The election process has officially begun in Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State.

Voting is proceeding smoothly at Ward 6, Unit 10 in Egwi-Etche, despite earlier concerns about potential disruptions.

While there were apprehensions about security, a limited presence of personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, was observed at the polling unit.

Voters have, however, been casting their ballots peacefully.

[DailyPost]

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has denied claims that he asked Christians to stop paying tithes.

The cleric on Thursday apologised for saying in one of his messages that anybody who does not pay tithe will not make heaven.

However, he said his apology message was misinterpreted stating how surprised he was by how quickly false reports spread online, claiming he had discouraged tithe payment.

Making clarifications during the church’s October Holy Ghost Service on Saturday at the Redemption City on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Adeboye addressed the misrepresentations that has now stirred controversy among social media users.

Adeboye acknowledged that he apologised for any previous statements on tithing that may have been misunderstood. 

He said: “The issue of tithing became contentious, and I decided to apologise for anything I might have said wrong. 

“Yet, within an hour, it was being circulated online that I said Christians should stop paying tithes “

He further explained he encouraged believers to give more than the traditional 10 percent, referencing an encounter at Kenneth Hagin’s church where a man shared how his financial situation improved after committing to tithe 90% of his income.

He said: “Today, I’m close to giving 90 percent but I am far from 10 percent. So, I said it is wrong to limit yourself to 10 percent when God can take you to a higher percentage.

“As you grow in the Lord, you should grow in praising Him, winning souls, and in giving. 

“I said that for beginners, the minimum is what God calls 10 percent. I said, from now on, begin to increase what you give.

“Of all I said, the only thing they put on the internet is that Adeboye apologised, and therefore, people should no longer pay their tithes. I said 10 percent should be the minimum.”

There are five bands according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). They include Band A, B, C, D and E. 

Under Band A, customers are entitled to a minimum of 20 hours per day. 

For Band B, these are customers with a minimum of 16 hours of light per day. 

Band C are customers who have access to a minimum of 12 hours per day.

In category D, customers are given a minimum of 8 hours of electricity per day.

Lastly, the Band E customers have access to a minimum of 4 hours per day.

Months ago, the Federal Government approved an increase in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification.

A major part of one’s electricity is spent on the use of energy consuming appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, electric water heaters etc.

Businesses, both small and large, in band A areas are not immune to the impact of the tariff hike. Higher electricity costs directly affect operational expenses.

Recently, some residents of Akinola and Aboru communities in Alimosho LGA of Lagos State protested their “forceful migration” to the Band A category by Ikeja Electric Distribution Company.

The residents took to the streets carrying placards with inscriptions like ‘re-migrate our communities away from Band A’, ‘scrap all bands’, ‘affordable tariff reduces cost of living’, among others. During the protest, some residents said they can no longer afford to pay N227 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) for electricity.

For Band A users, there is a need for an adjustment in behaviour and lifestyle which will ensure conservation of more electricity, lessen use of fuels, and reduce utility bills payment. Here are the tips below:

1. Energy-saving electronics – Take note that the use of energy-saving equipment for household items like bulbs, inverters, fridges, and others are great ways to manage your power costs. 

2. Don’t leave appliances on standby –The Nigerian Electricity System Operator has emphasised that unplugging electronic devices when not in use is a cost-effective way to manage electricity whether you are metered or not. It is important to watch out for appliances that use up to 50% power even when they are on standby.

3. Exploring other alternatives – Those who can afford installation of solar panels or inverters can explore this alternative. These days there are also appliances such as air conditioners, fridges, washing machines etc that operate on Low Voltage System (LVS). These appliances help you save on electricity. Also check the stand-by consumption when buying appliances or ask for energy efficient devices.

4. Minimise usage of air conditioners, electric water heater – Band A users can ventilate during the night or early in the morning to store the coolness for the day. When windows and doors are open, they allow warm air from outside to enter your space. This creates a constant exchange of air and puts less strain on your AC unit. Also, use water heaters only when necessary. Lower the temperature of your water heater to conserve energy used for heating water.

5. Turn off lights when not in use – Turning off the lights when not in use is especially important for those who make use of tungsten filament (regular) bulbs as opposed to LED lights. It will take 16 hours for a regular bulb to consume 1 kilowatt of electricity, meanwhile, it will take 66 hours for an LED light to consume 1 kilowatt of electricity.  So, it is important to switch off the lights when not in use, especially in daylight.

