to develop a national framework that can be adopted for Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CIIP) for the Commonwealth countries such that all stakeholders understand how to identify, assess the risk and secure their CII; understand their roles and responsibilities in executing a holistic and coordinated approach to protecting CII services from cyber disruptions; and ultimately be able to better secure their cyberspace. 

"ICT Capacity Development Programme - This project aims to restructure the Programme for Development & Training (PDT) at the CTO, in order to enable the CTO deliver improved and effective ICT training to its members. The fellow will review the current PDT programme, its procedures and processes, and liaise with CTO stakeholders, including Liaison Officers (LOs) from PDT members. The review will produce a proposed revised framework for the PDT programme. 

"Improving ICT Sector Stakeholder Engagement - Being a fast-evolving field, ICTs require strong and effective engagement amongst stakeholders. Stakeholders involved in ICT at national level, need to be constantly updated about the developments in the sector so that their impact can be properly assessed. 

"The two key strategies at the CTO include the use of membership action plan (MAP) and facilitating links between stakeholders themselves. The fellow will identify emerging issues and challenges relating to CTO membership and how to improve CTO’s membership and communications strategy and benefits to its members. 

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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2019: Irona pledges good governance, inaugurates Ihedioha campaign committee - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Deputy Gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, Hon. Gerald Irona, has assured people of the State of good governance when voted into power in 2019, reports ITREALMS.

He gave this assurance weekend, while inaugurating the Imo Restoration Vanguard and Ihedioha Campaign Committee in Eziorsu, Oguta Local Government Area of the State, reiterated the commitment of the PDP team to bringing the dividends of democracy to the door steps of the people.

According to him, “Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is committed to good governance and bringing the dividends of democracy to your door steps. We must come together to end the era of poor governance in Imo. Go and tell Imo people the good news that the PDP is ready to right the wrongs in the state by returning power to the people. It is time to end poverty and create wealth in Imo. The era of deceit is over. It is time to ensure that your rights as the economic base of the state are protected and all that you have been denied over the years restored.”

A press statement by the Adviser, Communications to Rt. Hon. Gerald Irona, Dr. Walter Duru, made available to ITREALMS, quoted him as charging people of the area to resist the temptation of selling their votes for peanuts in order to secure the future of the state.

In their respective speeches, some leaders of the area- Messrs. Charles Mazi, Clinton Ifejirika and Kingsley Ngwuruakor Adigwe were unanimous in pouring encomiums on Hon. Irona, describing him as a dependable leader.

They pledged their support to the Ihedioha/Irona joint PDP ticket, describing it as the best option for Imo state in 2019.

The community leaders urged people of the area to give massive support to the PDP in 2019 in order to deliver the state from what they described as “mismanagement of resources and poor governance.”

The highlights of the occasion were speeches, cultural dances and defection of persons from other political parties to the PDP, among others.

No fewer than five thousand persons from Eziorsu town and other parts of Oru Ward were present at the event.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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