Etisalat’s Easy Cliq gets better – Ammar

Etisalat Nigeria has said that its Easy Cliq package has become bigger and better with a reloaded package.

Chief Commercial Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Wael Ammar said that an enhanced package of Easy cliq package comes with the key benefits usable across the entire Etisalat network.

“With the new easy cliq, subscribers can now make calls to all Etisalat lines at 20k per second on Cliq 4d day for an opt in fee of N5; as against the initial 25k/sec rate. This creates more opportunities to talk to friends and families on the Etisalat network, making the easy cliq community even bigger and better,” he said.

Ammar also said the new easy cliq package comprises Free Unlimited Short Messaging Service (SMS) to all subscribers on the Etisalat network.

He explained that for every billed SMS, subscribers could get one SMS free which they could use across the network.

In addition to this, he said, Easy Cliq subscribers could now make free midnight calls to all Etisalat subscribers between the hours of 12:30 am and 4:30 am when they recharge a minimum N100 weekly.

Ammar explained that the need to enrich customers propelled Etisalat to reload its Easy Cliq.

“The enhanced Easy Cliq is a demonstration of our commitment to providing superior products and services that enable our customers maximise the benefits of being on a network reputable for innovation and world-class service,” he said, stressing that Easy Cliq is refreshed to offer maximum benefits and exciting communications experience for the youth who form an essential part of the subscriber base.

According to him, the Easy Cliq package was designed for the average Nigerian youth who wants to keep valuable relationships on the front burner, and has been in existence since May 2009.

“It includes interactive and exciting features such as: FREE 15 MB Data and 10 FREE MMS weekly at a recharge of N200, Free Unlimited SMS, Free Midnight calls, Bonus on Incoming Calls which automatically gives subscribers one minute of free airtime for every three minutes received from other networks, for use within the cliq, Cliq Ring Back Tune, SMS/MMS to Facebook update service and One Cliq One Tune,” he said.

Ammar said that for subscribers to benefit from this tariff proposition, Etisalat customers need to subscribe to Cliq 4d day by dialing *330*1# or by sending ‘ON’ to 330.

“The subscriber then receives a notification confirming the success or failure of the subscription. Confirmation of opt-in plan can be achieved by dialing *330# OR by sending ‘Help’ to 330,” he said.

ITRealms Online recalls that Etisalat is the largest provider of telecommunications services in Africa, Middle East and Asia serving an ever increasing subscriber base of 110 million people.

The acclaimed innovative GSM provider currently has unique products such as Easy Starter, Easy Cliq, Elite World and Easy Net in the Nigerian market. All offer a wide array of creative and exciting features designed to satisfy all communications needs of its subscribers.

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Momentum gathers for Africa IGF

Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) has continued to gain momentum with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) backing the process slated for Nairobi in September, this year.

Disclosing this, the chair of the AfIGF Consortium, Ms Nnenna Nwakanma said at the just concluded Internet Governance workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that UNECA has endorsed the forum.

She noted that the sixth global Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi in September 2011 will play host to AfIGF, the first joint action of many African initiatives on Internet Governance.

“Actors from all the sub-regions of the continent will be deciding on concrete steps and objectives of the newly announced Africa Internet Governance Forum,” she said.

Nwakanma also said that it was an idea whose time has come.

She noted that regional initiatives in East and West Africa are already in their fourth year, the Central Africa Internet Governance Forum in its third year and the South Africa Internet Governance Forum kicked off since 2010.

“Word has been going around about the AfIGF for some time now, but it was only during the Diplo Internet Governance and ICT Policy workshop which was co-organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in early April 2011 that the AFIGF was finally born,” she said.

According to her, expectations are high on all sides and hopes are up on the fresh breath that AfIGF will infuse into sub-regional, and especially national, on-going activities.

“Africans from Cape to Cairo, Dakar to Djibouti, and throughout the diaspora have started pooling ideas, on how AfIGF will best serve the continent,” she said.

