Saturday, October 31, 2015

Nigeria Sets South Africa's MTN Fine Deadline


Lagos (AFP) 
Nigeria's telecoms regulator said Thursday it has set a November 16 deadline for South African mobile giant MTN to pay a $5.2 billion fine for failing to disconnect unregistered SIM cards.
"The deadline set for the payment of the fine is November 16," Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) spokesman Tony Ojobo told AFP.
"The key issue is if MTN breached the law or not. Certainly, there was a breach. And if there is a breach, we will apply the law."
Early in August the NCC issued a directive to mobile telecoms companies operating in Nigeria to deactivate all unregistered SIM cards within seven days or face severe sanctions.
MTN -- Africa's largest telecoms firm -- missed the deadline to deactivate its 5.1 million unregistered subscribers, prompting a 200,000-naira ($1,000) fine for each unregistered SIM.
The penalty saw the company's shares crash on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and raised questions about the renewal of its licence in Nigeria next year if the fine goes unpaid.
MTN had more than 62.8 million subscribers in Nigeria by the second quarter of this year.
Senior officials of the Nigerian government, the NCC and MTN began talks in Abuja on Thursday to thrash out a solution to the matter, Ojobo confirmed.
But he did not specify what precise sanctions MTN could face.
Under the law, the NCC's powers include "granting or revoking of permits for connection of customer equipment" and "determination of services and new undertakings eligible for licensing from time to time".
On what would happen if MTN failed to meet the deadline, Ojobo said: "When we get to the bridge, we will know how to cross it. The deadline set for the payment of the fine is November 16."
"If the situation will change in any way, then the government at the top will have to so direct. But for now, the mood is to apply the law."


When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Cry My Lebialem: Nightmare on the Road

