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Author: Day Break

Unprovoked outburst by Prof Abdullahi capable of setting country ablaze says Ohanaeze
The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, has frowned at what he called “incendiary, unsubstantiated and provocative statement credited to the leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, alleging that most violent acts against the northerners are perpetrated by the Igbo.”
Nwodo, in a release by his Media Adviser, Chief Emeka Attamah, on Wednesday, said that the unprovoked outburst by Prof Abdullahi was capable of setting the country ablaze.
He wondered where and when the Igbo could have killed their Northern brothers when there has never been any case of mayhem and killings against the North in any Igbo-speaking state.
Nwodo challenged Prof Abdullahi to make public facts to substantiate his wild and malicious claim, unless it was intended to set up the Igbo for another round of killings in the North, adding that with the statement, the Igbo in the North are not safe.
He also Prof Abdullahi that on the contrary, the Igbo have borne the brunt and have been victims of age-long and misguided attacks and bloody orgies by their northern “brothers” at the slightest upheavals in the country, sometimes even as a result of an event outside the country, and no restitution has ever been made for such losses.
The President General regretted that the Igbo, apart from innumerable dead ones, have lost property valued at trillions of naira during such senseless attacks in the North, yet they are the catalysts of development and the unifying cord that holds Nigeria together.
He told the Northern Elders Forum to exhibit greater caution and wisdom in addressing sensitive national issues like this, rather than stoke further the fire of ethnic violence by making such unguarded, unsubstantiated, garrulous and vitriolic claims capable of igniting fire and breakdown of law and order that could consume the country.
Chief Nwodo further reminded Prof Abdullahi that at the twilight of his life, he should espouse salutary views that should bind and heal the wounds of the country so that he will leave behind a better and united Nigeria.
The President General, however, called on the Federal Government to call NEF to order and make them rescind their inflammatory statement to avoid the possible mayhem and confusion it could cause in the country.
December 9, 2020
FG to Deploy Science and Technology for Mining Sector
The Federal Government is to deploy Science and Technology in the area of solid mineral exploitation so as to accelerate economic diversification of the country.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu disclosed this when he received the House Committee on Solid Minerals Development, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Dr. Onu said the deployment of relevant technology to the solid mineral sector will help Nigeria achieve economic diversification in an inclusive and sustainable way.
He added that Science, Technology and Innovation is of strategic importance in the exploitation of the solid mineral industry, in order to increase wealth and create more jobs for citizens.
He told the committee members that the Ministry has the capacity to provide relevant data to help solid mineral exploration.
In his words, “The National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA) will help in the provision of data using satellites to guide miners to the areas where they can exploit mineral resources they need”.
Dr. Onu added that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be deployed by the Ministry’s space agency to help in mining safety and efficiency, adding that through (AI) mines could be operated remotely, thereby minimizing danger to the barest minimum at the mines.
Dr. Onu also said that Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) will assist in the area of processing and value addition of solid minerals in order to enhance their profitability.
He added that sustainable and inclusive diversification of the solid mineral industry in Nigeria will ensure improved quality of life for Nigerians.
Earlier, the Deputy Chairman House Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Hon. Victor Mela Dan-Zaria said the committee’s visit was to intimate the Ministry on the upcoming International summit “Ajaokuta 2020”.
Hon. Dan-Zaria said the essence of the summit was for economic diversification in Nigeria with special focus on the Solid Mineral industry, adding that the application of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) is crucial to the development of the solid mineral industry.
He further said that the summit will help revive the Ajaokuta steel complex and help Nigeria’s quest for industrialisation.
December 9, 2020
Use your firearms whenever your lives are in danger, IG tell Policemen
The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, yesterday advised the officers of the Ebonyi State Police Command to use their firearms whenever their lives are in danger.
The IG, who stated this at the command’s headquarters, Abakaliki, during when he embarked on a one-day working visit to the state, added that police officers were special breed of Nigerians charged with the responsibility of protecting lives and property of citizens of the country.
Adamu, who was not pleased with the number of deaths recorded by the police and the destruction of police stations during the last #EndSARS protests, stressed that such violent protests would never be allowed to happen again in the country.
He directed men and officers of the Nigerian Police to use maximum force to suppress any form of violent protests, following laid down rules of engagement.
He called on police officers not be demoralised following the negative impact that occasioned the #EndSARS protests as the police high command had put modalities in place to ensure improvement in the welfare of all serving and retired officers.
He said: “When your life is danger you, use your fire arm. You are not meant to kill but to maim. Shoot the suspect on the leg not on the heart.
“#EndSARS protests created a lot of problems for the Nigerian Police and the country. This protest came as a result of what many people have yearning about. “The #EndSARS started as a result of fake news provided by the social media. There have been lots of reforms has been putting in place.
“The #EndSARS protests started from Delta, to Lagos and other parts of the country. The motive behind the protests was not endsars but attack on government. Police provided them cover. Their aim was not peaceful protest as it turned violence few days after. The reason was to attack the police that can protect the citizens and corporate offices in the country.
“Police has the capability to prevent loss of lives. We are meant to protect and not to destroy lives. It was through maximum restraint we saved the country from anarchy. We proved that during the protests, the police can be trusted.
“The president supported the police and the governor’s forum, saying that we love our police. What happened because of attack on police, has the tendency for the police to be demoralised as banks, companies, private and public properties were destroyed.
“Other sectors were attacked; police was not only the worse hit. Nigeria police will never again accept such type of violent protest. If you want to protest we will provide security but it should be within the law.
“We shall suppress violent protests with maximum force and follow the rules of engagement. Police officers are special breed of Nigerians specially trained. When your life is danger, you use your firearm. You are meant to maim and not to kill that person.
“The officers that died did not die in vain. We have promoted them and look into the issue of compensation. Welfare issues will be addressed including myself. We have health insurance scheme.
“In January, 2021, there will be renovation of barracks and new ones will be built. Let us not be demoralised. Follow the rules of engagement. Go out with the authority that backs you in line with the constitution.”
