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Saturday, September 29, 2012

Iwuanyanwu dismisses Igbo presidency in 2015


Peoples Democratic Party leader in the  South-East, Chief  Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu
A Peoples Democratic Party leader in the South-East, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, on Thursday dismissed the possibility of a president of Igbo extraction emerging in 2015, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The former presidential aspirant said this at a press conference in Owerri, Imo State, where he advocated the inclusion of zoning of political offices in the constitution.

He said the six zones should be given an equal opportunity to produce the president through a zoning arrangement.

Iwuanyanwu added that for any zoning policy to be effective and meaningful, it must be in the constitution.

According to him, there are qualified and experienced Igbo capable of leading the country.

The PDP chief identified internal politics and selfishness as some of the factors militating against the aspiration of such people.

He also advocated the autonomy of local councils, saying the constitution should be amended to allow the councils have total control of their funds.

He said state government’s control of the council funds was responsible for the failure of the local government system, saying the situation had made it impossible for council chairmen to embark on projects beneficial to their communities.

On security matters, Iwuanyanwu urged the Federal Government to address the fundamental causes of insecurity in the country for its fight against it to be effective.

According to him, high level of unemployment in the country is alarming and the government needs to address the issue if it hopes to win the war against insecurity.

I have not settled with Timaya – Empress

Against the backdrop of the rumour making the rounds that self-acclaimed Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa, Timaya and Empress Njamah have resolved their differences, three years after their bitter break-up, the latter has come out to debunk the story.

Reports had it that the ex-lovers were spotted together at 2Face Idibia’s 37th birthday bash which held last Tuesday, at Club Rumours, G.R.A, Ikeja, Lagos. But reacting to the story when contacted by WG, Empress said she has nothing in common with Timaya again.

“ I and Timaya are not dating again. He saw me at the party and came to exchange pleasantries with me. There is nothing wrong with that. If we are not dating again does not mean that we are worn enemies. “Empress said

According to the rumour mongers, the erstwhile lovers arrived the venue at different time.
Empress was said to have sat at the same table with some of her Nollywood colleagues when Timaya reportedly got closer to her and whispered something into her ear as they both laughed.

“He was just trying to be nice and Empress replied him, saying “That’s that.” a source disclosed.

Timaya and Empress Njamah began dating over four years back. But in August, 2009, at a church in Festac, Lagos, Timaya was reported to have been beaten by some naval men when he stormed the church with the aim to attack Empress.

He was said to have caused fracas in the church, shouting that Empress should return the key to the car he bought for her. The controversial singer also reportedly called Empress a thief, a situation that led to their permanent separation. Timaya has since moved on with his life. In May 2012, he welcomed his first child, a baby girl from his girlfriend.



Vanguard news

Mikel in, Osaze out of Liberia clash


Mikel
Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi, on Wednesday included Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi, in his provisional 38-man list for the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final qualifier against Liberia in Calabar on October 13.

The list comprised 23 home-based players and 15 foreign-based professionals.

However, Keshi once again left out West Brom forward, Osaze Odemwingie, from the team but handed Lazio young midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, a surprise first call-up to the senior national team.

Israel-based goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, while captain Joseph Yobo, Elderson Echiejile and new Celtic signing, Efe Ambrose, are the foreign-based defenders invited for the clash.

Inter Milan’s Joel Obi, who just recovered from an injury lay-off, also got a recall alongside Nosa Igiebor, and Obiora Nwankwo, who reportedly had a bad game in Monrovia in the first leg. They will battle Mikel and Onazi for midfield places.

Chelsea’s Victor Moses also got a call-up. Other foreign-based forwards also invited are CSKA Moscow’s speedster, Ahmed Musa, Ike Uche, Emmanuel Emenike and Brown Ideye.

The home-based players, who are expected in camp on Sunday in Abuja, are led by Warri Wolves keeper, Chigozie Agbim, his team mate Azubuike Egwueku, Godfrey Oboabona and Juwon Oshaniwa.

The foreign-based players will join the team on October 8 in Calabar.

“We hope to have at least five training sessions together and that should be enough for the team to do well against Liberia,” Keshi was quoted as saying by Eagles media officer, Ben Alaiya.



Punch news

Freedom House lists threats to internet freedom

Brutal attacks against bloggers, politically motivated surveillance, proactive manipulation of web content, and restrictive laws regulating speech online among others, according to new report by Freedom House released on Monday threaten internet freedom emerging over the past two years, according to a new study released yesterday by Freedom House.

Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights

Freedom on the Net 2012, which identifies key trends in internet freedom in 47 countries, evaluated each country based on barriers to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights.