Nwakanma further said that this is a great time for Africa to take stock, to plan together and to strategize.

Meanwhile, Kenya reaffirmed its readiness to welcome the global Internet community to her city of Nairobi.

Speaking at the recently ended 40th public meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names Authority (ICANN), in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, United States, the Chairman, Communications Commission of Kenya, Mr. Phillip Okundi, gave the commitment if Kenyan government to the sixth IGF.

The prayer of Kenyans, he said, is that the IGF 2011 must be a success as it’s the first to be held after the global extension of IGF platform for another five years.

“It would succeed and it’s the first session after the extension of the second phase of IGF was agreed,” he said.

Okundi noted that Kenyans are known for their hospitality and promised participants in the IGF 2011 of a good hospitality

“Come and participate,” he declared, even as he noted that in Kenya, plans are up to have the East African community behind the hosting right as well as the business community.

Also speaking at the session presided over by Mr. Bill Grahams, senior official of the Communications Commission of Kenya, Ms Alice Munyua said that the date for 2011 IGF in Kenya has been scheduled for September 27 through 30 at the United Nations conference centre.

This, she said, was to assured of the smooth hosting and worthy of the nation’s image as well as the continent.

Kenya, has been encouraging to organize IGF preparatory meetings in East African countries and this year, it would include the youths.

She also said that there would also be a session for the legislators with the youths as part of mentorship initiative and to ensure that legislators are carried along.

She noted that IGF meeting in Nairobi would dwell on the Internet as agent for change, access, security and development theme for IGF 2011.

Introducing the session earlier, the chairman, Mr. Grahams said that the session is a continuation of Internet governance dialogue at ICANN meetings and an opportunity to update ICANN stakeholders on what is going on at the IGF, as well as to hear their views on relevant subject matters.

ITRealms Online noted that by the time this session was held Monday the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) Working Group on IGF improvements had started its work.

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Aviat teams up with Symmetricom on microwave backhaul

Aviat Networks, a leader in wireless transmission solutions, has teamed up with Symmetricom, Inc, SyncWorld Ecosystem Programme to deliver tested solutions for mobile backhaul synchronization over packet microwave networks, reports CHARLES OKOH.

The collaborating with Symmetricom, it is expected, would strengthen Aviat Networks’ solution portfolio for IP network migration by adding IEEE 1588v2 synchronization capability, which enables the smooth introduction of 4G/LTE. This solution capability is in addition to Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE), which was added to Aviat’s Eclipse platform in late 2010.

Vice president of marketing at Symmetricom, Manish Gupta said as networks migrate to Ethernet backhaul for LTE deployments, Symmetricom is committed to developing industry-leading carrier grade timing and synchronization solutions that ensure a smoother transition to packet based services.

“We’re delighted to have Aviat Networks join the SyncWorld Ecosystem Program and look forward to further collaboration,” he said.

Symmetricom also disclosed the launch of its SyncWorld Ecosystem Programme to support precise timing and synchronization requirements for 4G/LTE deployments that ensure seamless integration for service provider networks. The SyncWorld Ecosystem Programme represents all elements of the mobile value chain from embedded to network equipment manufacturers.

Senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Aviat Networks, Shaun McFall, said “Our relationship with Symmetricom enriches the solution options available to our customers globally, allowing Aviat Networks to combine a mix of superior wireless and timing technologies with professional support services and end-to-end management to deliver a cost-effective and versatile backhaul solution.”

While praising the collaboration, the country manager of Aviat Networks Nigeria Olawale Osimosu, restated the commitment of the wireless solutions provider to advance the penetration of 4G/LTE telecommunications networks in Nigeria as the fastest growing telecommunications market in the world.

According to Mr. Osimosu, “The success that resulted from the collaboration between Aviat Networks and SyncWorld provides assurance to mobile operators even in Nigeria, which are currently deploying or planning to deploy IEEE 1588v2 timing over packet microwave”. He expressed confidence that Aviat Networks Nigeria has the technical capability to support the local telecommunications industry.