[TheNation]

Buildings and other property were shattered in the early hours of Saturday as explosives suspected to be dynamite shattered the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

The explosion brought down the gate of the secretariat while doors, windows and other property were destroyed.

This is the second time the Chief Tony Okocha-led APC would be experiencing such an attack at its secretariat this year.

This came as the local government elections is set to hold in the state today as the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission said on Friday that all sensitive materials have been distributed to the various local government areas.

A viral video of the incident scene seen by our correspondent showed some workers at the facilities going round to ascertain the extent of damage.

When contacted, the spokespetson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she had yet to get a report on it but promised to revert.

The party has yet to make a statement on the incident.

Details later…

[Punch]

Dr. Muhammed Sanusi is the Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF. He has been in the news these past few days. The gentleman is my friend. I like him a lot. As far as I can see from my observatory in the rolling hills of Wasimi, he has maintained great decorum in the handling of the affairs of football in the country. 

I have not interacted with him close enough at any time since I first met him many years ago to know him beyond his courteousness, politeness, soft-spokenness, and never-in-your-face attitude. He carries good credentials in his long and varied experiences working in the NFF as well as in academic scholarship (with a Doctorate degree to boot).

As far as his handling of the affairs of the NFF is concerned, I have not had any close interactions with the organisation since he became the Secretary General over 10 years ago, so, I know little and cannot be a fair judge about his capacity and performance as administrator of the secretariat of the most important sports federation in Nigeria. 

In those past 10 years, I have not had any serious dealings with the Nigeria Football administration outside journalistic enquiries about some issues for which Dr. Sanusi was always quick to provide the needed information, or direction to the source of better information. He would do these things courteously. 

What I do not know is whether that attitude and treatment are general or a special treat reserved for me. Either way, I thank him.

From time to time, however, Dr. Sanusi comments on some of my postings on my social media platforms, often with a kind word here and there. Even when I wrote what some persons considered negative about him by raising issues about his humongous salary, he did not take it personal, and did not miss a beat in our friendly relationship. 

So, I know Dr. Sanusi Muhammed enough even if I have not had much direct dealings with him in the over 10 years of his being the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF. So, I respect our remote friendship. 

At the moment, his matter is heating up the system. Some stakeholders in the General Assembly of the NFF are planning to use their numbers and resources to offer him a new contract when the present one expires at the end of the year. Undoubtedly, the move is not popular. It may create a ripple effect that could become a storm in the immediate future.

Ordinarily, renewing Sanusi’s contract should be routine. There should be no issues about reappointing a competent and performing Secretary-General. Unfortunately, there are issues that negate this intention. The public and some media are raising very serious issues about why Sanusi’s contract should not be renewed. He has been in that office for 11 years, longer than anyone else in history. That’s not the problem. His latest contract will end in December this year. 

I will not pretend that I am familiar with all the issues, but there is one issue that attracts my attention and the need for this humble comment. 

Let me establish this background. 

I am not a tribalist. I do not have a single drop of tribalism in my blood. 

I am of Yoruba extraction by birth. I spent the first 17 years of my life in Jos, in Northern Nigeria. I speak the Hausa language, even better than my Yoruba. 

In the formative years of my life, I attended primary and secondary schools owned by the Catholic Church, and populated mostly by Igbos in the years before the political crisis of 1966 that led to the bloody Civil war of 1967. So, I speak the Igbo language and some of my best friends are from that ethnic group.

I have spent the decades since December 1970 to date in Yorubaland, going through useful lessons in understanding my own ethnic roots. My mother was originally a Muslim and my father was one of the founders of the African Church in Jos. I am a product of this mixture of cultures, indoctrinations, exposures and experiences, finally emerging as a totally detribalised Nigerian that does not see things through the prism of ethnicity. 

So, back to the ongoing conversation on Dr. Muhammed Sanusi. Ethnicity has reared its dangerous head. 

A journalist called me the other day and wanted my views on the issue of the renewal of Sanusi’s contract from the position of ethnic balancing and federal character in the board of the NFF. He asked: Why would the two most powerful officials in the Nigeria Football Federation board come from the same geographical, political and ethnic group? Really?

How did that happen? Avoiding such a situation has voided the ambition of many aspirants to offices in the NFF in the past. Including me. There is always consideration for careful balancing and federal character consideration for appointments into national offices. It is so important in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country like Nigeria that provision is inscribed into the country’s constitution.

In sports, although unwritten into the constitution of federations, it goes without saying that stakeholders would navigate through this minefield by deploying common sense, always observing the simple code of ethnic balancing during elections and in the employment of key staff. 