Despite these threats, according to the report, Freedom on the Net 2012: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media found that increased pushback by civil society, technology companies, and independent courts resulted in several notable victories.

According to Sanja Kelly, project director for Freedom on the Net at Freedom House.“The findings clearly show that threats to internet freedom are becoming more diverse. As authoritarian rulers see that blocked websites and high-profile arrests draw local and international condemnation, they are turning to murkier but no less dangerous methods for controlling online conversations,”

The battle over internet freedom, the new report explained comes at a time when nearly one third of the world’s population has used the internet.

Governments, the report added were responding to the increased influence of the new medium by seeking to control online activity, restricting the free flow of information, and otherwise infringing on the rights of users.

“The methods of control are becoming more sophisticated, and tactics previously evident in only the most repressive environments such as governments instigating deliberate connection disruptions or hiring armies of paid commentators to manipulate online discussions—are appearing in a wider set of countries” the report said.

The study found that Estonia had the greatest degree of internet freedom among the countries examined, while the United States ranked second. Iran, Cuba, and China received the lowest scores in the analysis.

Eleven other countries received a ranking of Not Free, including Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Thailand.

A total of 20 of the 47 countries examined experienced a negative trajectory in internet freedom since January 2011, with Bahrain, Pakistan, and Ethiopia registering the greatest declines.

Several downgrades, particularly in the Middle East, the report said reflected intensified censorship, arrests, and violence against bloggers as the authorities sought to quell public calls for reform.

* Paid commentators, hijacking attacks are proliferating: The phenomenon of paid pro-government commentators has spread over the past two years from a small set of countries to 14 of the 47 countries examined. Meanwhile, government critics faced politically motivated cyberattacks in 19 of the countries covered.

* Surveillance is increasing, with few checks on abuse: In 12 of the 47 countries examined, a new law or directive disproportionately enhanced surveillance or restricted user anonymity. In authoritarian countries, surveillance often targets government critics, while in middle-performing countries, safeguards for user rights and oversight procedures are lagging far behind governments’ technical capacities and legal powers, leading to abuse.

* Citizen pushback is yielding results: A significant uptick in civic activism related to internet freedom, alongside important court decisions, has produced notable victories in a wide set of countries. Advocacy campaigns, mass demonstrations, website blackouts, and constitutional court decisions have resulted in censorship plans being shelved, harmful legislation being overturned, and jailed activists being released. In 23 of the 47 countries assessed, at least one such victory occurred.



Vanguard news

Nigerian invents power-generating machine, makes Africa’s first local car

Perhaps, Nigeria would have joined the likes of Germany, Japan, India and Malaysia as an automobile manufacturer as far back as 1997 when Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, an electrical/electronics engineer, a doctor of science and lecturer of communications and electronics engineering at the Federal Polytechnic, Owerri, made a prototype of his first ever all-African car which he named Z-600.

The car which BBC’s Hilary Andersson described as the all-African dream machine, was made for the family market with a top speed of 140km (86m) per hour.

Ninety per cent of its parts were sourced locally. For instance, the horn was a doorbell and it would have been the cheapest car on the planet as it would have cost just $2,000 to own one.

According to Izuogu who had demonstrated a great flair for inventive and creative knowledge from early childhood, he was working on adapting the engine to allow the Z-600 to double up as a lawnmower or an electricity generator.

With the usual Nigerian lackadaisical attitude when it comes to things that will help project the country’s image to the world positively, the authorities were not ready to invest money in the project and so in 2005, the South African Government invited him to build the car there. And since he who pays the piper dictates the tune, South Africa would have been the proud manufacturers of the Z-600 were it not for the incidence of March 11, 2006.
Made by Izuogo


Unfortunately, this dream was not to see the light of day. According to Dr. Izuogu, some armed men numbering about 12 broke into the Izuogu Motors factory on Saturday, March 11, between 1.00 and 2.00 a.m. and carted away various machines and tools including the design history notebook of Z-600, the design file Z-MASS, containing the design history for mass production of Z-600 car, and the moulds for various parts of the car.

Said Izuogu; “It seems that the target of this robbery is to stop the efforts we are making to mass-produce the first ever locally made car in Africa. Other items stolen included locally produced timing wheel, locally produced camshaft, locally produced crankshaft, locally produced engine tappets, all 20 pieces each.
Made by Izuogu


Also stolen were ten pieces of locally produced Z-600 engine blocks, ten pieces of locally produced pistons, four pieces of engine block mounds, four pieces of top engine block moulds, ten pieces of engine fly wheel and two pieces each of rear car and front mudguard moulds.”