Maintaining accurate timing and synchronization in mobile networks is critical for successful call “hand off” when mobile users are traveling between cell sites and to ensure overall voice quality and performance is maintained. As mobile operators migrate their backhaul networks to Ethernet to efficiently handle the vast amounts of growing data and video traffic, a reliable method of maintaining synchronization over packet network is required. Precision Time Protocol, standardized as IEEE 1588v2, has become the de facto standard for packet timing.

Aviat Networks and Symmetricom jointly completed extensive performance and interoperability tests to verify the performance of 1588v2 timing over various complex microwave backhaul network configurations under real-world deployment scenarios, including a 10-hop microwave backhaul network supporting Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM).

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Nokia Siemens appoints Amiram lead Business Solutions

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has appointed Amiram Mel as head of Business Solutions. Mel, who will assume duties June 1, 2011, is expected to join the company’s executive board, reports CHARLES OKOH.

Business Solutions is one of Nokia Siemens Networks’ three business divisions alongside Network Systems and Global Services.

Chief executive officer of Nokia Siemens Networks, said Rajeev Suri, said Mel brings a strong track record of delivering growth and profitability.

“His deep experience in driving software and services businesses is ideally suited to ensuring that our Business Solutions organization reaches its full potential and delivers on our vision of the individual communication experience,” he said.

Mel’s career spans telecoms, information technology and academia. The majority of his career has been spent at Amdocs where he held a number of executive positions in research and development (R&D), product management, sales, services and regional business leadership. In those roles, his accomplishments included building a significant outsourcing business, transforming the billing organization, improving the efficiency and quality of Amdocs’ global software development centres and developing strong relationships with major global customers.

Mel’s last role at Amdocs was president, North America, a position he held for approximately five years. He joins Nokia Siemens Networks from Logic Systems where, in his role as chief executive officer, he led a team that more than doubled sales since 2008.

Mel will be based in the UK at the company’s Southwood office.

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Nigeria surpasses South Africa as Africa’s biggest user of Opera Mini

Remmy Nweke

The Norway-based software company Opera has proclaimed that Nigeria has surpassed South Africa as the biggest continental user of Opera Mini, a mobile browser application.

Communications Manager, Opera Software, Zara Lauder, made this revelation on Tuesday, saying that Nigeria has literally unseated South Africa as the country in Africa with the highest number of users on the Opera Mini mobile browser.

According to the latest State of the Mobile Web report issued by Opera Software, Tuesday and made available to ITRealms Online, Nigeria also brushed aside China and South Africa to finish the month of March as the fifth country globally for unique monthly users of Opera Mini, rising from its February position as the seventh.

“Now only Russia, Indonesia, India and Ukraine are ahead of Nigeria in terms of unique monthly users,” Lauder disclosed in the report.

As said by Lauder, hitherto, South Africa has maintained the top spot in Africa and consistently held sixth place globally for the highest number of Opera Mini users, in all but five months since the State of the Mobile Web reports began in April 2008.

Nigeria, the Communications Manager said, debuted in the top 10 list in March 2009 but has been less stable in its position, sometimes dropping off the list entirely.

“Despite earlier jumpy trends, Nigeria has shown a steady climb in the list of top Opera Mini user countries since September 2010: spending two months each at the ninth, eighth and seventh spots before rising in March to fifth – pushing back South Africa to seventh place,” Lauder said.

Pointing out that as at March 2011, Nigeria experienced 143.5 per cent growth in the number of unique Opera Mini users, compared to 67 per cent growth in South Africa.

Lauder explained that during the same period, South Africa showed higher growth in the number of monthly page views and data transfer, accounting to 99.5 per cent and 95.5 per cent and when compared to the Nigeria’s 87.7 per cent and 80.0 per cent in that order.

Excited co-founder, Opera Software, Jon von Tetzchner, said that Nigeria is a country to watch in terms of mobile intake.

