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Dignitaries, prominent clerics, friends and family members celebrated with the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo on September 27, as he marked his 70th birthday.
The birthday celebration was held at the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, and the auditorium was filled to the brim as guests all dressed in white and blue attires rejoiced with the popular cleric.
Although before his birthday, Oyedepo had requested his members to win souls as birthday gifts for him, he was blessed with several gifts, including a luxurious Rolls Royce Cullinan and N1bn donation towards feeding 50,000 people at Canaanland.
Earlier, President Bola Tinubu had lauded Oyedepo’s legacy in grooming leaders and his church’s contributions to education, health, and entrepreneurship.
Basking in the love and celebration, the birthday boy danced gleefully to music by Adeyinka Alaseyori and Nathaniel Bassey.
In his remarks at the event, Oyedepo said, “I give glory to God. I am a representative of the icon of icons, who is Jesus; my glory and lifter of my head. I am simply fronting for him. He is the one behind the scenes working 24 hours every day. A man cannot be any more than the grace of God at work in him. I will never pose to be an achiever but one who is a beneficiary of God’s grace.”
His wife also expressed pride in being in spouse, stating that she wishes to have a mansion beside his in heaven.
Guests at the event include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, governors of Lagos, Ogun and Delta states, Dapo Abiodun, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Sheriff Oborevwori respectively; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and top clerics such as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Enoch Adeboye and his wife, Foluke; Poju Oyemade, Jerry Eze and Matthew Ashimolowo.
The FCT police command has dismissed rumours of an alleged plan by some persons to abduct students from University of Abuja.
In a statement on Friday, Josephine Adeh, FCT police spokesperson, described the report as “baseless”.
“The report is nothing but baseless publications propagated by rumour mongers aiming to create unfounded panic and apprehension among FCT residents and university community,” she said.
Adeh restated the command’s commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of FCT residents.
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She added that personnel and equipment have been deployed to enhance security within the FCT.
She asked residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the FCT police command.
Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, has asked Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), not to “put fire” in his state.
In August, Wike warned governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against interfering in the affairs of the party in Rivers state.
Wike and Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state, have been at loggerheads over the control of the party’s political structure in the state.
The rift between both chieftains of the PDP has created two factions in the Rivers house of assembly, with each camp electing a speaker loyal to the minister and the governor.
Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state and chair of the PDP Governors’ Forum, had said the party’s structure in Rivers state will be handed over to Fubara.
Displeased by Mohammed’s comment, Wike said he would “put fire” in the states controlled by governors of the PDP siding with Fubara.
Mohammed would later reply to the FCT minister’s threat, saying he had enough water to quench Wike’s fire.
But speaking on Saturday at an event organised in honour of the minister by the Ijaw Peoples Congress in Port Harcourt, Makinde pleaded with Wike to spare Oyo state should he decide to make bold his threat.
“I came to identify with my brother, the celebrant of today, the honourable minister of the federal capital territory and the immediate past governor of Rivers state,” Makinde said.
“When I showed up yesterday, I told him I brought peace offering because he has been boasting that he will put fire in some states. I said, please, don’t put fire in Oyo state.”
‘I’M BIGGER THAN ALL OF YOU’
Addressing the crowd, Wike said he is more powerful than all the governors siding with Fubara.
“All those who are moving around saying they are supporting somebody… you know it is not correct. You know some people don’t have shame. I cannot serve your boy,” Wike said.
“Now, they are not even waiting, they are even rushing after the boy. They are not even waiting for the boy to call them. They are now rushing to the boy. People don’t have integrity.
“Don’t ever think that they’re fighting me. They are not fighting me. I am too big. If you don’t recognise somebody bigger than you, you know you are sick. I’m far bigger— all of them put together. They cannot stand it.
“When people said they will put hand here (in Rivers). I told them: if you come here and put your hand, hand too will enter your place (state). Now they are crying.”
Wike claimed that the PDP lost the governorship election in Edo to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because governors of the party lacked strategy.
“Instead of them (governors) concentrating on how they would win election in their state, they were holding meetings elsewhere to discuss Rivers state,” he said.
“Who is the loser? This is a warning to others. Don’t touch Rivers state. It is a special state to God.”
In the early years, getting AI models like ChatGPT or its rival Cohere to spit out human-like responses required vast teams of low-cost workers helping models distinguish basic facts such as if an image was of a car or a carrot.
