Must Watch: Funny Escaped Gorilla Prank

Jonathan and Orubebe Congratulate Buhari

After this morning's show of shame, Elder Godsday Orubebe has congratulated General Muhammadu Buhari after President Goodluck Joathan made a call to the APC Presidential candidate to concede defeat and congratulate him.

You can see the screenshot above. This is perhaps the least he can do after disgracing himself in public this morning.

Watch Highlights of South Africa vs.Nigeria Friendly (1-1)

What a goal from Ahmed Musa.

Classic Pix: Elderly Patient Helped by Nurses to Polling Unit

This typifies the dogged Nigerian spirit. Well done sir! I wonder who he voted for though: Buhari or Jonathan?

Gamification of Start-ups

Gamification for startups from Thijs de Vries

See Cool Doodle that Google has Dedicated to Nigeria's Presidential Election

Nigeria's presidential election is ongoing in some parts of the country even by 11pm as I type due to late arrival of voting materials in some polling units. 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said voting will continue in places where the election was not held today because of logistic challenges.

Google is dedicating this cool doodle to the election.

Checkout this Cool Nest Bed

Source: +Creative Ideas 

Cool Teaser for You to Figure-out

17 Really Cool Online Learning Resources You Should Know

17 online learning resources and websites you should check out from Tiffany St James

See Carnivorous Plant Eating a Frog

Venus fly trap in action.

Make at Least 2 of these Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Heart Disease

Avoid these 7 Mistakes when Going Mobile Friendly

Learn the Difference Between Business and Kindness

Source: +Lara Maya 

Amazing Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Source: http://www.carid.com/avs/ 

This is absolutely stunning!

7 Ways to Grow a Business

Barack Obama Addresses Nigerians as Election Comes-Up this Week

Watch this Amazing Scorpion Kick Goal

BlackBerry Classic Specifications

BlackBerry Classic

BlackBerry Classic Specs

Network Technology  GSM / HSPA / LTE
Launch Announced 2014, June
Status Available. Released 2014, December
Body Dimensions 131 x 72.4 x 10.2 mm (5.16 x 2.85 x 0.40 in)
Weight 177 g (6.24 oz)
Keyboard QWERTY
SIM Nano-SIM
- Optical trackpad

Display Type Capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 3.5 inches (~40.8% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 720 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Platform OS BlackBerry OS 10.3.1
Chipset Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon
CPU Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait
GPU Adreno 225
Memory Card slot microSD, up to 128 GB
Internal 16 GB, 2 GB RAM

Camera Primary 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Features Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
Video 1080p@30fps
Secondary 2 MP
Sound Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker Yes
3.5mm jack Yes
Comms WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE
GPS Yes, with A-GPS
NFC Yes
Radio FM radio
USB microUSB v2.0 (SlimPort)
Features Sensors Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM, BBM 6
Browser HTML5
Java Yes, MIDP 2.1
- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+/FlAC player
- DivX/XviD/MP4/WMV/H.264 player
- Photo/video editor
- Document viewer
Battery Non-removable Li-Ion 2515 mAh battery
Stand-by Up to 348 h (2G) / Up to 365 h (3G)
Talk time Up to 11 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 17 h 10 min (3G)
Music play Up to 70 h

Source: GSM Arena

Scientists Believe Parallel Universes Exist and Interact

It is either  this guys have their science right or they have been watching too much of FRINGE...

New quantum mechanics theory says parallel universes exist, interact

To the average person, quantum mechanics is the convoluted, science fiction-y branch of physics. A radical new theory plays into that, proposing that parallel universes exist and interact with each other ‒ and that scientists may be able to test for them.

Prof. Howard Wiseman, a physicist at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, along with his collaborators Dr. Michael Hall, also of Griffith University, and University of California, Davis mathematician Dr. Dirk-Andre Deckert, published their new "many interacting worlds" (MIW) theory in the journal Physical Review X. They posited that other universes are real, exist in vast numbers and exert influence on each other.

