Wednesday, 22 February 2017

Trump's promises hit Washington

Trump's promises hit Washington reality in first month

Trump's first month: Sucess or failure? 02:20

Story highlights

The most unorthodox President of modern times is facing the most familiar of constraints
Trump's first month is especially noteworthy since so much of his trouble stems from self-inflicted wounds

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump is facing a humbling prospect: The same Washington buzzsaw that frustrated his 44 predecessors can pose significant hurdles for him as well.

In his first month in office, Trump has found the vast government machine can't be reset at a president's whim with the same ease that an executive can manage a business. Rival power centers in the courts, the bureaucracy and Congress can emerge as a threat at any point.

Trump administration lags in filling key posts

In just the past week, political pressure forced Trump to fire his national security adviser and watch one of his Cabinet nominees withdraw from consideration. Meanwhile, Trump is facing persistent -- and growing -- questions about his campaign's ties to Russia as some fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill become more vocal about their concerns. And legislative victories are hard to come by as congressional Republicans struggle to unify behind policy measures and Democrats form a generally solid bloc of opposition.

Explore Trump's progress on key campaign promises

The transition from candidate to president is tough for virtually every young administration. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, for instance, had rocky opening weeks as their campaign idealism encountered Washington reality. But Trump's first month in office is especially noteworthy since so much of his trouble stems from self-inflicted wounds ranging from the rushed rollout of his travel ban to his frequent Twitter distractions.

Trump's Sweden comment raises questions

The sense of turmoil surrounding the new administration could undermine a central tenet of Trump's pitch to voters -- that he is a non-politician uniquely positioned to make a deal and get Washington working again.

"Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it," Trump said last summer when he accepted the GOP nomination in Cleveland. "I have seen firsthand how the system is rigged against our citizens."

Checks on presidential power

He started out in Washington by keeping faith with those beliefs, unleashing a dizzying sequence of executive orders that revealed a determination to wield firm executive power. But the backlash was swift as the checks on presidential power soon activated.

Trump quickly came up against the judiciary when a federal court halted his controversial executive order banning immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries. Despite GOP majorities in Congress, Trump isn't making much progress on his legislative agenda. Opposition is growing in the Senate to paying for his border wall now that Mexico has refused to fund it, CNN's Manu Raju has reported. Democrats infuriated the President by clogging up confirmation of Cabinet nominees.

Trump finds the limits of executive power

"That's all they're doing is delaying. And you look at (Senate Democratic leader) Chuck Schumer and the mess that he's got over there, and they have nothing going. The only thing they can do is delay," Trump said during an extraordinary White House press conference last week.

Congress is not alone in provoking Trump's ire.

A leaky federal government and intelligence community with which he is locked in a perpetual state of war are also resisting Trump's attempts to exert control over his administration. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus denied Sunday there was dysfunction in the President's inner circle.

"The truth is that we don't have problems in the West Wing," Priebus said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "The amount of drama and spin that you read about mostly in the Washington daily gossip rags is unbelievable stuff. And it just isn't true."

Getting out of Washington

Amid the negative headlines, Trump is getting out of Washington and aiming to speak directly to the American people. He delivered a speech Friday touting his jobs agenda at a Boeing factory in South Carolina and a campaign-style rally over the weekend in Florida. He's slated to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress later this month that will give him one of the strongest venues available to project presidential strength.

But Trump's early stumbles have overshadowed some of areas where he could otherwise claim success. Well-choreographed visits from the leaders of Britain, Israel, Canada and Japan followed a host of executive orders that began to dismantle Obamacare and federal regulations and open the way for cross-continental pipelines, as well as Trump's withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal. His unveiling of Neil Gorsuch as his nominee for the open Supreme Court seat was one of the most flawless moments of his presidency.

Trump gets what he wants in Florida: Campaign-level adulation

Still, controversy can develop in unexpected directions in Washington and exhaust a White House staff in a way that can be detrimental to a presidency. Trump is not the first President to come into power with a team that doesn't seem to quite measure up to Washington's demands.

"I think every administration goes through that," Trent Lott, a former Republican Senate Majority leader, said in an interview. "I was here through Carter, when a bunch of Georgians who thought they were the smartest guys in town arrived and they were going to fix everything."