But more sophisticated updates to AI models in the fiercely competitive arena are now demanding a rapidly expanding network of human trainers who have specialized knowledge -- from historians to scientists, some with doctorate degrees.
"A year ago, we could get away with hiring undergraduates, to just generally teach AI on how to improve," said Cohere co-founder Ivan Zhang, talking about its internal human trainers.
"Now we have licensed physicians teaching the models how to behave in medical environments, or financial analysts or accountants."
For more training, Cohere, which was last valued at over $5 billion, works with a startup called Invisible Tech. Cohere is one of the main rivals of OpenAI and specializes in AI for businesses.
The startup Invisible Tech employs thousands of trainers, working remotely, and has become one of the main partners of AI companies ranging from AI21 to Microsoft to train their AI models to reduce errors, known in the AI world as hallucinations.
"We have 5,000 people in over 100 countries around the world that are PhDs, Master's degree holders and knowledge work specialists," said Invisible founder Francis Pedraza.
Invisible pays as much as $40 per hour, depending on the location of the worker and the complexity of work. Some companies such as Outlier pay up to $50 per hour, while another company called Labelbox said it pays up to $200 per hour for "high expertise" subjects like quantum physics, but starts with $15 for basic topics.
Invisible was founded in 2015 as a workflow automation company catering to the likes of food delivery company DoorDash to digitize their delivery menu. But things changed when a relatively unknown research firm called OpenAI contacted them in the spring of 2022, ahead of the public launch of ChatGPT.
"OpenAI came to us with a problem, which is that when you were asking an early version of ChatGPT a question, it was going to hallucinate. You couldn't trust the answer," Pedraza told Reuters.
"They needed an advanced AI training partner to provide reinforcement learning with human feedback."
OpenAI did not respond to request for comment.
Generative AI produces new content based on past data used to train it. However, sometimes it can't distinguish between true and false information and generates false outputs known as hallucinations. In one notable example, in 2023 a Google chatbot shared inaccurate information about which satellite first took pictures of a planet outside the Earth's solar system in a promotional video.
AI companies are aware that hallucinations can derail GenAI's attractiveness to businesses and are trying various ways to reduce it, including using human trainers to teach the concept of fact and fiction.
Since getting onboard with OpenAI, Invisible says it has become AI training partners to most of the GenAI companies, including Cohere, AI21 and Microsoft. Cohere and AI21 confirmed they are clients. Microsoft did not confirm it is a client of Invisible.
"These are all companies that had training challenges, where their number one cost was compute power, and then the number two cost is quality training," Pedraza said.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
OpenAI, which started off the frenzy around GenAI, has a team of researchers aptly named "Human Data Team" that works with AI trainers to gather specialized data for training its models like ChatGPT.
OpenAI researchers come up with various experiments like reducing hallucinations or to improve writing style and work with AI trainers from Invisible and other vendors, a source familiar with the company's processes said.
At any point, dozens of experiments are being run, some with tools developed by OpenAI and others by tools of vendors, the person said.
Based on what the AI companies want - from getting better at Swedish history or doing financial modeling - Invisible hires workers with relevant degrees for those projects, reducing the burden of managing hundreds of trainers by the AI companies.
"OpenAI has some of the most incredible computer scientists in the world but they're not necessarily an expert in Swedish history or chemistry questions or biology questions or anything you can ask it," Pedraza said, adding that over 1,000 contract workers cater to OpenAI alone.
Cohere's Zhang said he has personally used Invisible's trainers to find a way to teach its GenAI model to find relevant information from a big data set.
COMPETITION
Among the competitors in this space is Scale AI, a private start-up last valued at $14 billion which provides AI companies with sets of training data. It has also ventured into the area of providing AI trainers, and counts OpenAI as a customer. Scale AI did not respond to requests for an interview for this story.
Invisible, which has been profitable since 2021, has raised only $8 million of primary capital,
"We are 70% owned by the team, and only 30% owned by investors," Pedraza said. "We do facilitate secondary rounds, and the most recent traded price was at a half a billion dollar valuation." Reuters could not confirm that valuation.
Human trainers first got into AI training through data-labelling work that required less qualification and was also paid less, sometimes as low as $2, opens new tab, mostly done by people in African and Asian countries.