“It will be very interesting to see whether its stint as the top African country for Opera Mini turns out to be one-off result or the beginning of a long-term trend for mobile browsing in Africa,” he said.

Opera is the most popular mobile browser in both South Africa and Nigeria, with StatCounter’s March results showing Opera to have 67.5 per cent share of the mobile browser market in South Africa and 87.7 per cent in Nigeria.

“Opera has 71.8 per cent market share for mobile browsing in all of Africa,” he submitted.

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NEPAD, Spain set up fund for African women

Remmy Nweke

In order to accelerate the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially the number three goal, the NEPAD Agency and Spanish government have set up fund for the empowerment of African women for the second time.

The fund, estimated at take a queue from the first phase of 6.285 million Euros, about N1,394,331,164.08 billion, would be the second call to be deployed in building the capacity of African women thereby encouraging them to be economically self reliance.

ITRealms Online recalls that in 2008, NEPAD had launched the first call for proposals, during which the NSF Steering Committee approved 46 projects from 23 African countries with funding to the tune of 6.285 million Euros.

Communications Assistant at NEPAD Agency, Millicent Seganoe disclosed that at the just concluded 6th meeting of “African and Spanish Women Network for a Better World” held in Windhoek, Namibia, the NEPAD Agency and the Government of the Kingdom of Spain launched the second call of proposals for the NEPAD/Spanish Fund for the Empowerment of Women.

Seganoe explained that the NEPAD-Spanish Fund for the empowerment of women is aimed at providing financial support to projects carried out by women in Sub-Saharan Africa and concretely promoting gender equity and the autonomy of women, while increasing women ability to contribute in speed up the process to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), especially goal number three.

The NEPAD Communications Assistant said that the grants would be awarded, ranging from 50,000 Euros to 500,000 Euros over a period of one year to two years or less.

Speaking at the launch on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain, Honorable Ms Soraya Rodriguez, Vice Minister in-charge of International Cooperation, welcomed the spirit of partnership that exists between her Government and NEPAD.

She also said that the Spanish Government has learnt a lot in working with the NEPAD Agency and that the renewal of the Spanish Fund “is a solution to the basic needs of the African women.”

The Chief Executive Officer, NEPAD Agency, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, reiterated the significance of the gender dimension in the development strategy of the continent.

Welcoming the presence of Honourable Soraya Rodriguez, Mayaki said it shows a step forward in NEPAD interaction with the Kingdom of Span for strengthening of conditions for a dynamic partnership.

“It is in this regard that the lessons learnt during the previous phase would enable the Agency to conceive a result oriented management approach that will call for the definition of rigorous and pertinent criteria for the selection, the follow-up and the assessment of projects” he said.

Mayaki also recognised the strong support of the Spanish Cooperation to NEPAD, while promising that NEPAD Agency under his leadership would do its best to be as more efficient as possible in the implementation of the NEPAD/Spanish Fund for the empowerment of African Women.

“I would like to recall, aims at promoting the economic autonomy and the institutional capacity building of African Women” he declared.

Noteworthy is that out of the 46 projects in the first phase, 25 have been concluded and the remaining projects are on-going.

NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) is the technical body of the African Union, working closely with the African Union Commission (AUC), regional economic communities, national governments, civil society and the private sector to push for programmes and projects that focus on improving the lives of the African people.

The NEPAD Agency is the leading African development expert, able to mobilise the private sector, heads of state and African people as a force for positive change, building continental prosperity and regional integration.

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Former minister, Ige to preside Nigeria IPV6 Roundtable’11

The Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Chief Olawale Ige will on June 8, this year preside over the first of its kind, the Nigeria Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6) Roundtable to be hosted by DigitalSENSE Africa in Lagos.

According to the Executive Director, DigitalSENSE Africa, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, the one-day roundtable for stakeholders of the Nigerian Internet community will be held at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) Lagos campus located at the former NITEL Training School Cappa-Oshodi.

She said that Chief Ige, a former Minister of Communications of repute, has confirmed his participation and readiness for the event.