"When (Ronald) Reagan came to town, he brought a bunch of Californians, idealistic ideologues who found out pretty quick that they needed help from Jim Baker," Lott said.

Through trial and error, Clinton and Reagan learned to work the inside game in Washington to advance what were sometimes seen as outsider political aims. But Trump's attempts to fight back against the restrictions all presidents face could be complicated by another factor -- his idiosyncratic character and political style -- which were an undoubted asset when he reinvented the rules of the presidential campaign but have not yet proven effective in governing.

White House confirms adviser reassigned after disagreeing with Trump

His constant feuds with enemies, sometimes on Twitter, cast doubt on his temperament, as do his unpredictable eruptions and struggles to stop gloating about his election win. His press conference and weekend rallies helped keep his loyal supporters happy and boosted his own morale. But it seems unlikely that he meaningfully advanced his political agenda.

GOP majorities on Capitol Hill should ensure that big ticket issues like tax cuts and Wall Street reform get done and that Trump can bill them as the kind of "wins" he promised would dazzle Washington. And if any politician can get away with such polarizing tactics, it's Trump.

"The President's campaign essentially changed the laws of physics last year," said Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas.

"All the so-called experts have been wrong consistently," Lacy said, adding that Trump had changed the way presidents are viewed along with the usual codes of behavior in the White House and Washington. "Traditionally, a President couldn't do that and get away with it. With this president, that remains to be seen."

Buhari is in good spirit

Buhari is in good spirit and will return soon – Saraki

Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki has assured members of the Senate that President Muhammadu Buhari is hale and hearty and will back in the country very soon, Leadership reports.

Saraki made the disclosure on Tuesday, February 21, while briefing the Senate on the outcome of a recent visit by the leadership of the National Assembly to President Buhari.

Saraki says Buhari is in good spirit and will return soon

Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet

After reading pending letters to the Senate from Buhari on the extension of his vacation in London, acting President Yemi Osinbajo requesting the confirmation of Justice Walter Onnoghen as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and the nomination of an additional ambassadorial nominee, Saraki said President Buhari is in good spirit.

He said: “Further to the correspondence from Mr. President, let me also use this opportunity to brief my colleagues on the visit I led a delegation of myself, the Honourable Speaker and the Majority Leader to visit Mr President Buhari on Wednesday 15th of February to convey the greetings and best wishes of the National Assembly and I am happy to report that we met the President in good spirit, in good health, chatty as usual and convey his best wishes and hopes to be back very soon.”

President Buhari left Nigeria for London on annual vacation January 19, with a promise to return on February 6. He also noted that he would see his doctors while there and handed over power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

But on February 5, a day before he was due to return, the president sent another letter to the National Assembly, informing lawmakers of his intention to extend the trip until his doctors complete ‘a cycle’ of medical examination on him.

The prolonged absence got many Nigerians worried and triggered speculation that the president is bedridden.

But photos of the president with a former Interim National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande and the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in London on Thursday, February 9, silenced speculators.

Monday, 20 February 2017

How Google Glass Works

According to string-theory advocates, our universe has at least 10 dimensions. But we humans can only directly perceive three spatial dimensions. We also experience the passage of time, a fourth dimension. Beyond that, we only know other dimensions are even possible through theoretical mathematics. Our universe may hold secrets that we will never be able to observe directly.

Even if you discount string theory and the idea of dimensions beyond our perception, our world contains a wealth of information that most of us aren't aware of in our daily lives. When visiting a city for the first time, for example, we may only have our senses to rely on when gathering information. A smartphone or computer can help out, pulling in more data about the city's geography, history, economics, cuisine and other cultural features.

Augmented-reality applications overlay a level of digital information on top of the physical world around us. With an one of these apps on your smartphone, you might be able to hold your phone's camera up to capture the image of a city street and then receive on-screen information about your surroundings.

While these augmented reality apps can be informative and entertaining, the form factor is still a little clunky. We have to hold up the smartphone and look at the screen -- it's like you're on a "Star Trek" away team, and you're the one with your eyes glued to a tricorder instead of drinking in the sights.