As AI companies launch more advanced models, the demand for specialized trainers and across dozens of languages is on the rise, creating a well-paid niche where workers from a variety of subjects could become AI trainers without even knowing how to code.
Demand from AI companies is leading to the creation of more companies that are offering similar services.
"My inbox is basically inundated with new firms that pop up here and there. I do see this as a new space where companies hire humans just to create data for AI labs like us," Zhang said.
[Reuters]
The first time I saw the Pixel Fold and held it in my hands—almost a year ago in New York—I was impressed though not fully convinced. Earlier this year, I used the Pixel Fold again, this time at a Google store in Mountain View. While I spent more time with the device and liked what I saw, it still left many questions unanswered. Over the past year, I’ve tried and experienced foldables of all shapes and sizes, including concept and prototype devices, and my impressions of the Pixel Fold too have continued to evolve every time I used it.
Now, Google is back with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (they aren’t calling it the Pixel Fold 2), another attempt to break into the foldable market with a much more mature product. I would say the second-generation Pixel Fold is still a work in progress, despite an improved design and a heavy dose of AI features. It shows the direction Google and others want to take with foldable smartphones, but they aren’t there yet—at least, not for now.
I have used the Pixel 9 Pro Fold for over two weeks, and here’s what impressed me about the foldable phone and what didn’t.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold price in India (as reviewed): Rs 1,72,999
Thinner and comfortable to use
By now, I have used foldable smartphones countless times, and each time, I get a strange feeling that makes me switch back to “normal” phones. I never felt that I could use them as my primary device because they can be uncomfortable to handle. However, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold felt different. I think its shape and size made it a little more comfortable to use—and that one change made a significant difference in how I view foldable phones.
I would say the Pixel 9 Pro Fold sits between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the OnePlus Open, among the two most popular foldables. In fact, the original Pixel Fold was short and wide like an actual passport. The new model, however, matches the size of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, making it closer to a regular smartphone that you and I are familiar with and accustomed to. However, that doesn’t mean the Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels like a “normal” phone—it clearly isn’t. After all, this is a foldable phone, and that’s a fundamental difference between the Pixel 9 Pro XL and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The two phones aren’t going to be the same, and you will definitely feel it once you start using the Pixel Fold.
Sure, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is extremely thin and has the same 6.3-inch exterior screen as the Pixel 9 Pro, but it is also heavy. Still, the phone never feels awkward to hold—and by the way, I like devices that have a little heft and feel solid, which reminds me of the Nokia Communicator. The phone’s frame is made of aluminium, while the hinge has an aerospace-grade, high-strength aluminium alloy cover. The exterior display features a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover. The rear panel is also Gorilla Glass; however, it’s matte instead of glossy. The rear-mounted camera sensors jut out in a rectangular module with rounded corners. You have the power and volume buttons on the right, the USB-C port, and the nano SIM slot at the bottom.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold gives off the impression of two smartphones glued together. (Image Credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Unfortunately, which is also true for other high-end smartphones, the Pro Fold doesn’t come in fun colours, as it’s only available in Obsidian and Porcelain. I wonder why brands assume that ultra-premium smartphones shouldn’t come in bold colours and why only a luxurious foldable device like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is deemed fit for an executive. Not cool, Google.
The Fold has a durability rating of IPX8 for water resistance, which is on par with other foldables, but it lacks a dust ingress rating due to the hinge. You can take the Pixel Fold to a swimming pool, but be careful, as the device’s internal screen is delicate and needs extra care if you want the phone to last longer.
The entire device sits flat when opened, which is commendable—kudos to the design team. There’s something blissful about a phone you can grip with one hand without worrying about dropping it, though I should mention getting a case as soon as you start using it. Nonetheless, it’s very satisfying to open the device and fold it shut. In fact, every time I close the Fold, it reminds me of the Nintendo 3DS XL. There’s something magical about the physicality of the device—the touch and feel, and the grip when the screen folds.
I spent most of my time using the phone’s exterior display. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Google takes a book-style approach with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, similar to other foldables in the market. This is a popular form factor; like a book, you open the Pixel Fold to reveal a large, flexible 8-inch ultra-thin glossy piece of glass for the display. However, most of the time I used the device, my interactions were mainly with the 6.3-inch screen on the outside. In a way, this is a good thing, as I don’t have to open the tablet-like display all the time. I can actually use the cover display for WhatsApp, sending a text message or replying to Gmail. The cover display works perfectly in all of those scenarios and, if you need more room – well, you open the device.