 By Cassimanda


Pic courtesy of Nkengbaze Nicasius Marjor
The change merrymaking lackeys like to talk about how things will keep getting better. But when things happen contrary to what they said, they pull out the "S" word - sacrifice. Yet none of them is ready to sacrifice any of their privileges, positions, and power for others. As the CPDM is in the field reorganizing its basic organs, traveling in and out of Lebialem is not only a nightmare but demands fasting and prayers. I recalled what Rick Gaber said about these politicians in his book “people of the lie”. He said that the politician is a type of creature known for its tendency to lie, make a mountain out of a molehill, exaggerate, and use all kinds of frantic or pretentious attention-getting tactics o lie. There would be no exaggeration if the statement is contextualized to fit the plight of the beloved Lebialem people(home of my friend Aminateh Nkemngu).
I have often heard people say that it is forbidden to make noteworthy judgment psychiatric therapy on the neglect of the roads by the Biya regime and that making such a critical judgment is like writing satanic verses that lead to divine sentence. But let the word go forth from this time and medium to friends and enemies of progress alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation that will talk than die in silence. The cry from the wilderness is indicative that where the road reaches, humanity lives and development follows.
A friend posted a picture of the state of nature of the road to Lebialem and is pains akin. Lebialem has been cut off from the rest of the country. In fact if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it can never save the few who are rich, says the impressionist.
However, anyone who would maladroitly sit on the fence to declare that the Lebialem Road is not a necessity or a priority should be considered as being in a state of sin. Being a respecter of the institution that President Biya incarnates and the powers that he wields, I do not understand whether it is not another form of subjugation of the Anglophones. Anyone who has been on this road any of these days will agree that no pregnant woman can dare. The story of the road is not only that of pools of water; a trap to kill. It picture may look pathetic but the truth is that traveling from Dschang to Menji, Wanbane and Alou demands two sets of dresses, one for the mud  and another to wear at the destination. The state of nature of this road has made it in such a way that it is the nature of the weather that determines the transport fare.
Pic courtesy of Nkengbaze Nicasius Marjor
Even though there is a statement in the Bible which states that people should pass round for judges on others, I believe it is often quoted out of context because the Bible still tells us that people should be judged if their acts are injurious. I am aware that this critical judgment analysis is badly needed. It is imperative because the Lebialem (Banwa) people are weeping silently and the bells of anguish are being heard signaling that Lebialem Division may cease to exist in the map of this country. I am also aware that this bit will offset many people (especially those who are turning around Dschang, whereas they are supposed to be in Lebialem to reorganize the much cherished CPDM party. What about the Lebialem Vuvuzelas (Hon. Bernard Foju et al) of the regime. Even so, who is even going to twist my arm for speaking the truth? Is it not a right for the people of Lebialem to have a good access road and even enjoy more?  Besides, should they not be compensated for voting the CPDM as it is claimed by the vuvuzelas. Or it is true that the rigging was massive as decried and reported in quarters. If anybody takes this view of mine for misconduct, believe me it is a constructive rudeness. And if today some of our leaders no more command the powers they use to exercise, it is because of the copious counterfeited promises they make. I recall how a friend, Aminateh in a pathetic piece once wrote that “So the two months abandonment of the corpse, it would appear was to give way for minor improvements on the terrible road. And behold the day of burial finally came. Newspaper reports hold that the remains of Prince Jacob Lekunze were abandoned to his family members and a few colleagues from the Prime Minister’s Office. The DO Misaje ,Nkweti Simon who hails from Wabane suffered a ghastly car accident while returning from the burial and as we speak, his car is beyond repairs. Thank God for sparing his life. So where was Prince Lekunze a prophet? At home where he could not reach and nobody knew where he was coming from or in Yaounde and Bakassi where nobody knew where he was going to?”  In fact, here are some recondite things that push us to mull over the strange absence of man’s kindness towards man, or better put of man’s wickedness to man. I wish I were eloquent enough to put down on paper the picture that comes to me from the restrained of anger. I need not dwell upon the authenticated horrors of the Nazi internment camps and death chambers for Jews. That it was not only tragic but a kind of insane horror.  In reality, Lebialem’s part in this state of nature of the road is tragic. The essence of tragedy is not the doing of evil by evil men but the doing of evil by good men, out of weakness, indecision, sloth, inability to act in accordance with what they know to be right. Hence, there is nothing to be done except to live every moment without a thought to the next. The state of nature of this road has made Lebialem Division an Island on land which makes them to feel and to be powerless to influence the life of society by which their own life is governed.
Fontem-Menji
Today, thinking and feeling are more and more separated from each other, and this separation leads either to an almost schizophrenic intellectualism or to a neurotic, irrational emotionalism. Only if emotions and reason are brought together can man function in a way which makes life interesting and hence creates the possibility of a productive life. To put it briefly, what Lebialem people need is not political speeches, if need be (s), they need three MPs (one per sub Division) who can tell their story.
The question that comes to mind is whether the CPDM in Lebialem is a “dance of the vampires”. In 2011, 2013 elections, Lebialem division ended up with over 80 percent score for the CPDM, the best in the South West Region, so to say. Whether these results were manufactured in a laboratory or were the wish of the people is a question to be answered. But retributive justice has led to the division losing two key positions from the same party they so much love in less than one year. So was it a prayer of the people?
As a division that owes all its good things to Christendom, there is no gainsaying the fact that the population of Lebialem undeniably turned to God to hear their prayers and deliver them from the evils of all season bad roads, information hoarding, influence trafficking, eye for eye politics and above all sidelining of local people from the “dog eat dog” sharing of the crumbs of CPDM loyalty.


When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Caught on Camera: Bertoua; The Emerging Green, Smart City in Cameroon


Bertoua
If you are environmentally conscious, you may consider visiting Bertoua, the Land of the Rising Sun is an earthly-friend city that has become the cornerstones to making a smart city a reality. The issue of global warming is on everyone’s mind these days. This is so because a sustainable city of the future must be green.
It has been proven that African and Asian cities have grown faster since 2000 than cities in any other part of the world. Studies have also shown that more than half of these continents’ populations are expected to live in cities by 2050. The shift from a rural- to an urban-dominant globe signals more strongly than ever the need to transform how cities develop. Architects, engineers, urban planners, civil society and policy makers face the challenges of creating sustainable, healthy, ‘smart’, ‘green’, adaptive, inclusive, productive, safe, flexible and resilient cities. These are just a few of the characteristics that will help urban centres thrive in the face of rising populations, growing informal settlements, pollution and environmental degradation, often combined with poor governance and service provision. Some cities around the world are pioneering the way, helping the development community envision alternatives to mainstream models of urban development, and focusing on creating environmentally friendly ‘cities for the people’, rather than economic growth. The capital of the East Region, Bertoua is an untouched town, located in the heart of the equatorial forest that booms with logging and mining. Yet, Bertoua from a first glance thrills the mind as a smart city.
In fact, the land of the rising sun a smartest city in Cameroon for now. Landscaping and planting of flowers seems to have a peculiar place in the peoples’ ways of living.  It's definitely worth a splurge if you've been lost in the forest. Up graded into a City council on January 12, 2008 by presidential decree No. 2008/016, Bertoua is the capital of the East Region and of Lom/ Djerem Division. It has a population of 88,462 (per the 2005 Census), and is the traditional home of the Gbaya people. It is a border town that shares common boundaries with Central African Republic.  It is logical that a city filled with motorized vehicle, a large number of people and a very rich small traditional industry is bound to have a bad air quality.