“The idea of parallel universes in quantum mechanics has been around since 1957,” Wiseman said in a statement. “In the well-known ‘Many-Worlds Interpretation’, each universe branches into a bunch of new universes every time a quantum measurement is made. All possibilities are therefore realised – in some universes the dinosaur-killing asteroid missed Earth. In others, Australia was colonised by the Portuguese.”

“But critics question the reality of these other universes, since they do not influence our universe at all,” he added. “On this score, our “Many Interacting Worlds” approach is completely different, as its name implies.”

There are three main points to the MIW theory, according to the Griffith statement. First, that the universe we live in is just one of an unknown “gigantic” number of worlds, some of which are “almost identical to ours,” but most are “very different.” Second, all of the worlds are “equally real,” existing continuously through time with precisely defined properties.Third, quantum phenomena arise from “a universal force of repulsion between ‘nearby’ (i.e. similar) worlds, which tends to make them more dissimilar.”

“All quantum effects arise from, and only from, the interaction between worlds,“ the physicists explained in their abstract.

Hall said the radical new theory may even create the extraordinary possibility of testing for the existence of other worlds.

“The beauty of our approach is that if there is just one world our theory reduces to Newtonian mechanics, while if there is a gigantic number of worlds it reproduces quantum mechanics,” he said in the statement. “In between it predicts something new that is neither Newton’s theory nor quantum theory. We also believe that, in providing a new mental picture of quantum effects, it will be useful in planning experiments to test and exploit quantum phenomena.”

American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman once noted: “I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.” And the MIW group admits that their theory is a bit out there.

"Any explanation of quantum phenomena is going to be weird, and standard quantum mechanics does not really offer any explanation at all ‒ it just makes predictions for laboratory experiments," Wiseman told the Huffington Post in an email. "Our new explanation... is that there are ordinary [non-quantum] parallel worlds which interact in a particular and subtle way."

Read more from RT

Meanwhile scientists at the Large Hadron Collider hope to make contact with a parallel universe in a few days! Read more by clicking here.

5 Tips to Beat your Fear of Public Speaking

5 Tips to Beat the Fear of Public Speaking from Simplify360

Hollywood/European Films that were Shot in Africa

prepared by Jovago.com

Since 1931, when Trader Horn became the first Hollywood movie to be shot in Africa, more movie directors and producers have found Africa an attractive filming destination for Hollywood and European blockbusters. From deserts to forest jungles, villages to cities, amazing landscapes and coastal beaches, Africa’s rich diversity can perfectly blend with most Hollywood movie themes. Jovago.com, Africa's no.1 hotel booking website has prepared a list of 15 of the best Hollywood and European movies that were shot in Africa.

Star Wars I II and IV, Tunisia
Star wars is one of the most common movie series and one of the top grossing movies in Hollywood history. Star War Episode IV; A New Walk was filmed in 1976 in places close to Tataouine, Djerba and Tozeur.

Gladiator (2000), Morocco
This 2000 film about a disgraced Roman general was partially shot in Ouarzazate, south of the Atlas Mountains for over three weeks. Ouarzazate is one of the biggest movie studios in world. Several historical blockbusters including; The Man Who Would Be King, Lawrence of Arabia, Asterix & Obelix, Kingdom of Heaven, Mission Cleopatra and Babel were filmed at Ouarzazate.

Tomb Raider II (Cradle of Life - 2003), Kenya
Angelina Jolie’s second Tomb Raider movie about her search for the elusive Pandora’s Box leads her to Africa. The African part of the movie was shot in Hell’s gate (south of Lake Naivasha) and Amboseli National Park.

Burn it up Djassa (2012), Ivory Coast
This Ivory Coast movie released in 2012 follows the life of Tony as he tries to escape the difficult life in the ghetto. The movie was shot in Abidjan's Wassakara neighborhood.

The Constant Gardener (2005), Kenya
This is a thriller about a British diplomat’s quest to uncover the death of his wife. The movie was shot in different Nairobi neighborhoods and the Nairobi National park.