Both displays are good for everyday tasks, but the 8-inch display OLED adds a significant amount of screen real estate. It is bright and sharp, as is the front display. The peak brightness of 2,700 nits allows users to read news articles and eBooks in bright sunlight. The interior display isn’t crease-free, though. The crease is definitely visible in the middle of the foldable, but it has never bothered me; it’s there, but it doesn’t impact daily usage.
The entire device sits completely flat when it’s open. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
The inner display opens many new possibilities
I have been asked many times how a foldable phone is different from a regular smartphone, and I would always say that it all comes down to a different form factor and the extra things you can do with a phone that has a foldable screen versus a device that doesn’t. By “different,” I don’t mean that a foldable will offer something completely new that your existing phone can’t do. However, a device like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold shines in three specific aspects—at least, those are what I found compelling enough.
First and foremost, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels superior as a tablet. I mean, just look at the 8-inch screen; it becomes an effortless tablet to carry around. During a trip to San Francisco last week, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was the only tablet I packed in my bag. I watched the second season of Heartstopper on the device, and not for a second did I miss my iPad mini. I felt burden-free not having to carry an extra device on the trip. In the first few hours of the flight, I watched the show, and in the latter part, I listened to music on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It serves a dual purpose, which I think offers a compelling benefit of using a foldable phone.
The split-screen experience shines on this device. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Secondly, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a great eBook reader. Reading on the Kindle app is enjoyable for long hours. Third, certain apps — especially Google ones — take advantage of the larger screen on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, resulting in a different experience. Google Calendar, for example, utilises the extra screen real estate, and you can actually feel the difference immensely. Another example is Google Meet, which lets you use all the cameras and screens, allowing the person you’re talking to to appear on the external screen so that others around you can see them too, instead of crowding around your phone. Some games also take advantage of the extra real estate and can customise your gaming experience accordingly.
The downside is that the list of games that support this feature is still very small.
I also liked how you can run two apps simultaneously on the inner screen. Sure, you can do the same on any smartphone, but the implementation is better on a foldable screen. Think of running a YouTube video on one side and Google News on the other, for example.
These are smartphone features, the things we all do on a phone. The difference is that on a foldable phone like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the experience is optimised for a large inner screen. However, not every app takes advantage of this. Just because the inner screen is considerably large doesn’t mean I would ditch my laptop or iPad Pro and start using the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as a replacement. Not really. It won’t surpass those devices, even though you can use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to get some work done. All I’m saying is that I would still prefer a laptop for writing long-form articles and get the real work done.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is great for reading news articles and e-books. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
But not everything about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is perfect, especially on the software side. For instance, there’s an option that allows you to continue what you were doing in an app on the inner screen when you close the phone by swiping up on the outer screen. It works well, yes, but overall, Google hasn’t moved leaps and bounds with the software. I would say it’s an Android problem.
At times, I feel that the interface doesn’t adapt well to a foldable screen, resulting in an experience that feels more in tune for tablets. For instance, on a regular smartphone, there is no right or wrong way to hold the device and watch a YouTube video when screen autorotation is enabled. However, on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, when I was watching a YouTube video on the inner screen, I had to be careful about holding the device correctly, as there was a high chance I might hold it incorrectly and break the screen. There should be a warning sign, but there isn’t.
I agree this is Google’s second foldable smartphone, and the company is still learning how to optimise the experience for new types of form factors. However, the bigger problem that remains unresolved is how to adapt the interface for foldable phones. If Google can’t solve it, I don’t think any other company will be able to.
The phone feels expensive in the hand, which matters when you spend this kind of money. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
AI overload is here
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has all the AI features that Google is heavily marketing lately, but I feel we have reached a point where they might be overloading the smartphone experience. At least, that’s how I feel. You might not want to use all the AI features but Google keeps reminding you it has made the best AI smartphone.