Occasionally there is a blip, but always created by circumstances that cannot be helped, and not as a deliberate strategy to impose any group on the rest. One such situation is Ibrahim Gusau succeeding Amaju Pinnick as President of the NFF when Sanusi was still Secretary General, inadvertently creating the present situation where the two most powerful men in Nigerian football come from the same geographical zone of the country. 

The reality is that when Sanusi was first engaged over 10 years ago, Amaju Pinnick, from the Southern part of the country, was President. 

Presently, some stakeholders are stoking the ambers of crisis. They are attempting to be clever-by-half by distorting what has ensured the equilibrium of things and instilled some level of equity and fair representation at the top of Nigerian football through the decades. 

I am not surprised, therefore, that an army of opposition has emerged to try to halt the clandestine plot. Sanusi is to be used as a pawn and returned as Secretary General against the grain of best established practise, common sense, equity and ethnic balancing in the administration of football in Nigeria.

No matter how attractive the offer may be, or what power the stakeholders planning this plot may have at the moment, my advice is that they should shelve the plan for the good of the game and of peace, and follow the path of reason. Should they choose to pursue this narrow agenda, they may be planting the seeds of a future crisis.

In an ideal society it should matter the least where a person comes from in the matter of employment, but not so in Nigeria as history and previous experiences have taught us through the country’s history. A word is enough for the wise. 

I wish the General Assembly of the NFF useful deliberations.

The Rivers State Electoral Commission, RSIEC, has stated that it is using the authentic Voters Register obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the conduct of the local government council elections in the state.

The Presiding Officer for Unit 8, Ward 3 Isiodu Community, Emohua Local Government Area Azunda Fulfill, said the process was peaceful and that the Voter Register used is authentic.

Azunda said: “The process is going fine. People are voting. For now, there is no issue. We are doing the work calmly.

“The voter register we have is the same thing as the one used for the 2023 election. The voter’s card and the register are tallied. It is the correct voter register.”

Also, voting is ongoing at unit 26, ward 4 of Emohua LGA, the ward where Senator Andrew Uchendu, votes.

Meanwhile, the Chairmanship Candidate of the Action Peoples Party, for Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Hon. Chijioke Ihunwo, after casting his vote at unit 40.

[Vanguard]

Nollywood’s ‘Queen Lateefah’ and ‘Joker: Folie A Deux’ are movies TheCable recommends for you to watch in the cinema or on streamers this weekend.

More recommendations are below:

Queen Lateefah

Running time: 2hrs 5mins

Starring: Wunmi Toriola, Kunle Remi, Lateef Adedimeji

Synopsis: A socialite with a wealthy online personality meets a man who falls head over heels with her. The man is in love with her influential, accomplished persona, a facade that will come undone soon.

Joker: Folie A Deux

Running time: 2hrs 18mins

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Ken Leung, Lady Gaga

Synopsis: Arthur Fleck is placed in Arkham, awaiting trial for his crimes as the Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur stumbles upon true love and finds the music that’s always inside him.

Lisabi

Running time: 2hrs

Starring: Adebowale Adedayo, Lateef Adedimeji, Gabriel Afolayan, Ibrahim Chatta

Synopsis: It tells the legend of the eponymous Lisabi and his fight to liberate his Egba community and its people from the hegemony of the ancient Oyo empire.

Farmer’s Bride

Running time: 1hr 45mins

Starring: Gbubemi Ejeye, Tobi Bakre, Femi Branch

Synopsis: A young bride marries an old farmer with her mother’s arrangement. The bride despises her husband and falls in love with the old farmer’s younger nephew. The forbidden love spins out of control.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man

Running time: 1hr 39mins

Starring: Adeline Rudolph, Hannah Margetson, Jack Kesy,

Synopsis: The blockbuster Hellboy returns with another exciting sequel. Hellboy goes on a new adventure with fresh allies and foes.

The Wild Robot

Running time: 1hr 41mins

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, Paul-Mikél Williams

Synopsis: An intelligent robot is stranded on an uninhabited island after a shipwreck. To survive the harsh environment, the robot bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

Transformer One

Running time: 1hr 44mins

Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm

Synopsis: The prequel tells the origin story of  Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, who were once friends and bonded like brothers.

When Love Strikes

Running time: 1hr 53mins

Starring: Chuks Joseph, Jimmie Akinsola, Natse Jemide, Osas Ighodaro

Synopsis: A promising young footballer must choose between following his dreams of soccer success and returning to college to support his family.