Timbuktu (2014), Mauritania
Timbuktu, which is a French-Mauritanian movie, tells of the life in Timbuktu, Mali after its occupation by extremist Islamist. The movie was shot in the Sahara desert,Mauritania.

The Last King of Scotland (1998), Uganda
This Hollywood film starring Forest Whitaker was shot entirely in Uganda. It is a story about a Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda and becomes the President Idi Amin’s personal doctor and confidante in the last days of his rule.

Hatari (1961), Tanzania
This blockbuster was a big hit in the sixties. Filmed entirely in Tanzania in 1961, Hatari follows the adventures of John Wayne and his team as they capture wildlife for zoos.

Congo (1995), Uganda
This 1995 movie follows an expedition team in search of rare diamonds deep in the jungles of Congo It was filmed in Western Uganda near the border with Congo. Famous movies like The Lion (1962) and The African Queen (1951) were also shot in Uganda.

Blood Diamond (2006), Mozambique
Award winning Blood Diamonds is a movie about the illegal trade in diamonds in Sierra Leon and Liberia. The movie starring Leonardo di Caprio was shot in Mozambique.

King Solomon’s Mines (1950), Central and East Africa
One of the earliest Hollywood movies filmed entirely in Africa. It follows the rescue attempt of Richard, who got lost in the unexplored Africa interior by his wife and brother in law. It was shot in 1950 in various locations across Kenya (Rumuruti, Machakos), Uganda (Murchison Falls) and Tanzania.

The Legend of Tarzan (1984)
The famous legend of Tarzan movie about a boy raised in the wild by gorillas after the death of his parents was partly shot in Cameroon.

Lord of War (2005), South Africa
This Nicolas Cage movie about illegal arms trade that fuel armed conflicts worldwide was partially shot in South Africa. Lot of Hollywood movies have been shot in South Africa as: District 9, Mad Max: Fury Road, Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Battle of Algiers (1966), Algeria
The bloody battle of Algiers is a French blockbuster released in 1966. The movie is based on the Algerian war of independence with France from 1954 to 1962. The entire movie was shot in Algeria.

Nigeria (Nollywood)
Even though few foreign movies have been filmed in Nigeria, Nigeria’s movie industry (Nollywood) is ranked second largest movie industry in the world in terms of movie productions behind India’s Bollywood. It is also the third profitable movie industry in the world behind Hollywood and Bollywood. It is estimated that Nigeria produces more than 500 Nollywood movies annually

Jonathan Cautions Politicians Against Desperation

Mr. President, you need to start praticising what you preach!

Evolution of the Memory Card in Pictures

The Micro SD card has gone a long way and it keeps getting more powerful. One day it may have terabyte capacity!

Healthy Foods You Should Eat Every Day

Microsoft to Drop Internet Explorer on Windows 10

Interesting...

The next version of Microsoft's browser software will be given a brand new name, with the company confirming it's dropping the Internet Explorer branding and will transition to something new.

"We're now researching what the new brand, or the new name, for our browser should be in Windows 10," Microsoft's head of marketing Chris Capossela said at an event on Monday, according to The Verge. Some initial versions of Windows 10 will still include the familiar old browser for compatibility purposes, but "we'll also have a new browser ... which is codenamed Project Spartan. We have to name the thing," Capossela said.

He confirmed the new browser will be the default portal to the internet for Windows 10 devices.

A version of Project Spartan was shown off at the Windows 10 event in January, and again at Mobile World Congress this month. At MWC Microsoft showed off the ability to mark articles on, for instance, a PC device and then pick them back up on on mobile, where they are displayed in a clean but customisable format for optimised reading.

Source: SMH 

FG Slashes Electricity Tariff by 50%

Election campain things you can be sure...

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has announced the immediate review of electricity tariffs by about 50 per cent.

Making the announcement in Abuja, the Chairman of the Commission, Sam Amadi, stated that the reduction, which takes effect from the end of March, followed the regulatory agency’s decision to remove collection losses from customer tariff under the multi-year tariff order.