Google is one of several companies creating a solution to the problem comes in the form of a wearable device. It looks like a pair of glasses with one side of the frames thicker than the other. It's called Google Glass, and it might open your eyes to a new digital world -- or make you look like the nerdy Terminator who's always picked last for robo-dodgeball.

ow does it work, Googles new Glass? Why can you see with it a sharp image-layer? How does the image overlay the image of reality? The following infographic illustrates the optical principle - very simple and easy to understand.

Google Glass Infographic

Hints ...

Google Glass is a technical masterpiece. It combines numerous functions and features in a very small unit. In addition to phone and camera (photo, video), it offers Internet connection, including GPS.

The core feature of Google Glass is a visual layer that is placed over the reality ("augmented reality"). This layer opens a door to amazing new possibilities. But how does it work? In the Google Glass contains a mini-projector, which projected the layer via a clever, semi-transparent prism directly on the retina in the eye. Because of this the image, even though it is so close to the eye, is sharp and clear. You can move the front part of the Google Glass easily to optimize the focus.

Depending on how you wear the Google Glass, the layer appears in the upper right corner or in the middle of the visual field. When the Google Glass is high on the nose, so that you can practically see through underneath, you must turn the eye up to view the image sharp. Because the prism is semi-transparent you can also place it directly in front of the pupil. In that case, you have the sharp layer directly in front of the eyes.

The biggest challenge for Google will now be to make the Google Glass also usable for people with normal glasses (to compensate for a low vision). In this case the Google Glass has to be placed ahead of normal glasses - which doesn't look and feel well or like a glass. Or Google has to manufactor individual customized prisms, but this would be considerably more expensive than the standard production.

This infographic in german.

Sources

Patent for Google Glass (No. 212686, Aug. 2011)
Google Glass (Official Homepage)
Google Glass Project on Google+

Update: Google Glass ceased production in 2015, but the novel head-worn computer experiment may live on in a foldable Enterprise Edition one day. The Snapchat Spectacles may give consumers many of the camera-based features going forward. Here's our original Google Glass review.

Google Glass is the controversial wearable that had its sci-looking beta testers turning heads and being peppered with questions. How does it work? What does it feel like? And, of course the inevitable, well, can I try it?

The increasing number of Google Glass invites has led to Project Glass being open to everyone in the US and now the UK, so curious, tech-savvy early adopters can answer most of these questions on their own.

It's a little easier for them to say "yes" to Glass now that it's been upgraded with more memory and new apps. There's a speedier 2GB of RAM on board instead of 1GB and 12 new apps including Shazam and Live Stream. The Google Glass app list is officially over the 50 apps threshold and the most recent update puts all Android notifications in the top right corner of your eye.

But there's one query all prospective Glass owners all struggling with right now at checkout, and it's a question I get all of the time: is Google Glass worth it?

To answer that burning question, I turned a critical eye to Google's wearable computer and tested its Explorer Edition of Google Glass for eleven months. I also upgraded to the brand new 2GB model.

With the sound of my voice, I took hands-free photos by saying "Okay Glass, take a picture." I instructed it to upload the resulting point-of-view image to Twitter and Facebook and attached a caption, all with voice commands.

I saw flight information automatically beam to my eye with a gentle Google Now reminder the day before traveling. The weather for both my departure and destination cities, and directions to the airport were already being provided by this instinctual software. All of this data appeared in the top right corner of my vision, all without the need to take out my smartphone.

It's a surreal experience at first

Google has continued to make the complicated ownership decision easier by adding more to its Explorer Edition heads-up display. In addition to the new 2GB version, an update late last year saw a tweaked form factor that made prescription glasses compatible with attachable frames.

Google has even been throwing in a free pair of frames or premium shades with all new orders since mid-April. Moreover, new apps and updates to the linear operating system that weren't available at launch make the current Google Glass Explorer Edition a tempting buy.

Still, this new Project Glass model is better at addition than subtraction. While features have been added, the price hasn't dropped. At $1,500 (£1,000, about AU$1,589), Google's experimental wearable is exorbitantly priced for the average person. It's also best if you're an Android, not an Apple person.

This is what users see when wearing Google Glass

Compatibility with the iPhone has improved thanks to the launch of an iOS MyGlass app and the ability to read text messages, but it stops short of tapping into Glass' hands-free SMS response capabilities. Maps navigation also requires MyGlass to be open on the iPhone, not in the background. All of these features are missing for Windows Phone 8 users entirely, though technically any Bluetooth phone can offer Glass tethered data with a personal hotspot enabled.