She recalled that Chief Ige, a fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) was the Minister of Communication in 1990 and has been severally described as a Telecom Bridge Builder with over 35 years of working with both the private and public sectors in the country.

Also, Mrs. Nweke said that the former General Manager, Long Distance Communications at the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), before he rose to become a Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Communications; a position he held prior to his elevation to the Director General in the Ministry.

Ige’s appointment as the Minister of Communications in 1990 witnessed a numerous turnaround as the ministry was bloated to comprise Transport and Aviation.

In accepting to chair the Nigeria IPV6 Roundtable, Chief Ige said he is deeply honoured to preside over the roundtable to discuss issues bothering stakeholders on allocation and
deployment of IPV6 in the country.

He promised to participate fully at the event scheduled to in addition commemorate the World IPV6 Day and stimulate awareness on the subject, which has become of global interest.

“God helping me I promise to participate fully in the programme. Please accept the assurances of my esteem regards,” Ige said.

Speaking further, Mrs. Nweke said the planning for the Nigeria IPV6 Roundtable has reached advanced stage for the commemoration of the 2011 World Internet Protocol version Six (IPv6) Day in Lagos, on Wednesday June 8.

She said that her office is working out plans with interested stakeholders to register Nigeria’s presence as far as the World IPv6 Day is concerned on that date through sensitization.

She revealed that the event would be hosted under the auspices of Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable at the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) Centre Onikan-Lagos in June this year, with the theme: IPv6-Join The Players.

Presently, she noted that only 14 institutions have IPv6 in the country, describing this figure as dismal and needed a change of heart and boost from the regulatory agencies across the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and related regulators.

She equally noted that following the recent allocation of the last batch of the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) the enthronement of IPv6 globally cannot be over-emphasised.

“It became imperative for the deployment of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) in all areas,” she asserted.

Mrs. Nweke pointed out that the Internet has since become the global communication network and to join this progression, Nigerian stakeholders need to integrate IPv6 in all areas.

This roundtable, she said, would help in achieving the national goals for universal access to telecommunications, information and communication technologies (ICTs).

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Ilukwe bags WASUP IT Man of the year award

Chief executive officer, Galaxy Backbone, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe, has been honoured with the West African Students Union Parliament (WASUP) IT Man of the Year 2010/2011.

Speaker of WASUP, Chikong M. Chikong who presented the award to Mr. Ilukwe recently in Abuja, said that Galaxy Backbone has shown commitment to uplift the quality of Information Technology (IT) education in Nigeria.

This, he noted, was being done through the unflinching support of the Federal Government owned IT company, through Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) programme at the tertiary education level.

The Ghana-born speaker also said that WASUP ratified the nomination of Mr. Ilukwe, as the winner of its IT Man of the Year 2010/2011 award at her annual parliamentary session held at Legon University, Ghana last December.

WASUP Country Co-ordinator for Nigeria, Nse Victor Udoh, noted that the body is an organization that was established in 1920s by West African students “who felt that the welfare of students schooling in America and Europe was not as good as those of the students of American or European origin.”

The union, he said, also serves as an advocacy group for the advancement of the welfare of students schooling outside the shores of West Africa.

“As reality would have it, it was time for nationality to take root, after the Second World War and the students (who constituted members of the intelligentsia community as at that time) played a very big role, as a matter of fact, and their cardinal focus became the attainment of political independence for West Africa,” he asserted.

He underscored the fact that it is on this premise that people like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Herbert Macaulay and the rest of them cannot be forgotten for their ceaseless efforts to attain independence for the sub-region and thus, the West African Student Union Parliament at large.

“The focus post independence has shifted to the desire to have access to the qualitative and quantitative education for all the West African children, the desire to ensure that those entrusted with the responsibility to manage the resources of Society and State, do so appropriately,” he said.

Stressing that WASUP also advocates for social justice, while rewarding and recognizing those who have done well.