Ajaga

Running time: 1hr 46mins

Starring: Femi Jacobs, Jaiye Kuti, Jayeola Monje

Synopsis: A pastor wrestles with the yoke of his moral inadequacies. He womanises despite his stern preaching against sin. This is the story about the hypocrisy of some religious leaders.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Running time: 2hrs 7mins

Starring:  Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Garner, Ryan Reynolds

Synopsis: Wolverine and Deadpool put aside their differences to defeat a common enemy.

[Cable.]

[Reuters]

The UK needs a strategy to meet growing demand for data centres or risk losing its advantage in the race to develop artificial intelligence (AI), one of the sector's largest players has told Sky News.

Data centres - warehouses housing processors that power cloud computing - are central to the digital economy. They provide the power, connections and security required for the vast amount of processing power on which everything from personal device browsing to AI learning relies.

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The UK is currently Europe's largest data hub, with more than 500 data centres, the majority in the South East.

Slough in west London is the industry's historic base, largely because of its proximity to both transatlantic connectors and the City of London, whose financial services and banks were initially the biggest customers for computation power.

Last month the government classified data centres as 'critical national infrastructure', putting them on a par with power stations and railways but the industry says a broader strategy is required as it moves to meet the growing demand driven by power-hungry AI chips.

High land prices, competition for grid connections and the resistance of local residents have put a premium on further expansion in the southeast, leading some companies to look beyond the industry's traditional base.

Kao Data, which has an expanding campus in Harlow, Essex, is among those looking to beyond the South East, and broke ground this week on a £350m development at Stockport in Greater Manchester.

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"We are under pressure to be able to provide capacity and create data centre buildings to fuel the demand from AI, that's the challenge. Whether we as a country provide the environment for it is the big question mark," he said.

"If we want to be part of the global AI opportunity we need to deploy these resources in locations that are suitable, sustainable and have the opportunity for growth. We didn't really have a plan 10 years ago when cloud computing started, and by accident we've ended up where we are today which is in effect consuming all the power into the west of London.

"Now is the time to come up with a UK-wide data centre strategy and start deploying these facilities in other parts of the country, distributing them fairly."

Kao's expansion in Manchester exploits an existing industrial site - it will replace a concrete factory - and the availability of a grid connection, fundamental in a notoriously power-hungry industry in which a facility's size is measured in megawatts not square feet. A 100MW data centre consumes the same amount of electricity as 100,000 homes, a town roughly the size of Ipswich.

Mr Lamb said it is a model the government should heed. "A realistic opportunity would be to allocate two or three locations across the UK which have access to power as data centre planning zones, where the local authorities understand what a data centre is, are welcoming and we can develop these buildings simply and swiftly and remove a lot of the bureaucracy that exists."

The Stockport site also has the backing of the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who sees data as part of the jigsaw of infrastructure required to boost economic development in the North West.

"This is now critical national infrastructure as designated by the new government, and it makes sense that all of that capacity is not just clustered in one part of the country. We now need to see the emergence of a large-scale data centre industry in the north of England," Mr Lamb said.

The challenge of further expansion in the South East is evident on the outskirts of the expanding village of Abbotts Langley in Hertfordshire, where a patch of green belt has become a frontline in the debate over data centres and the new government's commitment to growth.

The 31-hectare plot, once grazed by cows that produced milk for the nearby Ovaltine factory, has been bought by property developer Greystoke Land and earmarked for a data centre.

The local planning authority, Three Rivers Council, rejected it because of the loss of green belt, but on her first day in office, Angela Rayner, the housing minister, "called in" the application, beginning a process expected to end with her over-ruling the local authority.

Labour promised to back development in government but that does not make it popular. As well as concerns over the environmental impact of a data centre, residents believe the development will remove the only buffer between the village and the motorway.

Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Liberal Democrat leader of Three Rivers Council, 76% of which is made up of green belt, told Sky News communities need something in return.
 "I'm not a total nimby, I can see which way the wind is blowing, but we will make the best case possible to say no to this development because it is an inappropriate site, which causes very high harm to the green belt.

"Ironically we do have some brownfield sites that landowners won't release, and we can't compulsory purchase, let's do something about that and bring them back into public ownership.

"But if at the end of the day we're overruled then we will be demanding the infrastructure that's for Abbots Langley and Three Rivers."

A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "Our reforms to the planning system will make it easier to build the key infrastructure this country needs - such as data centres - securing our economic future and giving businesses the confidence to invest.

"Development on the green belt will only be allowed where there is a real need and will not come at the expense of the environment."

[SkyNews]