Anyway, the AI features that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold comes with are similar to those available across the entire Pixel 9 series. These range from generating images in the Pixel Studio app and searching screenshots in the AI Screenshots app to using Magic Editor, which can “reimagine” a photo or insert objects using text prompts. Then there’s the new Gemini Live experience, which allows for fully conversational, flowing back-and-forth discussions. It used to be available as part of a $20/month Gemini Advanced subscription, which also included 2TB of cloud storage and Gemini features in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. When you buy any Pixel 9 Pro or 9 Pro XL (including the Fold), you get a one-year free trial of Gemini Advanced. However, Google recently announced that Gemini Live would be included for free going forward. Look, Gemini Live is fun, but it needs a bit of work. I feel that it’s too slow to truly qualify as a real back-and-forth conversation, for now.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold launches with Android 14, but Google will upgrade the device to Android 15. ( Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Pretty powerful but the battery life could have been better
The device has Google’s proprietary Tensor G4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. I’m not into benchmarking and really don’t make too much fuss about the processor type or who made it; all I care about is how the phone feels on a day-to-day basis. The Pixel Fold performs similarly to the Pixel 9 Pro XL; it’s snappy and handles two apps on screen simultaneously. I feel that every smartphone I’ve reviewed this year is fast, and frankly, we have reached peak smartphone performance some time ago.
As for battery life, Google has squeezed in a 4,650 mAh cell. Despite having two screens, the Fold’s battery lasts a day, but don’t expect it to stretch beyond that. That’s for sure. A full charge takes about 96 minutes using a 45W USB-C charger (which is not included in the box).
There’s a lot to love about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The fun factor can’t be overlooked. ( Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Great cameras
The Pixel Fold’s camera houses three sensors and a flash. The primary sensor offers 48 megapixels with optical image stabilisation; the wide-angle lens delivers 10.5 MP outputs, while the 5x telephoto lens has 10.8 MP on offer. During the trip to San Francisco, I spent a lot of time with the camera, and I can confirm that the device produces amazing snaps. As I always say, the camera aspect is subjective, but yes, I am a huge fan of Pixel photography. You can expect a great ultra-wide lens, 5x optical zoom, and a brilliant night mode. The Pixel Fold’s camera stands out on its own; however, I felt the Pixel 9 Pro XL has a Midas touch when it comes to cameras. Nevertheless, the Pixel Fold has a versatile camera, and the results speak for themselves.
[indianexpress]
Britain's competition regulator said on Friday Amazon's artificial intelligence partnership with startup Anthropic will not be referred for a deeper probe as it did not raise competition concerns.
The Competition and Markets Authority said the partnership, which includes a $4 billion investment by Amazon in Anthropic, did not qualify for investigation under Britain's merger regulations.
"We welcome the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) decision acknowledging its lack of jurisdiction regarding this collaboration," an Amazon spokesperson said in response to the regulator's decision.
The regulator has also cleared a similar collaboration between
Microsoft and Inflection AI.
However, Alphabet's partnership with Anthropic is still under scrutiny.
"Anthropic is an independent company and our strategic partnerships and investor relationships do not diminish our corporate governance independence or freedom to partner with others," an Anthropic spokesperson told Reuters on Friday.
Anthropic, which was co-founded by former OpenAI executives and siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, has received billions of dollars in investments from several tech giants.
Antitrust regulators around the world have increasingly raised concerns over multiple deals struck between smaller industry startups and big tech companies.
[economictimes]
China is re-enforcing efforts to encourage domestic companies to favour homegrown artificial intelligence (AI) chips over Jensen Huang’s Nvidia advanced semiconductors.
This is to bolster its semiconductor industry and counteract the effects of US-imposed sanctions, according sources who spoke to Bloomberg.
In recent months, Beijing has issued informal directives, advising Chinese companies to reduce their reliance on Nvidia’s H20 chips, which are widely used in AI development.
Although the guidance stops short of an outright ban, it forms part of China’s broader objective to strengthen its technological self-reliance, while cautiously navigating ongoing tensions with the United States, insiders report.
The pressure reflects Beijing’s ambition to accelerate the market share growth of domestic chipmakers such as Cambricon Technologies and Huawei, positioning them as viable alternatives to foreign suppliers. This comes amid heightened concerns over potential further restrictions on US technology exports to China.
What we know
The move follows similar measures earlier this year, where Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers were encouraged to source more components from domestic producers, as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on foreign technologies.