Udoh further commended the management of Galaxy Backbone led by Ilukwe for not digressing from its primary mandate of building Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure for the Nigerian government and for the Nigerian people and especially for the fact that the firm accommodated students on their industrial attachment programme.

This, he said, offers students’ access to practical ICT knowledge beyond the classroom theories especially the acceptance and training of students on industrial attachment programme.

“We want to say congratulations as WASUP IT Man of the Year 2010/2011 and to thank you and urge you not to rest on your oars” he said.

Responding, Ilukwe expressed thanks to WASUP leadership for the award, saying “at meeting these gentlemen and learning about West African Student Union Parliament. One of the things that excite me about this is that I myself am very passionate about Africa. I made a conscious career decision, about six years ago in my previous place of work that Africa has a lot of opportunities and challenges to offer anybody who wishes to build a career in this continent.”

According to Ilukwe, a lot of Africans like Thambo Mbeki, believe in the potential of Africa, hence he enjoined the WASUP team to continue to uphold the history and heritage of the WASUP as envisioned by its founders.

“Your actions today would inform the actions of WASUP in 20 years time, just as the decisions, and actions myself and colleagues here take today would also impact on the future workforce of Galaxy Backbone in the years to come. You must always remember that whatever you do today would impact someone tomorrow, whatever role or position you find yourself in” he advised.

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Ibom science parks: Firms seeks amicable settlement

Respite may be coming the way of the Akwa-Ibom Science Park project following the application for an Arbitrator by the contracting firm, SBT Juul Africa, which was granted recently by a Federal High Court in Uyo, the capital of the state.

This would bring about amicable resolution of the controversies that has befelt the project some months back.

Disclosing this at a briefing in Lagos, the counsel to SBT Juul Africa, Mr. Okechukwu Ekwochi of Messrs Aluko & Oyebode Chambers, said that the disposition of his client is in line with the recent ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, the state capital.

He noted that everywhere in the world, science parks are centres for integrated technology incubation and development and there is need to move the Akwa-Ibom Science Park onto progressive path.

According to him, the current disposition of SBT Juul Africa would be accomplished if the state government led by Gov. Godswill Akpabio accepts the latest High Court ruling.

He revealed that in moving forward, SBT Juul Africa’s application was granted by the court, hence they are now waiting on the State government to respond so that relevant processes vital to the amicable settle would be put in motion.

“SBT Juul had at its own instance made a fresh application to the Federal High Court for appointment of an Arbitrator which application was granted on February 16, 2011,” Ekwochi said.

He further said that SBT Juul had previously written on two occasions to the State to appoint an Arbitrator to settle the pending disputes between the State and SBT Juul but the State did not honour such requests.

“The State had neglected and/or failed to appoint an Arbitrator to amicably resolve the dispute surrounding the Project even after the Federal High Court by an order dated 16 November 2006, which directed the state to do so” he said.

This recent ruling of February 16, 2011, he said, affirmed the fact that the State has resisted all attempts at the amicable resolution of this dispute.

Reacting particularly to what the counsel termed “unpleasant and false publicity by the Akwa Ibom State Government and the State House of Assembly Ad – Hoc Committee with respect to the construction of a Science Park,” he said it has become imperative to set the records straight, moreso on the Suit No. FHC/UY/CS/54/2010, which vindicated his client, SBT Juul.

Giving further details of the dynamics surrounding the Project, he argued that SBT Juul Africa is a Development and Consultancy firm undertaking project developments in several countries in Africa, and on January 30, 2006, the State, represented by the then Honourable Commissioner of Science and Technology, entered into a Turnkey Contract with SBT Juul for the construction of the Science Park.

He explained that work on the project commenced as scheduled and was based on sums advanced by the State, covered by an Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) issued by SBT Juul.

This, he said, entails that upon completion of work for each stage, the APG would be released and the State would effect payment for a fresh tranche of work.

“SBT Juul carried out the project diligently but experienced difficulty due to repeated failures on the part of the State to make payments as and when due,” he decried.