The inventor regretted that not only did they lose over one N1 billion in monetary terms, but also time (about 10 years) and the energy it took to design and produce the moulds. “To worsen the matter, our design notebook was also stolen,” he stated.

He regarded the incident as a national economic disaster because the nation had lost a technological and intellectual property.

Izuogu machine:
Before the Z-600 car, Dr. Izuogu had been working on ways to provide the nation and the world with clean, cheap and environment-friendly energy source. So, after 33 years of intense research, he came up with a new branch of physics known as Emagnetodynamics, the branch of physics that studies the conversion of the energy of static magnetic fields into work. Before now, “the conventional electric motor was built on the principle/law of Michael Faraday which states that Force is exerted on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.”

The two laws of Emagnetodynamics state as follows: Force is exerted on a composite magnetic pole in the vicinity of an array of like poles; and this force is in the direction of the composite polarity similar to the array.

Based on these two laws, he invented the Izuogu machine, also called the self-sustaining Emagnetodynamics machine, a kind of electric motor that draws atomic energy from the nuclei of permanent magnets and therefore requires no input power to operate.
Dr. Izuogu


According to Izuogu, there are two versions of the Emagnetodynamics machine – the non-self-sustaining and the self-sustaining machine which can run for upwards of 30 to 40 years. He added that soft iron machine or the hard iron machine could be built from each of them.

He noted that the machines named M-1000 and M-6000, respectively, could drive 100 KVA and 5 Mega watt electric power generators with no noise, no pollution, and zero energy input.

“The M-60 prototype machine has been built and demonstrated, while the M-1000 and M-6000 have been designed waiting to be built,” he said.

Scientists have experimented with nuclear reactors in their bid to seek energy source that is clean, cheap and environment-friendly. However, this could not work as the dangers inherent in that are enormous.

For instance, reports say that more than 20,000 people developed thyroid cancer and had to have their thyroids removed as a result of April 26, 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Till date, there is about 1,660 square-mile Exclusion Zone around the site of the Chernobyl disaster, 26 years after the accident.

Unlike nuclear reactors, the Izuogu machine draws atomic energy without the dangers and complications of nuclear reactors. Izuogu said that besides generating electricity, the machine can also power big luxury buses and trams.




Vanguard news

NITDA gets powers to certify local PCs for govt

The federal government last week, armed the National Information Technology Agency of Nigeria ( NITDA) with more teeth to perform its functions as the Agency now has the sole authority to clear all locally made information systems before they are purchased by Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

This follows directives from the federal government, that all MDAs should henceforth patronise locally made PCs .

The directive was contained in a circular dated July 17, 2012, titled Guidelines for the purchase of locally assembled Computers and signed by Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim.

According to Anyim the objective of the circular was to give effect to the government policy on the procurement of Made-in-Nigeria Information Systems.

The circular further stated that a breach of the guidelines will be viewed as a breach of government’s policy.

The guidelines were said to have been approved at the Federal Executive Council meeting in April 2012. They are expected to assist all MDAs to know appropriate, minimum specifications and standards in procurement of locally assembled information systems.

The circular said that the Government was also aiming to achieve the development of an indigenous ICT industry, wealth and job creation, expansion of the domestic market for Nigeria information technology products and acceleration of IT penetration and adoption in Nigeria.

This is also as the federal government said it desires to use the policy to enhance Universal Access to IT in accordance with Section 6 of the IT Development Act of 2007.

According to the government circular, the product under the guidelines include all Made-in-Nigeria information System components which meet a specified minimum standards. The guidelines do not apply to high-end products such as server, routers, operating systems and data base software.

Under the guidelines, all MDAs are expected to obtain technical advice from NITDA on the configuration of the Information System suitable for the purpose intended 15 days to issuance of tenders by the MDAs.

They will also be expected to incorporate the specifications and configurations advised by NITDA in their bid and tender documents and without naming the brands of the products.
They shall also include in the invitation tender, such statements which indicate that the items for bidding shall be locally manufactured or assembled brands.

Agencies of government empowered to enforce the FG guidelines include, the organs and offices of government which exercise threshold responsibilities in public procurement process, the Bureau of Public Procurement, accounting officers of MDAs, ICT officers of MDAs and institutions legally mandated to undertake oversight functions in the development and deployment of ICT in the country.

The circular also empowered NITDA to monitor compliance.

It stated that all local Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs, shall be required to submit to periodic assessment and facility visits by NITDA to ensure that the products, processes and standards are maintained.

“Certification of all LOEMs products and processes shall be biennial with effect from 2012, while a consumer reporting interface and dedicated telephone lines already launched shall be maintained for the purpose of receiving report of breach of standard on the one hand and non-observance of the Local Content Policy on the other hand”, the circular stated.





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