He further noted that following the approval of the multi-year tariff order, MYTO 2.1 in January 1, 2015, the Commission had received several complaints and petitions against the decision, which resulted in astronomical increases in tariff across the different consumer categories.

“The Commission has been listening to consumers’ complaints and taking full account of the impact of the high tariff on consumers and the Nigerian economy, the Commission has reviewed the basis of the MYTO 2.1 assumptions and has determined that it is inappropriate to transfer to consumers collection losses that are controllable by the DISCOs (distribution companies),”Mr Amadi said.

Source: The Tribune

Mama Duck with her Ducklings

Eiffel Towel at Night

How Do You See the Glass?

Source: +Khalid Kyle 

7 Myths of Start-Up Financing

7 Myths of Startup Financing from Reid Hoffman

Scientists Call for Tobacco-Free World By 2040

A good idea...

Leading public health researchers call for the sale of tobacco to be phased out by 2040, showing that with sufficient political support and stronger evidence-based action against the tobacco industry, a tobacco-free world — where less than 5% of adults use tobacco — could be possible in less than three decades, Science Daily reports.

Writing in a major new Series in The Lancet, an international group of health and policy experts, led by Professors Robert Beaglehole and Ruth Bonita from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, call on the United Nations (UN) to lead a “turbo-charged” effort against the sale and consumption of tobacco.

The Series will be launched in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at the 2015 World Conference on Tobacco or Health, the world’s largest gathering of tobacco control advocates, policy makers, researchers, public health and clinical experts.

One billion deaths from smoking and other forms of tobacco use are expected by the end of this century if efforts to tackle tobacco use are not accelerated. More than 80% of these deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries, whose populations will be most severely affected by the devastating economic and social burden of tobacco illness caused by tobacco in coming decades.

According to Professor Beaglehole, “The time has come for the world to acknowledge the unacceptability of the damage being done by the tobacco industry and work towards a world essentially free from the legal and illegal sale of tobacco products. A world where tobacco is out of sight, out of mind, and out of fashion — yet not prohibited — is achievable in less than three decades from now, but only with full commitment from governments, international agencies, such as UN and WHO, and civil society.”

A decade on from WHO’s landmark introduction of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), only 15% of the world’s population have adequate access to smoking cessation programmes. Moreover, less than one in ten people worldwide are covered by tobacco taxation at levels recommended by the FCTC, despite research showing that increasing the cost of tobacco to the consumer through taxation is one of the most effective ways to reduce consumption. In the same period, 50 million deaths have been caused by tobacco, indicating that the FCTC alone is insufficient to achieve substantive reductions in the use of tobacco.

In a new research Article, published in The Lancet to accompany the Series, Professor Kenji Shibuya from the University of Tokyo, Japan, and colleagues show that although overall rates of smoking are slowly declining, the prevalence of tobacco usage is actually expected to increase in some countries over the next decade, notably in Africa and the Middle East. And because the world’s population is rising, there will still be more than one billion smokers in 2025, unless global action against tobacco accelerates markedly.

Read more at: http://dailytimes.com.ng/scientists-advocate-tobacco-free-world-by-2040/

Obudu Cattle Ranch: A Complete Tourist Guide

I was at the ranch for the Obudu International Mountain Race in 2007 as an athlete and my friends at jovago.com have come up with this really cool guide. I hope you find it useful and hopefully you will visit one of the 'must see' places in Nigeria...

Obudu Mountain Resort formerly known as Obudu Cattle Ranch is a tourist attraction centre located in Obanliku Local Government Area of the Northern part of Cross River State, Nigeria – close to the Cameroon border. Formerly managed by Protea Hotels, it is now being managed by African Sun Limited which renamed the ranch from Obudu Cattle Ranch to Obudu Mountain Resort.

The Mountain was developed by Mr. McCaughley (a Scottish), Mr. Hugh Jones and Dr Crawfeild in 1951. Surrounded by seven villages: Kejukwu, Ukwamu, Okpayanga, Abayiule, Anape, Kigol and Keyi; the inhabitants of these seven villages have lived at the mountain for over 400 years.

