FG plans to regulate use of social media in Nigeria

The Bureau of Public Enterprises says it plans to roll out policies and the legal framework for the regulation of the social media in Nigeria.



Director General of the privatisation agency, Mr. Benjamin Dikki, said this at a retreat for non-management staff of the organisation, according to a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday by BPE spokesman, Mr. Chigbo Anichebe.

At the retreat, held at Kuchikau, Nasarawa State, Dikki frowned on the unregulated posting of what he called offensive materials on the various social networking sites.

Dikki said this plan was in line with BPE’s reform mandate to initiate necessary policies and the legal framework for the regulation of the social media in the country.

He said, “As it now obtains, all manner of things are uploaded on the various platforms of the social media without recourse to age and sensibilities of the users. This is not good enough.”
By Andy Amenechi

Nigerian teenager, Semi Ajayi joins Arsenal on a free transfer

 

Having impressed club figures while on trial at the Emirates Stadium, Nigerian youth international, Semi Ajayi has signed a three-year contract with Arsenal.

According to the official club website, the Crayford-born teenager has joined up with the North London outfit as a free transfer, having left Charlton after coming through their academy.

Ajayi  scored on his Under-21s debut for the Gunners against Blackburn Rovers before contributing with “another accomplished display” in the 1-0 win over West Brom’s youth counterparts, per the Arsenal website.

 Ajayi was first called up to the Nigeria U20 team for the African Youth Championships in March 2013, however due to a miscommunication between Nigeria and his club at the time Charlton Athletic he could not honour the invite.

He was later called up to the Nigeria U20 squad in May for the U20 World cup in Turkey that was to be held later that year. As warm up for this tournament Nigeria attended the prestigious Toulon U21 Youth Festival where Ajayi gained 3 caps playing against the likes of Brazil, Belgium and Portugal.
By Andy Amenechi

Nigeria’s election into UN Security Council will enhance international peace – Jonathan a

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that Nigeria’s election to the UN Security Council will further enhance international peace and security.

Addressing the UN General Assembly’s high-level debate at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, Jonathan made a strong case for Nigeria’s election to the council.


He noted that the country’s performance on previous occasions when it held a non-permanent seat on the council was commendable.

Nigeria will be contesting for another non-permanent seat on the council for the 2014/2015 session.

“Our support for the United Nations Security Council in its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security has been total and unwavering.

“We have, in previous membership of the council, demonstrated both the political will and capacity to engage in key council responsibilities.

“I am pleased to state that Nigeria has received the endorsement of the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union.

“We, therefore, urge this august assembly to endorse Nigeria’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council,” Jonathan said.

He, however, called for faster action toward the democratisation of the UN Security Council, stressing that Nigeria and other developing countries were concerned about the lack of progress in the reformation of the UN.

“I believe that I express the concern of many about the slow pace of effort and apparent lack of progress in the reform of the United Nations, especially the Security Council.

“We believe, strongly, that the call for democratisation worldwide should not be for states only but also for international organisations, such as the United Nations.

“That is why we call for the democratisation of the Security Council.

“This is desirable for the enthronement of justice, equity, and fairness and also for the promotion of a sense of inclusiveness and balance in our world,” he said.

Jonathan also called for a renewed and concerted effort, by the international community, to effectively resolve all issues that currently impeded global peace, stability and progress.

“Our world continues to be confronted by pressing problems and threats. No statement that will be made during this session can exhaust the extent of these problems.

“The world looks to us, as leaders, to provide hope in the midst of crisis, to provide guidance through difficult socio-political divisions and to ensure that we live in a better world.

“We have obligations to the present generation but we have a greater obligation to generations yet unborn, who should one day inherit a world of sufficiency, irrespective of the circumstances of their birth or where they reside on the globe.

“We must work to make that world a reality in recognition of our common heritage.

“We must dedicate ourselves to working together to address global, regional and national challenges and deliver a more peaceful, equitable and prosperous world for all. It is our duty, we must not fail,” the president said.

He called for the international community to confront the menace of global terrorism with greater resolve and determination, saying that terrorism constituted a major threat to global peace.

Jonathan added that terrorism undermined the capacity for sustained development.

He said that in Nigeria, the threat of terrorism in few states in the northeast had proved to be a major challenge to national stability.

“We are, therefore, confronting it with every resource at our disposal with due regard for fundamental human rights and the rule of law.

“The reign of terror anywhere in the world is an assault on our collective humanity. Three days ago, the stark reality of this menace was again brought to the fore by the dastardly terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya.

“We must stand together to win this war together,” Jonathan said. (NAN).

By Andy Amenechi

My frustration as a musician – Baba Fryo

Denge Pose crooner Baba Fryo is still around, very much around. Our reporter recently caught up with him in Tedi Village in Ojo Local government area of Lagos and what could you expect? One of Ajegunle’s finest bared it all. Excerpts:


WHAT is happening to Baba Fryo?