In his welcome address, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Philip Sule Maku, stated that the command lost four police officers, 11 police structures, a total of 20 vehicles as 14 police officers sustained varying degrees of injury in the cause of the #EndSARS protests in the country.
December 9, 2020
Of Chinese Worker, 100 Million Ransom And Media Sensationalism
By Dr. Austin Maho
Few days ago the Nigeria media was on a feeding frenzy over reports that a Chinese citizen kidnapped in Ekiti state four days earlier was released after the payment of an alleged and absurd amount of a hundred million naira!
The share weight of number was irresistible to many media organisations even the well-established one fell for it and the online mediasphere was agog, even when reports could not authenticate, verify or establish the source of the alleged humongous pay-out.
Going through the reports one thing was obvious: the story originated from a single source and aped by other media outlets, this was evident from the language, nuances and how the story was framed.
Those who copied and published the story didn’t subject it through an independent process of verification. They all said they got the story from a source who pleaded anonymity. A source hiding under the cover of anonymity may actually be pursuing a personal agenda or vendetta. Journalists should be circumspect when a source pleads anonymity because when information given by an anonymous source turns out to be false as it was in this case, the journalist can be held liable for the dissemination of false information and the journalistic privilege of non-disclosure of sources would not avail.
A source who would quote different figures to different media outlets is a tainted source. At one breath it was N100 million then N10 million! The Ekiti state command of the Nigeria Police took credit for the rescue operation that saw to the release of the kidnapped victim and in a press statement said no ransom was paid, nothing in the public space has so far challenged this position.
The China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria, a body of all Chinese businesses in Nigeria, actually took the unusual step of coming out to debunk the report.
A release made available to the press expressed displeasure over the public dissemination and circulation of such unverified misinformation which it observed amounts to an “acquiescence towards such felony” capable of “posing severe potential security risks towards the Chinese business community and rendering grave threat towards every single diligent Chinese expatriate and other foreign nationals living in Nigeria”.
It further noted that such unverified and sensational report is capable of tarnishing the reputation of Nigeria business environment, causing great panic and hesitation among potential foreign investors. “The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce hereby calls for serious attention from our media friends towards this issue and has full confidence that it would be addressed appropriately. The Chamber and all Chinese enterprises in Nigeria remain committed to building Nigeria and sharing future with Nigeria.
The statement was loaded. The Nigerian media by the report was inadvertently, causing unnecessary panic within the expatriate community in the country and driving away potential investors. Truth be said no body planning to invest in the country would pursue an investment plan when the country’s media sensationalises and seemingly glorifies falsehood. The consequence of such action is detrimental to the Nigeria economic which needs a healthy dose of foreign investments to get out of its current recession.
Another statement by the Nigeria, China Association jointly signed by Amb. Olusola Onadipe, Amb. Jonathan Coker, Amb. Adegboyega Ariyo and Mr Bola Akinbolawa, described the media reports as misleading and having serious consequence and destructive to Sino-Nigeria relationship.
“This report was first released by a small network media. Now, some mainstream media in Nigeria have reprinted the reports, which mislead Nigerians’ judgment and this will have serious consequence,” the association said.
They accused those behind the reports of trying “to destroy the friendship between the governments and people of the two countries.
“We extremely despise this despicable practice of conspiracy behind the scenes,” the statement said, adding that the report was aimed at putting the people of Nigeria and China in danger.
However it was gratifying that responsible media outlets who later discovered that the story was false acted appropriately by pulling it down. The Punch and Guardian for instance pulled the story from their websites few hours after it was first posted while several others later followed suit.
Irrespective of the pressures associated with online publishing, values of accuracy, pre-publication verification, balance, impartiality, and gate-keeping, must not be jettisoned for click baits and media ratings.
In the extant case verification was jettisoned for sensationalism. The news item was not checked for credibility and reliability before publication as there were no direct or indirect sources to give credence to the story.
There is no doubt that with the advent of online journalism facts has become more vital than ever before because of the easy spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Often the pressure to join the trend and break the news places a lot of pressure on most media organisation especially in an era of social media and the mad craze for media rating this however does not excuse media professionals from staying true to the time tested ethics of verification of news and sources.
Journalist have an enormous responsibility to stand up for facts, whatever and wherever those facts are, they should dig them out and not rely on hearsay no matter how good it may sound. Journalist should be driven to make decisions based on verifiable facts, and seek out credible sources to back up such stories. They should resist the temptation to sensationalise or weave click-baits.
Journalists should be prepared always to fact-check their sources and provide fact-based news that enhances trust between the purveyor of information and the consumer who rely on it to make informed decision.
Dr. Austin Maho is a media scholar and Facilitator at the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Part time lecturer at the University of Abuja and Resource Person at the International Institute of Journalism. He is also the publisher of daybreak newspaper and Red Dragon Magazine
December 9, 2020
China orders removal of 105 apps, including TripAdvisor
Companies including the Chinese arm of TripAdvisor Inc. have been ordered by regulators to overhaul their mobile phone apps in what the Chinese government said is a crackdown on pornography and other improper content.
The National Cyberspace Administration ordered the removal of 105 apps including TripAdvisor from app stores this week, although it gave no details of what each app was accused of doing wrong. It cited what it said were public complaints about obscene, pornographic and violent information or fraud, gambling and prostitution.
The ruling Communist Party tightly controls what the Chinese public sees online and has launched repeated crackdowns on websites and apps.
TripAdvisor China, a joint venture between TripAdvisor and its Chinese partner Trip.com, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Following the removal of its app in China, Nasdaq-listed TripAdvisor’s stock price was down 1.68% to $29.59 at the market’s close in the U.S. on Tuesday.
TripAdvisor owns a 40% stake in TripAdvisor China, with Trip.com owning the other 60%. Under the partnership, the companies share its travel inventories and content.
December 9, 2020
Google opens up its Fuchsia OS to the public
Almost half a decade since news first leaked about Google’s Fuchsia OS, the company has announced that it is expanding the Fuchsia open source community and opening it up to contributions from the public.