Shares of Nvidia, the world’s most valuable chipmaker, fell by up to 3.9% on Friday following the reports. Nvidia has seen its stock surge over 100% this year, driven by booming demand for its AI processors globally, despite ongoing trade restrictions.
Beijing’s guidance, while non-binding, aligns with a broader industrial policy aimed at safeguarding China’s access to critical technologies. The US government has already banned Nvidia from selling its most advanced AI chips to Chinese customers, forcing the company to modify its products to comply with export control regulations. Nvidia’s H20 line, designed to meet these requirements, remains a key product in China’s AI sector.
What you should know
Despite the growing push to use local chips, Beijing is still prepared to allow companies to purchase foreign semiconductors if necessary to remain competitive in the global AI race, sources added.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, addressing the ongoing situation, said that the company is committed to supporting its Chinese customers within the confines of US regulations. “We have a lot of customers in China who depend on us, and we’ll do our best to support them,” Huang said in an interview with Bloomberg.
China remains a significant market for Nvidia, contributing 12% of its total revenue in the July quarter, amounting to approximately $3.7 billion. However, the company’s CFO Colette Kress acknowledged that trade restrictions have impacted Nvidia’s market share in China, although demand remains robust.
While Chinese chipmakers are making progress, their AI processors still lag behind Nvidia’s offerings. Beijing has committed billions of dollars in subsidies to accelerate domestic semiconductor development, but the technology gap remains a challenge.
Nevertheless, China’s AI sector continues to flourish. Tech giants like ByteDance and Alibaba, along with a wave of emerging startups, are investing heavily in AI innovation.
Despite the regulatory push, some Chinese companies are discreetly purchasing Nvidia chips, anticipating further US sanctions by year-end, while simultaneously increasing their procurement of domestic alternatives to align with Beijing’s directives.
[Nairametrics]
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have carried out a midnight raid on private hostels of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), leading to the arrest of several students in the early hours of Saturday.
The raid reportedly occurred in the Kwakwalawa and Gidan Yaro communities, areas predominantly populated by university students in Sokoto. According to eyewitness accounts, the EFCC operatives stormed the hostels around 4am, indiscriminately arresting multiple students.
One student recounted, “They came at dawn, entered our rooms, and began arresting us without any explanation.” The EFCC was yet to issue a statement regarding the raid or provide reasons for the arrests.
The incident mirrored a similar raid that took place in February at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State, where EFCC officials arrested students in a midnight operation targeting hostels outside the campus. During that operation, students’ lodges in the Orita Obele and Road Block areas were raided around 2am, with operatives breaking into rooms and arresting occupants.
Several FUTA students initially mistook the EFCC operatives for kidnappers due to the aggressive nature of the raid. According to reports, the officials—who were from the Benin Zonal office of the commission—allegedly destroyed property and subjected many students to physical assault, including female students.
LEADERSHIP also recalls that following the incident, the executive chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, issued a directive barring operatives of the anti-graft Commission from midnight raids.
[Leadership]
The immediate past Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan has revealed that her greatest challenge while in service was the resistance of civil servants to reforms.
The former HoS spoke at a dinner in her honour by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation which took place in Abuja.
She explained that civil servants showed serious resistance to new reforms introduced during her tenure, particularly the resistance to change old ways of doing things.
Her words: “Convincing them to accept better way of doing things was a mountainous challenge. You know the initial reaction to anything new is resistance. To convince civil servants to accept our reforms was a big challenge.
She also highlighted how collaboration was instrumental in facilitating digitalization efforts within the civil service, and called for understanding with civil servants and greater collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance civil service reforms.
“First of all, before we talk about legacies, I just want to acknowledge and thank God for the success. It is not what any human being could have done, so I acknowledge the help of God. The partnerships especially with the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, helped a great deal. They provided both personnel expertise and funding.
“But we were able to convince them by communication. We had communication with different stakeholders to ensure that they bought into the vision and what we were trying to do.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, praised the former HoS for her commitment and leadership.
He also conveyed a message from former President Olusegun Obasanjo who praised Yemi-Esan for her dedication and efficient management during her tenure.
[DailyTrust]
A former governorship candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the 2023 election in Benue State, Mr Ewaoche Benjamin Obe, has been thrown out of his Abuja house after his wife allegedly used the property as collateral for a loan.
DAILY POST gathered that the house located at the Sagwari Layout of Dutse, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, was built by the politician.