I am living a very simple life and trying to re-arrange myself since my last record label O’jez Music, frustrated me. I am trying to pick up myself again. If you listen to Peter Tosh in one of his songs he said: “I got to pick up myself, dust myself up, and start all over again.” So, I just want to start all over again as if I have not done music at all. I have some beautiful tracks right now. I will release one on air as a single.

What do you mean exactly by being frustrated?

My album was delayed for three years. Is that not frustration? Already I have taken my mind off music. I was made to feel as if I am no longer doing music again. He didn’t make me feel as if I am still in the industry.

What were the terms of the contract?

For me, I refused to sign any contract when time has been far spent. It took them three years to draft a contract as against when I started with them spanning one to three years. You are now asking me to sign a contract. I am not a baby in this industry. That is why today, artistes pay for their songs to be on CD compilation and also pay the marketer to sell their music. The music industry is already corrupt. It has cancer for now.


COSON is paying royalty. Are you a member?

People that are being paid now are members of COSON. I am not a member of COSON but a member of MCSN. MCSN and all others are having issues. They don’t have time to look for money. Everything about our royalty is pending. While I was there, they usually give us something no matter how small. I used to be a member of PMRSN, that is the former COSON.I left because they were not working well.

How many albums do you have?

I have three. I am working on the fourth one.

What happened after you released , “Notice Me” and why Notice Me?

Notice Me is about people who are full of themselves. You know my music affects the lives of people positively. Before the ‘Notice Me song’, there were a lot of braggarts who pretended to be what they were not. When people travel and return from abroad you know how they intimidate people around here .

It was rumoured that the song was an attack on Daddy Fresh?

Well, I will not say it was an attack on Daddy Fresh. In my first song, I said , ‘I want to throw a stone and anybody the stone meets, that’s his own problem. It is a conscience. If you are engaged in ‘notice me’ and I play that song, it will affect you. Many musicians attacked me when I released the song. I will not mention names but they know themselves. Those who put earrings on their noses, ears, tongues, stomachs, everywhere, they attacked me seriously. I give thanks to God for the inspiration. Everybody has what influences what they do. People feel the kind of songs I compose and I am happy because when I did ‘Denge Pose’, it really affected people positively .

It was rumoured that you made so much money but lavished it, living in hotels?

That is iniquity. I lived in a hotel but I didn’t pay a dime. It was while I was living in the hotel that I thought of buying a land. The first land I bought was two plots. When I realized I didn’t like the area, I decided to sell them and bought other lands at Okoafo and Amuwo. Living in a hotel to me is a worthwhile experience. I experienced many things .It is not every cloth that is dried in the sun. I spent and I’m still spending. But I don’t spend anyhow. I still give thanks to God.

What was your experience?

You will see the case of a nursing mother with her baby coming to the hotel to sleep with an old man using a walking stick. I have seen some men with pregnant women. Not that the owner of the hotel supports these things , he dares not see it. Some would come with their child, give the child biscuit and leave him at the reception while they climb upstairs for the amorous romp even in a very hot afternoon. I saw many iniquities.

Denge Pose, was said to be an attack on Showkey?

Like I said, anybody who thought I was referring to him, then I was referring to him.

What is your relationship with Daddy Showkey now?

We are best of friends. We have talked about the past and realised we have made our mistakes. If we had been working together right from time, I think many Ajegunle artistes would be more successful today. Now that we are working together things are bound to improve for our people.

What do you think about Majek Fashek?

I wasn’t close to Majek. Some individuals are saying his problem is spiritual. You cannot ask a sick person to tell you what is wrong with him. He cannot. If you ask Majek, he would tell you its spiritual. I think Majek needs to go back in timeto correct his mistakes, his lifestyle.

You have been in music for sometime but some younger guys have taken over. Do you honestly think you can still make a great comeback?

I believe hundred per cent that I will come back with my own pattern. Let me tell you something, some people believe that you must play what these boys are playing before you can make it. No, I disagree. Play something that people will accept. Once people accept what you play, that is all. I listen to the music they play these days and discovered they are old pattern. It’s just a small touch that is added. Listen to Flavour. The beat is old, it is the tempo that has been increased. Even the woman that sang ‘Ko si Oba bi re’, is not different from the normal gospel music that was being played in the past. How can Baba Fryo sing like all these small boys? That is iniquity.

What kind of music do you play?

I play Afro reggae beat. That is why when I sing, they would say I sing like Fela. My own pattern is not Afrobeat. If you say Fela did not sing like someone, we were not his age mates when he was alive. We may not know who was Fela’s mentor or who he sang like. Somebody must imitate somebody.

In other words, Fela influenced your going into music?

Not only Fela. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Manu Dibango also influenced me.