Google’s Fuchsia OS is a bit of an enigma, and the company rarely talks about it, despite its code living on GitHub since 2016.
It’s an open secret that Fuchsia is Google’s long-term project to create a general-purpose operating system, built from the kernel up, but this is the first time the company is engaging with it in the public.
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Proper open source
Google has been sharing its work on Fuchsia in the public repositories for several years now.
With the new announcement, it has added in all the missing ingredients to turn the project into a full-fledged open source effort.
“Starting today, we are expanding Fuchsia‘s open source model to make it easier for the public to engage with the project,” shares Google in a blog post.
Specifically, Google has now made the operating system’s bug tracker available to the public and there are mailing lists through which developers can receive alerts about various updates. The company has also outlined the process to become a member to submit patches or a committer with full write access.
For developers only
Fuchsia also now has a governance model through which Google explains how strategic decisions in the project are made.
Importantly, the project now has a publicly accessible technical roadmap for anyone to track its progress.
The OS is far from being in a usable state, though if you are interested in working on it, Google has also put out a detailed guide to help you setup a Fuchsia emulator on your Mac or Linux computer.
Now that Google is willing to engage with the public on Fuchsia, we’re hoping the company also shares more details about where the OS fits in its portfolio and how it plans to use it going forward.
December 9, 2020
UK has not ordered ‘backdoor access’ to WhatsApp messages but could issue injunction against Facebook’s encryption plan