Google Glass is very much a prototype, even after more than 20 months of being in the hands and on the faces of tens of thousands of beta testers.

But that's partly why this out-of-reach, futuristic-looking curiosity is so fascinating, despite, or possibly because of the massive cost to your Google Wallet (that's actually how you have to pay for Google Glass). Peoples' mind=blown reaction, more so than snapping photos hands-free and getting directions that turn with your head, makes whomever is donning Google Glass a walking wonder.

It became an attraction of its own at Disneyland

How to get Google Glass

Google undoubtedly wanted Glass in the hands of developers who will make the experience better, more so than curious individuals who want it for personal use. Therefore, developers were the first to qualify for Google Glass invites.

Now it's for sale to anyone living in the US and UK. Google threw Project Glass into open enrollment for 24 hours on April 15 and then permanently made it available a month later. Good things come to those who wait, too. All new Google Glass models come with free frames for prescription glasses or a free sunglasses shade attachment that typically costs $225 (£175, about AU$239).

Signing up for the normal Google Glass waitlist in June of 2013 after Google IO gave me access to an Explorer Edition beta code in November, while my friend who registered in December received an invite less than three weeks later. That alone shows how much easier it became to receive an invitation.

Strict rules still limit who can ultimately take advantage of the invite code and purchase a prototype. For example, you must be 18 years old and a US or UK resident, so adults living in the other parts of Europe or Australia aren't eligible. These age and country-specific rules are still in place.

The unboxing at my fitting appointment

The fit

Google Glass now ships to US and UK addresses, though the company still encourages beta testers to pick it up in person at its New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles offices. In the UK, "base camp" is in King's Cross, London. But across the pond in LA, specifically Venice Beach, is where I went for my "fitting experience" with a friendly Glass guide named Frank.

The Google employee helped with my Google Glass unboxing, adjusted the nose pads, tweaked the delicate nose stems and shaped the malleable titanium head band until it didn't sit so crooked on my face.

Within ten minutes it looked perfect, or at least as perfect as one can appear with a wearable computer sitting on their face.

Google makes sure Glass fits you just right

The look

Though pliable, the titanium head band remains durable as it stretches from ear to ear. It runs alongside a plastic casing that hides Glass' key components and gives it an overall clean look. This subtle style makes the exposed parts like the camera lens in the front stand out even more - for better or worse.

Everyone's attention is also immediately drawn to the adjacent cube-shaped glass prism that sits above the right eye. It has an acceptable 640 x 360 resolution and hangs just out of the way of the wearer's line of sight. For the wearer, this personalized display acts as a much bigger screen, one that's equivalent to a 25-inch HDTV sitting eight feet away.

Too big to carry in a pocket

The Google Glass dimensions are 5.25-inches at its widest point and 8-inches at its longest point. It's too long and wide to fit into my pocket, even though I've been able to carry a Nexus 7 tablet in my jeans' back pocket with a little squeeze.

Society has banned fanny packs and the titanium head band doesn't collapse, so storage options are limited. When out and about it's either on my face or in the complementary case, which I stow in a backpack. There's no in-between.

Google Glass comes in five colors

The new Google Glass is almost indistinguishable from its predecessor, and the fact that it comes in the same colors doesn't help you tell them apart. The options are black, orange, gray, white and blue. Or, as the Glass guides insisted: charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton and sky.

Charcoal and cotton, the two non-color colors, appear to be the most popular, as they were initially sold out when I first entered my invite code to buy Google Glass. Luckily, before my seven-day invite expired, both options became available and I chose white. The choice made online actually didn't matter until I got to the on-site appointment. I was given one last chance to switch colors during the moment of truth.

The battery bulges behind the ear

The glaring exception to Glass' svelte design is the battery that rests behind the right ear and juts out rather noticeably. It's too big, yet it's not big enough for a full day's charge. Battery performance did improve with the Android KitKat update in April, but more power from this energy-eating wearable is still a priority of Explorers.

Also prevalent among beta testers that I've talked to was Google Glass succumbing to summer heat. I experienced this problem first-hand on a hot, but not-too-hot day of horseback riding. Air bubbles began to distort the reflective mirror that caps the Glass prism.