Do you agree that you are one of those who started lewd songs with Johnny Waka?

No. I disagree because many people have been singing it. What would you say about Fela?

Are you a member of the Jehovah witness as your wife is?

I am everywhere. What I mean is that I stand apart to observe things. I always attend ‘Jehovah Witnesses’ preaching because it is very educative. They don’t go after your money. They don’t need your money. Some pastors call them vendors. If they sell the book, I will be buying it. I have investigated many churches and found out that many of them are full of iniquity. Many exist to exploit people. They have turned all Christ taught upside down. They twist the Bible to suit their own interest. If they have not collected tithes and offerings repeatedly, they are not satisfied. I call them fancy pastors.

What do you do aside music?

I sell lands. I am an Estate agent though I still perform my shows. I just came back from a show in Abuja .

Among the younger ones, which one do you think can last long on the scene?

I think P-Square is good. Those boys are good entertainers. They show other artistes example to follow. Secondly, I think Tuface is trying but I pick P-Square.

When are we expecting your next album?

Wait, you will hear my single this year even my mother is insisting that I sing in my native dialect. So expect to listen to my single in my native dialect with pidgin English to spice it up. It is called, Kpokrikpo.

Since you left AJ, it has not remained the same. Why?

It cannot remain the same because it’s like the pillars have left. We put structures on ground but the people handling it are not doing so well. All of them are following the same pattern which is not good and I was saying this thing when it started. If you listen to Daddy Showkey, you would know it is Showkey. If you listen to Baba Fryo, you would know it is Baba Fryo.

Ditto to Daddy Fresh, Nico Gravity, China Ray. Apart from Fleckterman who is different, many people followed Femi Oritse style. They want to play like Femi Oritse. So Ajegunle music began to go one way. I was in Ikorodu where they were playing all these Nigerian hip hop music and one lady got annoyed and said they should remove the Ajegunle music because it sounded the same. But our own songs back then were not sounding the same. We laid the foundation but they did not follow it.

By Andy Amenechi

SHOCKER: Woman Removes Panties And Starts Dancing At Funeral

Members of BMW clubs across South Africa came in numbers to the funeral of skilled spinner, Bongani Makhubo (40) of Soshanguve, Tshwane who after a short illness.


As the cars spun around in circles, spectators cheered. Then a young woman took off her panties and began dancing in the middle of the spinning cars. But not everyone was pleased to see her waving her underwear in the air.

John Lelaka said, “People are allowed to celebrate but not in a way that disturbs other people’s peace.”



The drivers respected the family during the formal burial ceremony at Soshanguve Cemetery. After the funeral, they had a spinning competition. About 300 gusheshe engines roared and the smell of burning rubber filled the air at Spin City.

The funeral was attended by spinning clubs from Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Pretoria.

Puff Selotela, chairman of the Botsotso Social Club, said, “This is a way of celebrating one of our own and honouring his love for the game of spinning.”Spinning is not only a thug sport. We have attorneys, doctors and businessmen in our spinning clubs. We all do it for the love of it.”
By Andy Amenechi

8 Fake Corpers Sent To Prison

Nemesis has caught up with eight fake members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, after they were arrested, charged to court and ordered to be remanded in prison custody.

Chief Magistrate Ramatu Gulma of the Wuse Zone 2 Magistrates’ Court on Thursday also directed the Defence Counsel, Mrs Ijeoma Utchay, to apply formally for the bail of the accused, and adjourned the case till 25 November for hearing.


The chief magistrate also ordered for a one-week hearing on the case, starting from 25 November, to ease the transportation of the accused as they do not reside within the FCT.

The accused are Agatha Azuma, Amarachukwu Okoro, Nicholas Eze, Blessing Samuel, Wisdom Nwoke, Paulyn Worgu, Cordelia Ugwuata and Blessing Duru.

The Prosecutor, Mr Moses Idakwo, of the State Security Service (SSS), objected to the bail application.

He said that the first accused, Azuma, had, on 21 January, presented herself to Patrick Orem, a mobilisation officer at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Maitama, for mobilisation.

Idakwo said Azuma claimed to be a graduate of Manonmamian Sundaranar University, India.

He also said that the second accused, Okoro, had superimposed an Indian visa bearing her name on an old Nigerian international passport, which had a United Kingdom visa belonging to Dada Ajoke.

Idakwo said Okoro also had, as part of her credentials, a fake degree certificate and transcript from the said university and a fake National Examination Council (NECO) result.

The prosecutor said the officer raised doubts on the credentials and reported to the SSS for investigations.

He said it was discovered during investigation that Azuma paid N70,000, which was part payment of an agreed N150,000 to the third accused, Eze, for the said credentials.

Idakwo said that Eze and Ikechukwu Izuchukwu, who is currently at large, conspired to prepare the documents.