Obudu Mountain Resort attracts lots of local and international visitors/tourists yearly, especially during the Christmas period or Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race known as "the world's richest mountain race”, an annual 11.25 km mountain running competition that takes place in late November.

There are various accolades visitors and tourists have given Obudu Cattle Ranch. Some regard it as “heaven on earth”, “the best place for your honeymoon” or “a place to experience nature at its best.”

Landscape, Landmarks and Scenery

The Obudu Mountain Resort is larger than the size of some communities we would find around today. Largely dense by trees and mountains, the roads are beautifully structured in snake line fashion to allow access to all parts of the Mountain.

Landmarks are strategically put in place to allow tourist identify their location and move more quickly around the mountain.

The Cow head at the entrance of the resort can be said to be a symbolical representation of what Obudu Cattle Ranch is well known for in its suburbs; organised cattle rearing due to its large coast.

Arrival at the Ranch                                                                        

The Obudu Mountain Resort is about 30 minutes’ drive from Obudu Town, and 332 Kilometres drive from Calabar. If you want to bypass the long road trip, a charter air service is available to the Bebi Airport which lies between Obudu and the Resort.

On your arrival to the ranch, you will be welcomed in the heavily decorated reception (with a massive Cow head hanging on the wall) where you can confirm your room and get other check in information you need.

Lodging/Accommodation

The resort offers over nine different types of lodges to choose from - African Hut, Standard Double Room, Superior Double Room, Club Chalet, Executive Suite, Royal Suite, Presidential Lodge, Governor’s Place, Presidential Villa among others; all ranging from a price between 28,500 to 75,000 naira.

Though bookings or reservations are accepted all year round, it is advisable to book a room months ahead of events and holidays (like Christmas).

Dining

The Resort has about four restaurants, one of which is the Terrace Restaurant and Bar that provides foods and beverages, ranging from national to international dishes. There is also a limited room service offering for guests.

Moving Around

You can go horse riding to cover distances or take a ride in the cable car that conveys passengers from the base to the top of the mountain, which gives you a scenic view while bypassing the extremely winding road to the top.

Recreational activities to engage in at the Ranch: 

Sight-seeing – if you love watching birds and nature, then a binocular will really help you enjoy your viewings.

Hiking – for mountain climbers, go with firm boots that are strong enough to pull through the journey, but light enough to aid your movement. 

Swimming – with two large river-sized looking pools, you can enjoy a bath and   afterwards lay in the outdoor pool bed to enjoy the ray of the sun.

Sports – a golf course is available for golf lovers.

Working out - the fitness Centre is equipped with modern facilities that help you stay in shape. Dumbbells, treadmills, seat up bench, among others are examples of facilities you will find in the ranch’s gym.

Other Information you should know before embarking on the journey:

-      Weather - due to the altitude, the resort is usually cold in the mornings. So don’t forget to pack clothes that will keep you warm.

-      Most recreational activities require an additional cost charged at per hour rate.

-      It may also interest you to know that the Resort has an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), so you don’t go stranded. 

Author’s Comment: “A trip to the Obudu Cattle Ranch is one you are bound to enjoy; either you are going there with family, friends, a loved one or for business. It is advisable not to go alone, the more the merrier!”

10 Tips to Keep Your Customers Happy

10 Crucial Tips You Need to Learn to Keep Your Customers Happy from Richard Kimber

See Super Leap and Catch from Tiger

Tigger would be proud, #LOL

Learn to Put Fear in Proper Perspective

Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Post Match Interview: "It felt like I had eleven babies around me"

Tell them Zlatan. Chelsea players were focused on all the wrong things ;ast night. Congratulations to PSG.

Learn Health Benefits of Almonds

We call it "fruit" here in Nigeria, don't ask me why? We just call almond fruits #Hehe. Away from this linguistic anomaly, according Nahed Omer, a self-acclaimed foodie: "almonds are already known to help with weight loss and satiety, help prevent diabetes, and potentially ameliorate arthritis, inhibit cancer-cell growth, and decrease Alzheimer's risk. A strong case could be made that almonds are, nutritionally, the best single food a person could eat."