Google was quick to replace this common defect. Stellar customer service

The good news is that Google was quick to the rescue, speedily shipping me a a new Google Glass unit and asking me to mail back the broken version. For a brief moment, I had $3,000 (£2,000) in my hands and awkwardly on my head. I didn't pass up the chance to foolishly wear both at once.

One of the best uses of Glass. I was the only one who got on-horse photos

The funny this is that horseback riding, with two hands occupied, was one of the most useful moment I've had as an Explorer. I was able to issue photo and video voice commands while properly holding onto the reigns and saddle. But my experience, and that of almost every other Explorer I've talked to recently, proves that Google Glass is still very much a gadget in beta.

The feel

Even with the bulkiness of the battery and durable frame, Google Glass is extremely lightweight and comfortable resting on my face. It weights just 42 grams (1.48 oz) and because everything, including the screen, is just out of my line of sight I often forget I'm wearing it.

Google Glass is surprisingly light

At first, Google Glass did give me slight headaches as I strained my right eye to focus on the tiny prism in the top right corner of my vision. The team at the Venice headquarters did forewarn me about temporary Google Glass headaches, instructing me not to use Glass for more than a few hours the first couple of days. It's incredibly unnatural to have just one eye focus on a screen while the other goes without use, but my eyes and brain adjusted to the phenomenon in a few days to the point where it's now intuitive.

Like a modern smartphone, there are few physical buttons and ports on Google Glass. That's because most of the interaction is done via a long 3.25-inch touchpad on the right side. Underneath the touchpad is a micro USB port for charging the device and on the top is a camera button that's great for quick snaps in noisy environments.

The power-on button is hidden near your temple

The most discreet button is tucked away on the inside on the touchpad and near the temple. Giving it a light press turns Google Glass on and powers up the all-important apps.

JAMB Announces Date For The Conduct Of 2017 UTME

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has given a hint as to when the 2017 UTME will be conducted.

According to the information on the Board's official twitter handle, the 2017 UTME will hold by May, 2017.

However, the actual date the examination is to commence was not specified but the information says it will be disclosed soon.

The board equally warned candidates against falling victims to fraudsters and advised them to only rely on the official information from the board.

Despite the fact that the Board is yet to announce the date for the commencement of 2017 UTME registration, I think With this, candidates can now be rest assured that the 2017 UTME will still hold and be able to prepare adequately.

So if you are among those already saying that there will be no UTME this year, better go and start reading to avoid stories that touch.

Now, WAEC 2017 May/June SSCE Time-table is out!

You may also read 5 Things You Must Know Before You Register For 2017 JAMB

APC asks South-east governors

APC asks South-east governors to defect now or forget it

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-east have sent a notice to the region’s governors

The APC leaders yesterday, February 17 ordered to governors to join the ruling party now or forget it

The party leaders say they would no longer tolerate continued prevarication by some of the governors

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-east have sent a notice to the region’s governors to join the ruling party now or forget it.

APC asks South-east governors to defect now or forget it

APC South-east leaders

According to The Sun, the party leaders made the declaration on Friday, February 17 during a meeting in Enugu state.

The governor stated that the South-east must join in the singing of the new song of change like its counterparts in the South-west and the North who are now reaping the benefits of their support to the party.

He said the Igbo got only the labour and science and technology ministries because the South-east‎ did not do what they were supposed to do.

“We had nobody with us, we were rejected by all and called Boko Haram, but we were determined to get what is due to our people,” he said.

On his part, the APC national vice chairman, South-east, Hon Emma Eneukwu said the party would use the forthcoming Anambra governorship election as a litmus test of their strength in the region.

“Our journey of taking over the South-east government houses must start from Anambra state,” Eneukwu said.

Eneukwu noted that the Enugu meeting afforded both the new and old members of the party the opportunity of sitting together for the first time to discuss party matters of mutual interest in the zone.

“It affords us the opportunity of collectively saying welcome on board to the ruling party to our distinguished political heavyweights who have now joined forces with us to enthrone government of change in the South-east,” he added.