Facebook’s plans to provide end-to-end encryption for its social network have prompted concerns from law enforcement.
The UK has not ordered Facebook to provide law enforcement agencies with a way to access end-to-end encrypted messages on WhatsApp, Sky News has learnt, despite a legal power which could allow it to do so in secret.
However, the power may be used to prevent Facebooks from applying the same encryption protocol to its other services, something the company plans to do despite concerns the move will blind it to child predators’ grooming victims over its platform.Sponsored link
The notice would allow Facebook to use a potentially weaker form of encryption to protect users’ messages, while also forcing the company to retain the ability to monitor those messages and be able to deliver decrypted conversations in response to a warrant – something it cannot do with Whatsap.
Image:The Signal protocol has robust protections against most forms of attack
According to sources with direct knowledge of discussions between the government and the company, the legal instrument – officially known as a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) – was not used to force Facebook to include what critics describe as a “backdoor” to access specific WhatsApp messages, because no technological mechanism exists to bypass the encryption protocol that WhatsApp uses.
As one former senior civil servant explained to Sky News, there are two key reasons why the government did not issue a TCN to Facebook regarding WhatsApp – despite repeated complaints about the service from successive home secretaries.
The first was that “there isn’t a reasonable method yet” for the company to provide lawful authorities access to the content of targeted messages, simply as a matter of how the technology functions.
A key legal test in the legislation requires it must be “reasonably practicable” for the communications provider to comply with a TCN in order for one to be issued.
However, the encryption protocol that Facebook uses – the Signal protocol, which is becoming an industry standard – has been robustly designed and repeatedly audited by cryptographers to ensure it prevents third parties from accessing the message content.
The second reason, the former civil servant added, was political: “We aren’t sure TCNs will work on American companies, and politicians tend not to want to try and find out.”
While the technological challenge posed by messages encrypted using the Signal protocol is currently insurmountable, the fear about US-based companies dismissing complaints from foreign jurisdictions appears to be shrinking.
According to sources with knowledge of diplomatic meetings between political envoys from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, concerns about Facebook’s plans are gaining the crucial support of the American government.