When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Friday, October 30, 2015

School Teacher Flogs Student to Death

 An outrage ensued in a school after a student was allegedly flogged to death by a teacher.

 
On Wednesday, students of IMG Secondary School, Oke Ado, Ibadan, expressed outrage after their colleague slumped and died following severe punishment and flogging from a teacher for arriving late to school.
It was learnt that some properties of the school including chairs and tables, cabinets were destroyed by the protesting students, even as they scattered documents before policemen arrived at the scene.
Windows and doors of the staff room were also vandalized and as the protest escalated, teachers and administrative workers of the school took to their heels for fear of being attacked.
According to an eye witness, trouble started when the student arrived school after classes had commenced for the day.
"He told the teacher he came late due to illness. At that point, the principal, who was passing by asked the teacher the cause of the discussion.
The principal ordered the teacher to flog the student for coming late and he slumped in the process. They tried to resuscitate him but it was too late", he disclosed.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Oyo State Police Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the incident said investigation into the matter had commenced.


When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

China Scraps One-Child Policy, Allows Couples to Have Two Children

 China has scrapped its one-child policy, allowing couples to have two children for the first time in more than three decades.

 
China has ended its one-child policy and will allow all couples to have two children, marking a dramatic change in policy of the country's ruling Communist Party after more than three decades.
The announcement was made at the close of a Communist party meeting focused on financial reforms and maintaining growth at a time of heightened concerns over the country’s economy.
This development is coming three months after one Chinese newspaper predicted the policy would be phased out by the end of this year. At the time those reports were denied by the Chinese government.
China will “fully implement a policy of allowing each couple to have two children as an active response to an ageing population”, a statement published by Xinhua news agency on Thursday said. There were no immediate details on the new policy or a timeframe for its implementation.
It will be recalled that for months there has been speculation that Beijing was preparing to abandon the divisive family planning rule, which was introduced by Communist party leaders in 1980 because of fears of a population boom.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Eto'o Speaks About Boko Haram in Interview with CNN

Former Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o is using his fame for a good cause as he has now given a strong statement against the deadly terrorists called Boko Haram, ravaging parts of Nigeria and Cameroon.
Samuel Eto'o

 
Former Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o is using his fame for a good cause as he has now given a strong statement against the deadly terrorists called Boko Haram ravaging the Northern part of Nigeria.
The former Barcelona and Chelsea star has set up the Yellow Whistleblower FC foundation to raise funds and awareness to help people fleeing Nigeria and Cameroon amid the increasing amount of attacks from Boko Haram militants.
Eto’o, says it's time the world stepped up its response to this menace called Boko Haram. The 34-year-old urged leaders and the media to react as they did to the terror attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices in Paris in January.
In an interview with CNN, he said;
“It is important for us to talk about it... if we don’t do it, who will? We all tried to offer our support (after Charlie Hebdo). We saw African head of states coming to Paris to offer their support to France.
"Why, when it comes to Africa... when it comes to our continent .....don’t we do anything? Maybe because the media are not doing what they should do.
When it comes to Charlie Hebdo, we talk about it. The media were right: It was important to talk about that. However when it comes to Boko Haram, we need to wait for the most horrific things to happen for the media to say a word." said the four-time African player of the year.
After that, everybody stops talking about it. It is like nothing ever happened. I think journalists should have denounced this situation. We saw what happened in France. We were very sad about this. We were asking ourselves, ‘How can this happen? How can they succeed? How can these people take away lives of happy people who had families and friends?
I was affected, like many of my African brothers, by Boko Haram. We haven’t been affected by such horrors in a very long time. We are seeing these atrocities and we seem powerless.
We need to cope with this situation. We need to denounce it and find solutions at our level while our armed forces do their own job on the ground."

Eto’o said one of the most effective ways to defeat Boko Haram and its ideology would be through education, which he called “the most formidable weapon.”
Click here to see photos of Samuel Eto'o, his Wife, Davido, Asa, Toolz & more at the London Charity Ball event against Boko Haram




When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)