January 15, 2022

[GIST] Nigeria Lost N10.72trillion To Twitter Ban — LCCI

[GIST] Nigeria Lost N10.72trillion To Twitter Ban — LCCI

All Content

The Nigerian economy lost N10.72trillion to the suspension of microblogging platform, Twitter, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry said. 

The figures were disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by Chinyere Almona, Director-General, LCCI.

 

“In business terms, the cost of the seven-month shutdown of Twitter operations in Nigeria is estimated to be N10.72trillion ($26.1billion) according to Netblock’s Cost of Shutdown Tool,” Almona said.

This is a huge loss to Nigeria as it represents about 63% of Nigeria's N17.1trillion budgeted for 2022. 

Recall that on June 4, the Nigeriag Government announced the suspension of Twitter after the social media platform deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Telecommunication companies had on June 5 blocked access to Twitter after receiving a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission to that effect.

After seven months of suspension, the government lifted the suspension of Twitter’s operations in the country.

Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, announced the lifting of the suspension in a statement.

Reacting in a statement, the LCCI Director welcomed the suspension of the ban as she said digital platforms have become a viable tool for business operations and governance in engaging with a diversified audience and boosting digital transactions.

She said that currently, the Information and Communications Technology sector was one of the growth drivers in the economy.

“We, therefore, urge the government to create an enabling regulatory environment that supports global technology companies in achieving their potential and are sustainably profitable,” she said.

According to her, improving Nigeria’s digital infrastructure from a policy perspective would boost healthcare delivery, agric-technology, learning, e-governance, and fintech.

Almona advised Nigeria and other nations to ensure balanced negotiation in the use of digital platforms for mutual benefits between governments and operators.

She said that the negotiation became imperative due to the lessons learnt during Nigeria-Twitter issue.

She urged government to explore these lessons in creating a realistic template for regulating digital platforms in Nigeria for maximum benefits.

Economy News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
Aida-nath Visits Babaginda In Minna, Urges Youths To Get Involved In Leadership

Aida-nath Visits Babaginda In Minna, Urges Youths To Get Involved In Leadership

 




 

Social Commentator and Crusader, Aida-Nath Ogwuche recently paid iconic former Nigerian Head of States, General Ibrahim Babaginda a visit at his Hilltop residence in Minna. 



The PSA to the Governor of Benue State, who is Convener of The Aida-Nath Foundation, expressed her delight for some of the landmark developments and diplomatic successes Babaginda achieved during his term as Head of State.



"General Babaginda is a great leader, and one of the few Nigerian Presidents who stamped their efforts in the development of this country. He made some very viable diplomatic decisions, which are quite effective in Nigeria's relationship with the rest of the world, as well as in the aspect of economic and social empowerment of Nigerians. So I respect and regard him alot."

Aida-Nath also used the opportunity to call for the youths of Nigeria to get more involved in the leadership recruitment process, and find their place in the Nigerian political podium. 


"I urge the Nigerian youths to get more involved in the political processes. The elections are around the corner, and the only strength and lifeline the youths have is their PVC. It is very essential we all go get our PVCs and vote. We can't keep complaining and yet stay away from the processes which elect our leaders. Your PVC is the most essential cog in our democratic machine," she said.

[GIST] I Hope God Listens To Our Prayers, Buhari Says While Acknowledging Administration's Failure On Insecurity

[GIST] I Hope God Listens To Our Prayers, Buhari Says While Acknowledging Administration's Failure On Insecurity

All Content

President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted the failures of his administration to tackle the insecurity problems in Nigeria as he expressed hopes that God will listen to the country's prayers. 

According to him, government at various levels was aware of the security challenges, claiming his regime had done its best on security and will continue to do more by pursuing policies to deal with terrorism.

President Buhari

He also charged Nigerians to be fair to his government in assessing insecurity in the country particularly considering the security situation when he took over in 2015. 

While hoping God answers prayers, Buhari said North-West which had given the nation some “headache” would experience a turnaround for the better.

Buhari spoke on Friday during a visit by the Grand Khalifa of the Tijjaniyya Islamic Movement World-Wide, Tidjani Ali Bin Arabi, to the State House, Abuja.

The President urged citizens to show interest in their safety and complement what the government was doing.

He added, “We have done our best, and we will continue to do more by pursuing coherent and consistent policies to deal with terrorism. I hope God will listen to our prayers.”

Buhari also expressed gratitude to Kano State hovernor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who invited the Grand Khalifa to come and pray for the peace and stability of Nigeria.

Ganduje, accompanied by the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado-Bayero, and leader of the Tijjaniyya Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, said the state government invited the Tijjaniyya World Leader to the country to lead faithful in prayer considering the complexities around the insecurity in the country.