Specifically, he pointed out that in May 2007, after the change in the political administration of the State, the attitude of the State was such that it ceased to show commitment towards the Project and stopped making payments entirely.

In December 2007, he said, based on the fact that the exhaustion of the Project funds made available by the State, SBT Juul estimated that about 70 per cent of the Project had been completed and SBT Juul had handed over three operational Uyo Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) sites to the State through the Ministry of Science and Technology represented by the Commissioner, Honourable Samuel Efanga, who expressed his satisfaction on the extent of work executed so far.

He said that his client, SBT Juul Africa cooperated with the consultants set up to audit the firm on the project, despite reservations the firm had about the independence of some of these entities so-called consultant auditors.

“Upon the assumption of office in 2007, the new administration under the leadership of His Excellency Godswill Akpabio, at various times between 2007 and 2009, appointed ‘In – house Consultants’ and different audit firms, particularly KPMG and Millennium Choice Technologies Ltd (a Company represented by the Special Advisor to the Governor), to review the Project.

SBT Juul co-operated with these Consultants and audit firms by providing them with all documentation in its possession relating to the Project. However, SBT Juul never received any report in respect of the exercise,” Ekwochi.

Also he noted that due to the neglect of the Project site by the State and the lack of commitment on the part of the State, extensive damage has been occasioned on the Project site as a result of erosion and other natural elements, leaving both the building and Information Technology (IT) components of the project in danger of collapsing, unless an urgent step is taken to redress the situation.

Messrs Aluko & Oyebode affirmed that SBT Juul remains willing to have any issues relating to the execution of the Project resolved amicably despite what it considers the State’s reluctance towards any attempt at settlement.

Reiterating that timely resolution of the conflict would not only curb the waste occasioned by the abandonment of the project, but will ensure the satisfactory completion of the Science Park leading to technological advancement for the state as well as job and wealth creation for the people.

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Microsoft sees blogging as major web medium

Microsoft has recognised blogging as major medium for web-based communications, says the Lead for Public Relations and Communications at Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mrs. Ngozi Ife Anene, reports CHARLES OKOH.

Speaking at the quarterly interactive social media forum, Blogger’s brunch hosted by her company in Lagos, she said the forum is specifically tailored and designed for Nigerian Bloggers, IT savvy social media enthusiasts and Microsoft, to share concepts, tools and experiences on blogging in Nigeria.

She also said social media has become increasingly popular with the growth of social networking as a channel of communications which includes blog posts, sharing of videos, pictures and information, adding that this has been evident by the rapid growth and global popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and video sharing sites such as YouTube.

“Microsoft recognizes blogging as a major medium for web-based communications and this is one way of bringing the major players together. At our last forum, we had bloggers tweeting and their followers asking questions during the event which were responded to in real time. A practical example of how we use web-based technologies to turn communications into interactive dialogues,” she said.

The highpoints of the Blogger’s brunch were the presentations on Microsoft Windows 7 and the recently released Internet Explorer 9 by Wale Olokodana, Technical Account Manager Microsoft Anglophone West Africa.

“Internet Explorer 9 is designed to be the most trusted browser because it has a robust set of built-in security, privacy, and reliability technologies that keep users safer online”, Olokodana said.

He stated that Internet Explorer 9 takes advantage of the power of modern PC hardware to improve all-around Web browsing performance. It integrates with Windows 7 to deliver a clean visual experience and an increased viewing area, allowing sites to shine, adding that the browser controls are reduced and presented in a way that allows users to see their web content first and foremost.

Microsoft Developer Consultant, Shina Oyedina and Technology Lead, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Dele Akinsade, gave detailed presentations on developer tools and showcased Windows 7 phone which will soon be available in the Nigerian market.

Their presentation featured Yalla Apps, a new Windows Phone application which enables developers, especially in the Africa and the Middle East, submit applications.

A notable blogger and Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Sesan described the forum as exciting.

“New technologies from Microsoft give blogging a new perspective and I am so pleased to be part of this initiative. There are so many great features and applications to work with,” he said.

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