Some of the party leaders from the zone who attended the meeting are former governor of old Anambra state, Chief Jim Nwobodo; former Senate president, Chief Ken Nnamani‎; science and technology minister, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; labour minister, Dr Chris Ngige; Imo deputy governor, Chief Eze Madumere; Senators Ifeanyi Ararume, Osita Izunazo, Uche Ekwunuife, Nkechi Nwaogu, Emma Anosike; and Chief George Moghalu.

Meanwhile, the Ohaneze Ndigbo has warned that most Igbos may soon join Biafra agitation, if the region continues to be marginalised and treated unfairly.

My next line of action as national chairman of PDP

My next line of action as national chairman of PDP - Modu Sheriff

A detachment of policemen this afternoon barricaded the entrance to the international conference centre, venue of the meeting scheduled by the Ahmed Makarfi led National Caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party for an enlarged meeting of it’s members to deliberate on the outcome of the Portharcourt Appeal court which upheld the leadership of Ali Modu Sheriff as the chairman of the party. Police hilux vehicles barricaded the main entrance tp prevent access by the Mekarfi Faction of the Peoples Democratic Party into the premises of the International Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida 20/02/2017 Though the meeting was supposed to hold at 2pm today, a detachment of police men in about four patrol vans stormed the venue and barricaded the venue as early as 11am with two patrol vans.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/breaking-police-stops-makarfis-pdp-faction-meeting/

Ali Modu Sheriff says if he is a mole as claimed by Governor Nyesom Wike, then the latter should be held responsible for allowing him run the party affairs

- The former governor of Borno state says he is no longer interested in being the chairman of the PDP, but that he wants to put the right things in place before leaving

- He also speaks on Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state and responds to calls that he should leave the seat of the chairman of the party

Ali Modu Sheriff, who was recently affirmed as the authentic national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by an appeal court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, was at the Channels Television on Sunday, February 19, where he spoke on various issues concerning the leadership crisis in the party as well as allegation of being a mole of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Eromosele Ebhomele monitored the interview and produces excerpts:

My next line of action as national chairman of PDP - Modu Sheriff

Modu Sheriff says he was practically begged to take over the chairmanship of the PDP

There is something called legitimacy. If the governors and former ministers say they do not want you, don't you think it would just be nice to take a bow and leave?

If you understand the organs of the party, there is nothing like the Former Ministers Forum. It is not the Forum that brought me to the level of becoming a national chairman. I became the national chairman through a due process, where the NEC of the party met. There are four other people who wanted to be the chairman at that time. It was put to vote and I got about 69 votes. The next person to me got only nine. I would have wished the Former Ministers Forum would make a statement and let all the ministers in Nigeria sit together and decide.

Or like the case of Governor Ayo Fayose who said he is speaking on behalf of the (PDP) Governors' Forum; for sure, I have spoken to a lot of governors in the party and all of them are thinking of how we can build the party and have a credible convention. So I don't want to join issues with Fayose and his statements, but what I want to assure Nigerians is that this party will come back. This party will be in the position of 1999 and we are making consultations all over Nigeria putting everybody together so that we can do a convention and elect leaders who can run the party.

The Ahmed Makarfi faction is believed to be planning an injunction to stop you from parading yourself as the chairman of the party. Are you also aware of the meeting of the NEC and other stakeholders scheduled for Monday, February 20?

I have not, as the national chairman, called for any meeting. Also, I am making consultations. A group of people have right to meet, but as PDP, we have not called for meeting. The thing is we will call for meeting after we finish with the consultation we are making. I have said there is no sacrifice too much to make for the PDP. And this PDP is the party for all Nigerians. It does not belong to Ali Sheriff or any governor. Neither does it belong to any minister. Therefore, it is wrong for me or anybody to sit down and assume the authority of having the party for himself.

I want to believe that at my level, I don't think it will be right for me to make statements that cannot be justified in anyway because parties have constitutions; they run with rules and laws. All along that we were in court, if you watch carefully, I always acted within the rule of law. Therefore, if Makarfi wanted to take the laws into his hands, I will not be part of those that will do it. And I don't intend to join issues with him ever.

You have talked about consultations and that some heavyweights have been writing to you. Who are those with you? Are there any governors or members of the BoT with you?