The wife identified as Christiana Obe had been married to Obe since 2006. The couple hailed from Ogbadibo Local Government Area LGA of Benue State.
It was gathered on Saturday that the incident happened on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
Obe, while on his way to Benue State, received a call that some security operatives invaded his Abuja house and had begun to evict him from his own property.
Angered by the report, the politician swiftly made a u-turn along the Keffi road in Nasarawa State.
Upon returning to the house, he was handed a court document where it was stated that the same house had been confiscated over an outstanding loan taken by his wife.
But Obe told DAILY POST upon getting to the scene that he was never issued any court notice prior to the day his house was invaded by the security personnel.
Some military men in uniform and police officers were seen at the scene with Obe’s property littered across the street of Sagwari Layout.
Obe, referring to his wife, intermittently told our correspondent: “She has done her worse. This is a house I built with my hard-earned money.”
In a Facebook live, Obe claimed his wife stormed the house that belongs to him in collusion with some officers, wondering why a court could confiscate a property without prior notices.
Asked whether he was contacted by the lenders when the loan was taken, Obe said he had no knowledge the wife took any loan and was never contacted prior to the alleged loan.
He also disclosed that the wife took his son away to a place, apparently to a new apartment prior to the incident.
He also denied being served any court paper prior to the eviction.
“I was never served. This was plotted by my wife and the officers that came. We have been having issues for a while and I think this is her best way of getting at me,” he said.
It was gathered that Christiana, an officer of the Nigerian Air Force, had prior to the eviction, moved some of her things out of the house, including air-conditioners.
She went away unquestioned as Obe claimed he did not want to create a scene.
Meanwhile, our correspondent obtained the court papers served during the eviction. In the court paper, it was claimed the claimant had lived in the said duplex as a tenant.
A family member who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Ewaoche (Obe) has invested a lot in this woman, even the job she currently has came from him. He saw this woman through school and has invested in her life in so many other ways. How do you connive with external persons to bring down a man you have lived with for more than two decades? How?.
“From the look of things, it is clear this is a clear case of oppression. Assuming this happened to a woman, we will say is because “na woman. This is a direct opposite. How can wife take a loan without informing the husband? Why did the lender not call to get details from property owner? Who values a house without a man who owns it? Something is seriously missing in all these.
“We gathered that the court papers are all fake and the people commissioned to carry out the eviction were mobilized illegally. We want the Air Force and the police to investigate the officers in the video.”
When contacted by DAILY POST, Christiana simply said “I am not under any obligation to speak to anyone.”
Video:
https://www.facebook.com/ewaochebenjamin.obe/videos/3360496967591134/?app=fbl
[DailyPost]
More...
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that he is proud to have made an Ijaw man the governor of Rivers State.
Speaking on Saturday at an event organised by the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress in his honour in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Wike said God used him to make Siminalayi Fubara the governor of the South-South state.
Wike also used the occasion to refute claims on social media that the Ijaw people in the state are fighting him.
He said, “Let me thank this team for this strategic meeting here today. First of all, when I was approached by Senator Johnson Nsakebor. He was sent by the Rivers Ijaw Congress that they want to honour me. I asked what the essence of such was. Why do you want to waste such money? I need the money. Give it to me. But he said so many people go on television and speak as if they were speaking on behalf of the Ijaw people. I said okay, I will come and let Nigerians know.
“This gathering here today is a message to those of them in Abuja who don’t understand. So if anybody tells you one day that the Ijaw people are fighting me. It is not correct. We have some ungrateful people everywhere. A father can have twelve children, and one can be an armed robber. Does that mean that the whole family are armed robbers?
“So, all these people going to television to say Ijaw people are fighting me. Ask them; all the Ijaw people in the House of Assembly were positioned.”
The former River governor asserted that nobody has the monopoly of causing violence, stressing that he and his camp have chosen to play according to the rule of law.
He added, “Who has Fubara made? All the things you see are people who are envious of our growth. They couldn’t do what we are doing today. These are people who we have defeated politically several times. If the opportunity comes again, we will defeat them again.
“I have made an Ijaw man governor of Rivers State. God used us. All of us here had sleepless nights. So who loves Ijaw more? Is it people who come out on television who can not even make their Ijaw brother governor? If they had been that powerful since the old Rivers State, would Ijaw have ever become governor? Where are they?