Investigations into the matter further revealed that Eze had furnished about 30 persons, most of them now at large, with same credentials for NYSC mobilisation.

He said the suspects paid between N50,000 and N120,000 to the accused for the said papers.

Idakwo said the remaining accused were arrested with similar fake documents.

He said that Eze, who served in Kaduna State in 2007, also presented fake certificate of the said university.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 97, 364, 368, 322, 132,133 and 325 of the Penal Code.
By Andy Amenechi

Nigeria is broke; Jonathan running country aground - New PDP

The crisis in Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, worsened to what appears a point of no return on Thursday when a faction of the party accused the Jonathan administration of running Nigeria’s economy “aground.”

The Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, condemned the rape of the country’s economy by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.


The faction is backed by seven serving governors (Sokoto, Kano, Niger, Kwara, Rivers, Adamawa, and Jigawa), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some other leaders of the party. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, is also believed to be a closet member of the faction.

The spokesperson of the Baraje-led PDP, Chukwuekeka Eze, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja quoted Abubakar Baraje, the chairman of the faction, as saying that despite claims to the contrary by the Administration in a futile bid to deceive Nigerians, the overwhelming evidence was that the Nigerian economy had been run aground by the present administration and was now comatose.

He said with the massive scale of officially-induced oil theft, the dwindling returns from oil and massive looting going on at the federal level, Nigeria was surely on the brink of economic collapse.

One manifestation of this, he added, was the Federal Government’s inability to pay states their share of federal revenues since July.

“The last time that states were paid was for part of July. The arrears continue to mount by the day. As at today, the states are being owed N336 billion, with the N75 billion being the balance of the July 2013 arrears, N121 billion from June augmentation and over N90 billion as July augmentation,” he said.

According to Mr. Baraje, the implication of this unfortunate development is that the 36 states have become impoverished and unable to meet up with basic obligations, including the payment of workers’ monthly salaries, which many of the states have been unable to do due to lack of funds.

Most states have also as a result been unable to meet their obligation to contractors. This dangerous scenario is complemented by the growing rate of unemployment, which presently hovers around 80 per cent, the politician said.

“If states cannot pay their contractors – not to talk of entering into new contracts – if states cannot pay their workers because there is no money to pay them, what could result is a huge social catastrophe that will add to the social, economic and political inferno already ravaging Nigeria today,” he added.

He also said all these portended very grave danger for the country as youth and labour restiveness appeared imminent.

“Nigerians should expect further worsening of the unemployment situation and the loss of jobs, which is inevitable should the Federal Government continue with the present shoddy management of the economy which leaves much room for abuse.

“Ironically, while the masses suffer, Government officials continue to feed fat, using various guises to fritter away our common patrimony. They continue to enjoy a life of opulence, which has blinded them to the realities of the monumental suffering to which the masses are being subjected on a daily basis,” Mr. Baraje said.

Where has all the money gone?

Mr. Baraje also accused the government of being a spendthrift, querying the whereabouts of billions of Naira earned by the administration. He said the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, had revealed that the country earned a total of N1.05 trillion in July, and questioned why the finance ministry could not pay states their due statutory allocations.

“Where are the billions of dollars accruable from daily crude oil sales? Where are the billions of naira accruable from multiple taxation which is strangulating struggling businesses on a daily basis? And where are the billions of dollars which the Jonathan Administration claims to be saving from one so-called cost-saving measure or the other?” he asked.

He said Nigerians could no longer be deceived.

“The truth is that Nigeria is broke and it shows that worse days are ahead under this inept administration,” he said.

The Baraje-led PDP also said it was unacceptable for Nigerians to be subjected to high level of suffering when their country is one of the world’s leading oil producers.

He said the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF under the leadership of Governor Rotimi Amaechi that “includes the progressive G7 Governors of the authentic PDP” recently raised the alarm, calling on the finance minister to resign in view of her shoddy running of the economy.

The finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, has said there was no cause for worry about the economy; a claim the factional PDP disputed.

“Since nobody has a monopoly of wisdom, we wish to advise President Jonathan to humbly consider the NGF Report on the nation’s economy and see what he can borrow from it to take the country’s economy out of the woods,” the factional chairman said.

Mr. Baraje called on Mr. Jonathan to act fast to rescue the country as there was a limit to which Nigerians could be pushed.

“Anything short of this is an invitation to anarchy. A word is enough for the wise,” he said.

Final battle

Thursday’s statement by the Baraje-led PDP appears an indication that the crisis in the party would not be resolved.

Several meetings by leaders of the two factions of the party, as well as interventions by elders of the party, have yielded no result. This new attack on the Jonathan-led PDP administration may also confirm the believe of some Nigerians that the Baraje-led PDP was set to leave the party for an existing political platform or form its own.
By Andy Amenechi