Let me tell you clearly that as of today, since the announcement of this court judgement, I have spoken to more than seven governors, I have spoken to a lot of the BoT members, I have spoken to a lot of former governors. Their views and mine are all the same. I have told everybody that all I am interested in is to do a convention. When we agree on a time frame, I will consult the National Assembly and others and we will do the convention.

I don't want us to start destroying our party on the pages of newspapers or the media. When they invited me to come and lead the party, I took it with all good intentions. Therefore, if along the line there are misunderstanding here and there, the best way is to resolve the issues amicably; it is not on the television we would come and exchange words.

Modu Sheriff confirmed that he met with Ibrahim Babangida on Sunday, February 19

You said you're willing to make sacrifices, but how much sacrifice are you willing to make? Can you step down for peace?

In party leaderships, you have to conduct a congress. When I say I am ready to make sacrifices, I don't intend to run the tenure that was prescribed for me at all. Since there are arguments, the best way is to resolve them amicably. I heard when you asked Wike a question relating to a statement attributed to me. I have not made any statement except one. I have no issue to join with Wike or Fayose and have never said I will deal with them. I was a governor; both of them are governors of their states. I know the writers (of that statement) and they are the same people who are causing this trouble but I don't want to join issues with them. I did not make the statement.

One of the allegations from Wike is that you are a mole in the PDP and you don't have the interest of the party at heart. It is believed you are being used by the APC to destabilise the PDP. One will wonder, why are you doing that?

You should have asked him if it was the PDP that sent him to come and ask me to lead the party. He was among the people who invited me. So if I am a mole, he was the one that made the provision for me to be a mole in the PDP, because I remember very well that Wike was on the front-burner for me to be the chairman of the PDP. So where does the issue of mole come since I didn't bring myself?

Wike says one of the biggest political mistakes he has ever made is approaching you...

If he said that, it means he knows I am not a mole. Probably, he invited me thinking I will take instructions from him to run the party. At my level, I have my mind. I looked at the Nigerian people and the party and accepted to lead the party. I want to tell you clearly that I have nothing to do with the APC because it was not the APC that came to beg me, it was him and some of his colleagues that came to beg me to lead the PDP.

I was really taken aback by some of the statements I heard from Wike.

Now that the appeal court has affirmed you as the chairman, what is your immediate next step?

The next step for me is to move to the party office. The second is to make zonal consultations and try to make sure we agree on a timetable for a quick convention that will produce leaders of the party acceptable to everybody. I am not interested in leading the party any longer, but since the responsibility was put on me to lead the party, I must make sure it goes through a convention and ensure the right things are done. I don't have any other agenda rather than to make sure I conduct a convention.

Should you lose at the Supreme Court right now, what would you do?

Even this judgement that has come from the Court of Appeal, I actually left the justices of the court to decide who is right and who is wrong. I have never said to anybody that I have an iota of information of what would happen tomorrow. It is not like when Wike said he was going to win at the Supreme Court when the tribunal and the Court of Appeal nullified his election. He is telling Nigerians that he has the control of the Supreme Court, but I don't believe so. The Supreme Court is the highest court of the land and will make pronouncements based on the facts before it. And I believe that the Supreme Court will make pronouncements based on what they have seen from the Court of Appeal being the second highest court in the land.

I want to tell you that I am law-abiding citizen.

Have you spoken with former President Goodluck Jonathan since the judgement? What is your relationship with the Prof Jerry Gaba committee?

I want to tell you I have not spoken to President Jonathan yet. When this judgement was passed, I was not even around. I plan to speak with President Jonathan probably tomorrow (today, Monday 20), but the vice president, Namadi Sambo, has called me to speak with me. I have met with General Babangida. I have spoken to a lot of leaders with the view to finding a lasting solution to our party's problem.

I am not afraid of any litigation. The justices of the appeal court have made pronouncements and by the grace of God, other justices would also look at the merit of the case and make judgement.

Saturday, 18 February 2017

World's richest person by the country

Slide 1 of 51: A look at the richest billionaires in every country of the world, along with their net worth for the year 2014.