So, you have an incentive to eat "fruit", sorry, I mean almonds.

An Excellent Reason to Drop Negativity and Embrace Positivity

Could this Be the First Item from the Missing Malaysian Airline Flight 370 to be Found?

An unwrapped moist towelette branded with the Malaysia Airlines logo has been found on a beach in West Australia -- and it's now being tested to see if it is the first confirmed piece of evidence from the airline's missing plane.

The package was found by a couple strolling the beach near the town of Cervantes, Nine News reports.

Kingsley and Vicki Miller found the package on July 2 of last year, nearly four months after the plane vanished, but news of the discovery was not publicly reported until today.

They reported the discovery to the local police who handed it over to the Joint Agency Coordination Center which is handling the investigation into the missing plane.

No photos of the actual packet the Millers discovered has been release,d but they showed an example of the type of moist towelette that they said matched their find.

A spokesman for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed their discovery to the Sydney Morning Herald, though urged caution.

"It is unlikely, however, that such a common item with no unique identifier could be conclusively linked with MH370," he said.

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 departed from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 8, 2014 and never made it to its intended destination of Beijing. No debris and no remains from the 239 people on board have ever been found.

The one year anniversary of the disappearance of the plane has renewed speculation about the aircraft's location and presumed crash site.

Read more by clicking here.

Twitter Buys Live Video Streaming App Periscope

I think this is pure genius considering the fact that Twitter is now the most powerful platform for breaking news to a wide audience with breathtaking speed. The only thing that can beat live tweeting is live streaming and an app that allows people use their smartphones stream events live is true to the platform's DNA...

Reports have emerged today that Periscope, an up-until-now fairly unfamiliar start-up, has been acquired by Twitter.

The app, still in closed beta, allows users to broadcast live video streams from their smartphones.

Twitter apparently paid somewhere between $50 and $100 million (£33 to £66 million) for the app. Even though it’s still an invite-only service, the social network has obviously seen enough to be convinced into purchasing.

Periscope is an app like Meerkat, a very popular iOS app, allowing live streaming of video content directly from a smartphone to the Twitter audience, turning anyone into a live broadcaster.

With this purchase, Twitter has once again shaken up the ever vigilant ghosts of content rights holders.

This app has huge potential. Streaming events such as protests, personal sports achievements (running a marathon, or climbing a mountain), or anything in between, could help Twitter increase value and grow its user base – something it’s been struggling with for quite some time now.


Read more: by clicking here .

7 Deadly Social Media Sins You Should Avoid

Snap: The seven deadly sins of social media marketing from Snap

10 Cool Tips for Your Blog and Branding

A Great Lesson for Parents on Child Security

Perfect Furniture for those Short of Space

Source: +Photospot 

An Excellent Reason Not to Be Hard on Yourself

Jimi Agbaje Wants Special Status for Lagos

The gubernatorial candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje wants a special status for Lagos, he stated this today on Inspiration fm's Talk Radio programme. He explained that: "Lagos is the 5th or 6th largest economy in Subsaharan Africa (depending on what you are looking at)". As a result Lagos is "sub-national almost a country and should have special status".

Agbaje rejected the notion that the PDP-controlled federal government had not done much for Lagos in the last 16 years listing on-going work on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, improved railway services and building of schools as some of the things it has done for the state. He explained that it was difficult for the federal government to do anything special in Lagos until the state receives special status recognition in the constitution but that all attempts to achieve this in the past had failed because Nigerians from other states had rejected the proposal because they think "you (Lagos) have so much money, so why should they give you more? "

On the Lekki/Epe Expressway, Agbaje promised to remove the toll on the road because there is no alternative route for people living in that area, he also questioned the propriety of the concessioning agreement through which the project is being financed.

See the Comparison of an Eagle's Foot to a Man's Hand

Eagles are huge!