Through its own monitoring, Facebook submits thousands of reports to US authorities every year about predators using its platforms to attempt to groom children online, and millions of reports about images and videos featuring child abuse.
These child protection authorities estimate that 70% of Facebook’s reports will be lost if the company allows predators and their potential victims to communicate using an end-to-end encrypted service that the company itself can no longer monitor.
Facebook has not disputed this figure, although it argues that it can use the same tools that it uses with WhatsApp – looking for indications of child abuse in the metadata of messages – to detect and tackle predators.
December 9, 2020
Gratuities: Zulum releases N12b to clear 4,862 unpaid retirees
… Presents cheques to retirees
… N3b earlier released in 2019
Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on Tuesday announced the release of N12 billion to clear gratuities owed 4,862 retirees who left the state and local government civil service from 2013 to 2017.
Before today’s, Zulum had released N3 billion in June and September 2019, to clear gratuities of 1,684 retirees who left the civil service between 2013 to 2019, at lower ranks, mostly clerks, drivers and messengers.
Governor Zulum flagged off the payment with symbolic presentation of cheques to some retirees on Tuesday at the government house in Maiduguri. He explained that the fund was obtained through a loan provided by the Zenith Bank.
The Governor noted that while N12 billion was not enough to settle backlog of gratuities, appreciable number of retirees almost 5,000 retirees will be cleared this time around. He appealed to those who will not part of the N12b batch to be patient as Government is working on to settle all gratuities as soon as possible.
“The accumulated backlog of gratuities over the years has been worrisome to successive administrations. We are making frantic effort to settle all outstanding gratuities and pension arrears of our retired Civil servants. We decided to decided to take far reaching decision to reduce the waiting by retired state and local civil servants in the State. We hope this N12b will reduce poverty and stimulate the economy” Zulum said.
Speaking on issues of pension, the governor explained that from May 2019 to date, a total of 770 complaints were received out of which 650 were rectified and already enjoying their pension while awaiting their arrears to be paid soon.
Zulum also recalled that the state government
recently completed the rehabilitation of Musa Usman Secretariat, including provision of furnitures. The Governor also assured of his administration’s commitment to sustain the payment of retirement benefits to pensioners as at when due.
Zulum announced announced that Government has commenced the automatic migration of retirees from salary to pension since May, 2020 and so far over 900 retirees have benefited from the process.
Our correspondent explained that payment of gratuities has been particularly problematic across Nigeria given the fact that, gratuities are lump sum of money which employers are lawfully required yo give retirees as reward for many years of service. The amount mostly come in millions for each retiree to use in investment after many years of work. Retirees are entitled to one off payment of gratuities and monthly pensions which are generated from contributions made by employees and employers during working years. Monthly pensions are normally less of salaries workers were paid during their working years.
December 8, 2020
Nigeria’s Population Now 206 Million, NPC Claims
The National Population Commission says Nigeria’s population is now estimated at 206 million.

This comes exactly two years after the NPC estimated the country’s population at 198 million.

The Chairman of the NPC, Nasir Kwarra, said this at a press conference on the commencement of the next Enumeration Area Demarcation in Abuja on Tuesday, Punch reports.

Kwarra said since Nigeria had not been able to hold a census in the last 14 years, it would be challenging to know the exact population of the country.

He said, “In the absence of an actual census, we formally make projections, and we have all along been making our projections, and we estimate that as of 2020, the estimated population of Nigeria is 206 million.”

The NPC boss said President Muhammadu Buhari had the sole right to announce the next census.

Kwarra, however, said he was confident that Buhari would do the needful soon.

While announcing the commencement of the Enumeration Area Demarcation exercise, Kwarra said about 260 local government areas out of the 774 in the country had been fully demarcated.

He stated that the 11th phase of the exercise would begin on December 9, 2020, and end on January 20, 2021.

The NPC chairman said, “Planning for the census is anchored on the EAD as the basis for estimating both the human and material resources required for the census. In essence, the success of a credible and accurate census depends very much on the quality and reliability of the EAD.”
Kwarra explained that the EAD exercise is not the enumeration of persons living in the country but a preparatory exercise before the census.

He said the NPC would be assisting the Independent National Electoral Commission to create digitized maps of INEC registration areas for the first time as part of the EAD. He said this collaboration would positively affect future elections.

The NPC chairman further stated, “It is essential to say that the latest technology is being deployed for this EAD exercise, including the use of very high-resolution satellite imageries as the base map, the use of GPS for georeferencing and the use of GIS for data management.

“Also, personal data assistants (handheld devices/tablets) that include computer software for population estimation are being used for data capture.”
December 8, 2020
APC, PDP supporters clash at tribunal in Ondo, Many injured
There was pandemonium at the High Court Road, Akure, the Ondo State capital, as the supporters of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party engaged in free for all on Tuesday,
The fight took place outside the Ondo State High Court Complex, Akure, the venue of the Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal. Some of the supporters were reportedly injured.
According to an eyewitness, the residents and the shop owners in the area had to run for their lives as the political supporters were fighting each other, using dangerous weapons. It was gathered that, for almost an hour, there was no vehicular movement in the area as a result of the crisis.
This happened when the election petition tribunal held its inaugural sitting on the petition filed by the candidate of the PDP in the October 10 governorship election, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, who is challenging the victory of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC in the election.
Details later…
December 8, 2020