He said the visit of the Grand Khalifa rekindled the old ties between the Tijjaniya and many cultural and educational institutions in Nigeria.

Arabi and Bauchi extolled the cordial relations between Nigeria and Algeria as they prayed for guidance and blessings for the country and its leaders.

Ganduje told journalists, “We invited him and his team to pray for the peace, stability and prosperity of Kano State and Nigeria. We are all aware of the security challenges we are having, the federal and state governments, we are all doing our best.

“To round it up, we decided to visit Mr President. They prayed for him and indicated the importance of the relationship between Algeria and Nigeria and their continued cooperation in prayers for peace and stability.”

The governor added that the delegation constituted a committee to consider education, commerce, and agriculture issues.

Insecurity Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
[GIST] ALERT: Lagos Policemen Now Abducting, Detaining Residents Illegally Without Knowledge Of Families, Judiciary

[GIST] ALERT: Lagos Policemen Now Abducting, Detaining Residents Illegally Without Knowledge Of Families, Judiciary

All Content

 

Policemen in Lagos have been accused of kidnapping citizens and detaining them in cells without the knowledge of their families and judiciary arm of government.

Some lawyers, who volunteered under the Duty Solicitors Network disclosed, this in a statement by their leader, Bayo Akinlade.

They accused the police of breaking the law they swore to uphold.

The statement reads, “When the police start to break the very law they have sworn to uphold, then we know that our citizens are in grave danger. 

"Policemen across Lagos are now kidnapping citizens and detaining them in police stations without the knowledge of their families and judiciary.

“Recently, a chief magistrate in Lagos while performing her duties under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law mandating magistrates to visit police detention centers, witnessed a terrifying situation that threatens our safety and completely erodes our trust in the Nigeria Police.

“Lawyers who volunteer under the Duty Solicitors Network were alerted to this extortion scheme going on at the Area C Police Command where they discovered that people arrested around Lagos were secretly detained in cells within the premises.

“We arrived the premises at exactly 2:45pm in company with the chief magistrate and her support staff. The situation we met on ground revealed several anomalies in the system operations at Area C.

“On reaching the cells, we found them mostly empty, contrary to earlier reports of overcrowding. Even the detention board was wiped clean. The magistrate enquired as to the whereabouts of the 19 suspects previously in brief custody as at her last visit on Monday 10th January 2022, as well as eight others in prolonged custody since the 24th December 2021, totaling 27 suspects in all.

“She was told that the suspects in custody had been released, to which she promptly demanded evidence of their release either in a letter, or their respective bail applications, or any other form of release records. Only one bail application covering two inmates was produced in respect of the eight which were detained since the 24th December, which left 25 suspects unaccounted for.

"The shocker was that the Station Officer had no record of these suspects, nor any statements obtained at the time of their arrest, showing that nothing had been done.

“Further previous report from the magistrate on her engagement on Monday, revealed that the arrests were randomly done on suspects of all ages, charged with no particular offence, without being informed of the reason for their arrest, and picked up while going about their normal private lives. Not even their IPOs were known to them.

“After waiting indefinitely for the police records of release which were not forthcoming, our suspicions were raised as to the truth of the suspects’ release. Some of us then quietly conducted a surprise search of the premises and found a room where some of the missing suspects had been hidden.

“The magistrate had to embark on an exercise educating the officers on the need to keep such important, documentary records, and very briefly, gave a template on such guidelines. 

"In another room where a female suspect was undergoing interrogation, it was discovered that she had been arrested since November 2021 and had been charged to court as an accused person, yet for inexplicable reasons was still sleeping in the cell as a suspect. This was a mother with children. There were others like herself being held beyond the acceptable time.

“A further search of the various floors of the facility revealed the other female suspects, one of whom was still a minor. 

"It was also discovered in the process that some cases which the officers claimed had been charged to court were in fact charged to a court without a sitting magistrate. 

"Several other suspects were also discovered, having been transferred from Ikorodu, and still being held beyond time. 

"We were, however, able to gather the names and particulars of all the suspects we found in the Area C facility for immediate action on their cases.

“In the end, and after several interrogations, we were able to come to the conclusion that all these anomalies result from the directives of the CP, who gave orders for the suspects not to be released or formally charged to court and who is fully aware of the consequent situation, and that the officers at Area C Command are only following orders. 

“Hopefully, the DSN can look into and remedy this situation with the CP, even as we follow up on the respective cases at the facility. 

"It is important to note that if not for the provisions of the ACJL and the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme, we wouldn't have been able to discover these horrible activities perpetrated by the Nigeria Police.”

Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)