The 3-Step Approach to Solving Problems

Pix: 'Dem fit Do Am'

I think this is the first advert in Pidgin English I am seeing for the presidential election. So, do you agree? 'Dem fit do am'?

Nigeria: The Land of a Thousand Rumours

A careful look at any country might show that the best time to understand the prevalent psyche and mentality of its people is when they want to decide on those that will lead them. This applies to all political ideologies and systems of government around the world.

Taking an objective look at Nigeria in 2015, the year of general elections, one is likely to come to one major conclusion- Nigerians love mischief and peddling of rumours. I make this claim because of the nature of political campaigns we are seeing in Nigeria from the political parties particularly the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Instead of discussing, analysing and explaining how they will tackle the major issues that affect the majority of Nigerians like insecurity, unemployment, lack of electricity to power small businesses as well as industries and decaying infrastructure. The parties, their top officials and candidates have resorted to personal attacks, innuendos and outright lies in a bid to confuse the electorate and prevent us from making objective decisions.

Headlines like: 'PDP Accuses APC of Sabotaging Power Sector', ' APC Warns Nigerians of Interim Government Agenda of PDP'' dominate our media.

While it is a fact that some of the rumours peddled in the past have proven to be true such as the suggestion that pressure was being mounted on INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega to postpone the presidential election from February 14, 2015 and the unconfirmed news (at the time) that broke that INEC had postponed the elections to March 28, I wonder how we became a people so prone to mischief; would it not have been better if the president had come out openly and made it clear that he wanted the elections postponed and gave reasons? Would it not put all speculations and rumours on the issue to an end if President Jonathan came out to tell Nigerians and the rest of the world that Professor Attahiru Jega would be allowed to conduct the elections before leaving INEC on June 30?

President Jonathan and his supporters have really poisoned the political climate in Nigeria by his failure to curb his supporters and their insistence on being crude and largely obscene in their approach to the election. The likes of Governor Ayo Fayose and Femi Fani-Kayode have reached new levels of notoriety hitherto unknown in Nigeria with their obscene attacks on the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. Even more shocking is the PDP chairman, Adamu Muazu's recent accusation that the APC is behind the on-going fuel scarcity which has led to the opposition making new claims of corruption in the petroleum sector.

There is no way you can absolve the president of responsibility for this negative state of affairs in the polity and he has a duty to lead the way in diffusing tension and ensuring that we are able to cast our votes and duly elect the candidate of our choice into office on March 28 in a peaceful and fair manner.

This is the minimum we expect of him as the incumbent and posterity would judge him harshly if he fails to deliver.

Free Internet Could Come to Nigeria in the Next 12 Months

Facebook and several partners founded Internet.org two years ago; it is already serving 7 million customers in Columbia, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, India and Zambia. Many of those who were originally connected for free are now paying some fee for more advanced data services.

Daniels, a vice president at Facebook in charge of Internet.org, said the conversion of free Internet users to paying customers is critical to the carriers who provide the Internet infrastructure that makes the service possible.

He sounded the same refrain that Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg offered on Monday in a keynote presentation at MWC with three onstage carriers, including Airtel Africa, which has offered Internet.org in Ghana, Kenya and Zambia. Millicom, another partner, saw a 30% increase in data users when free data data was launched in Paraguay.

While the goal of 100 countries in a year is ambitious, Daniels said it is achievable, partly because Internet.org has figured out how to work with carriers to offer online services for free that don't cannibalize the paid services that are the lifeblood of many carriers.

"It's ambitious to say 100 countries, but our focus is less on the number and to focus more on spreading Internet.org to added companies," he said. "We've had early partners and have brought more [users] online and more are paying for data and buying voice and SMS."

Some carriers have been skeptical; Jon Fredrik Baksaas, CEO of Telenor Group, said during the Zuckerberg appearance that initial successes need to be long-lasting to prompt widespread carrier adoption. Daniels said that Internet.org wants to operate in every country in the world, includings the U.S., where a digital divide affects many inner city and rural communities.

Read more from Computer World