China closes live poultry markets amid deadly flu outbreak

© AP Photo In this Oct. 9, 2016 photo, a butcher carries slaughtered chickens in a poultry market in Fuyang in central China's Anhui province. Chinese state media reported Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 that the National Health and Family Planning Commission…

BEIJING (AP) — China is ordering the closure of live poultry markets in its south-central regions as it grapples with the worst outbreak of bird flu in years that has killed at least 87 people.
State media reported Friday that the National Health and Family Planning Commission ordered closures anywhere with cases of the H7N9 strain.
Most reported cases have been found in the densely populated Yangtze and Pearl river deltas from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Those areas generally experience mild, wet winters that are ideal for the virus transmission. In all, more than 250 cases have been reported from 16 provinces and regions, including as far away as the southwestern province of Yunnan.
The death toll since the start of the year has been unmatched since at least 2013.
In addition to the market closures, the commission is training health workers in the screening, early diagnosis and treatment of the disease, while urging people to avoid contact with live birds.
H7N9 is considered to be less virulent than the H5N1 strain that the World Health Organization has linked to hundreds of deaths worldwide over the last decade. H7N9 is not believed to be transmitted between humans, but rather by infected poultry.
China has gained extensive experience in dealing with such crises since being hit by the 2003 SARS outbreak that was believed to have originated among animals in southern China. A preference among Chinese for live-bought, freshly-slaughtered poultry complicates the government's efforts to eradicate such diseases.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the market closures this time have "greatly reduced the number of new infections in many regions," citing Ni Daxin, deputy director of the emergency response center at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
___
This story corrects virus strain.

sources:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-closes-live-poultry-markets-amid-deadly-flu-outbreak/ar-AAn2he1?li=AA4Zpp&ocid=spartanntp

Snapchat is about to make a 26-year-old one of the richest people on Earth

Here’s how much money CEO Evan Spiegel will make when Snap goes public.

Next month, Snapchat parent company Snap will begin selling shares on the public market in one of the most highly anticipated I.P.O.s for a tech company since Twitter went public in 2013. With Uber and Airbnb still raising funds and bolstering their bottom lines as they mull public offerings of their own, Snap is expected to serve as a bellwether for the otherwise slow-moving tech-IPO pipeline and a critical test of the public appetite for other unprofitable Silicon Valley unicorns.
When Snap does go public, the company said in documents filed with the SEC on Thursday, it will price its I.P.O. at $14 to $16 per share, with a total of 200 million Class A shares. At that price, the offering could value Snap at $22 billion—an eye-popping valuation given its recent losses, but still on the low end of its private-market valuation.
CEO Evan Spiegel, 26, and co-founder Bobby Murphy, 28, stand to make about $5 billion off of their shares in the company when it does finally go public, beginning with the $256 million in stock that they each plan to sell when Snap debuts, according to the documents. Both Murphy and Spiegel are the biggest shareholders in the company, and together they will control about 89 percent of voting rights in Snap once it’s a public entity. (Their third co-founder, Reggie Brown, was paid $157.5 million in a settlement with his estranged co-founders after he filed a 2013 lawsuit over being forced out of the company.)
For Snap’s I.P.O., Spiegel took a page out of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s playbook, consolidating the executive power at the helm of his company ahead of its offering, and offering shares without any voting power, allowing Spiegel and Murphy to retain control even after selling huge amounts of stock. The two co-founders currently plan to sell 16 million Class A shares—which don’t have voting rights—when the company goes public, with the expectation that will sell more over time.
Snap’s co-founders aren’t the only ones who will make money by shedding some of their shares during Snap’s public offering. Shareholders like Snap chairman Michael Lynton, formerly of Sony, will sell up to 54,907 Class A shares, and make as much as $878,512 during Snap’s IPO Benchmark partner Mitch Lasky will make up to $171 million. Snap’s earliest investor, Lightspeed Venture Partners, could make as much as $74 million. Once Snap goes public, Spiegel will also receive 3 percent of its stock as an award.
It remains to be seen how the public market will react to Snap, and whether it will emerge as a highly valuable, diversified social-media company like Facebook, or one that does well on I.P.O. day but flops afterward. Some potential investors have already “reacted with fury” over Snap’s decision to sell shares with no voting power.

© By J. Emilio Flores/Corbis/Getty Images.

sources:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/snapchat-is-about-to-make-a-26-year-old-one-of-the-richest-people-on-earth/ar-AAn3ueg?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

jworld

NNU

Wednesday, 22 February 2017