“I have told people that nobody has a monopoly on causing violence. The mere fact that we choose to play according to the rule of law. To be calm and not to turn ourselves into where investors would run away, and that is what we will continue to do.”
[Punch]
If you are building in Lagos, to have a smooth construction process without any legal issues depends on having the necessary documents.
If you are building in Lagos, the building projects must be carefully planned, and you must ensure you comply with all applicable laws to have a smooth project without problems.
However, to have a smooth construction process without any legal issues depends on proper documentation for everything starting from establishing land ownership to obtaining various licenses and approvals.
Here are ten essential documents that you will need while starting a building project in Lagos
Survey Plan
A survey plan is necessary for building projects in Lagos to guarantee that the dimensions and borders of a plot of land adhere to the laws.
Get a qualified surveyor who would create a survey plan showing the landscape, borders, and existing structures of the site. The Survey Plan is often required when applying for a building permit.
Architectural Drawings (sealed, signed, and stamped by an ARCON-registered architect)
Another crucial document needed for construction in Lagos is an architectural drawing that is sealed, signed, and stamped by an architect registered with the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), which offers comprehensive plans and specifications of the proposed structure, including layout, measurements, and architectural elements.
These designs show that the building codes and regulations in Lagos are being followed, which is essential for getting building permits. It also acts as a construction blueprint, steering the project from start to finish and reducing expensive errors.
Tax Clearance Certificate
A Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC), certifies that all taxes have been paid or are in good standing. This shows that a person or entity has complied with their tax responsibilities to the government.
It is essential to the building process in Lagos because, without a valid Tax Clearance Certificate, builders may find it difficult to apply for permits and approvals.
Land Use Charge Receipt
This is an essential document in Lagos that indicates if a particular area or land is designated for residential, commercial, or industrial uses.
The receipt of the Land Use Charge is required before one can get a building permit and approvals. Building without the receipt will attract fines or project delays.
Proof of Ownership
To demonstrate that the applicant is the rightful owner of the land or property on which the building is planned, Proof of Ownership is an essential document. A Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), a Deed of Assignment, or any other legal documents confirming the ownership rights are usually included.
To receive building licenses and clearances from the Lagos state government, one must possess a legitimate Proof of Ownership. Having this document avoids property rights conflicts by ensuring the government that the construction is occurring on legitimately owned land. In the absence of proper paperwork, builders can get a demolition order.
Structural Drawings
Structural drawings give critical information regarding the dimensions, materials, and construction procedures to be employed, ensuring that the building is safe, stable, and following Lagos building rules. They often comprise specifications for foundations, beams, columns, load-bearing walls, and other components.
Structural Stability Letter
A structural Stability Letter is provided by a certified structural engineer following extensive examinations
and studies of the building’s design, materials, and intended use is needed to confirm that Lagos building laws and standards are followed, with a focus on load distribution, foundation integrity, and material strength.
The Structural Stability Letter assures both regulatory authorities and the property owner that the building will be structurally sound and safe to occupy.
Structural Engineer’s Supervision Letter
The Structural Engineer’s Supervision Letter is a document that gives property owners peace of mind regarding the safety of the project and reassures regulatory authorities that a qualified professional will oversee the work.
Subsoil Investigation Report
The Subsoil Investigation Report, which is produced by certified geotechnical engineers, contains data on groundwater levels, soil types, and bearing capacities that are frequently acquired by laboratory testing and drilling.
This report is needed to direct the foundation design and construction approach by detecting potential concerns such as soil instability and groundwater issues.
Electrical Drawings
Electrical drawings are essential records that offer thorough layouts for a building’s electrical systems. To guarantee adherence to safety laws and standards, these drawings incorporate layouts for wiring, circuit configurations, lighting, and power distribution.
Mechanical Drawings
Mechanical drawings are the critical papers in construction projects that detail the mechanical systems of a building, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and other mechanical installations. These drawings provide specifications for equipment layout, pipe systems, and airflow designs, ensuring that all mechanical aspects work properly and safely.
Getting all of these documents sets one free from problems associated with building projects in Lagos State and also assures the builder that the building is of quality standard.
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has criticised the Nigerian government for embracing Coca-Cola’s $1 billion investment pledge, citing the company’s alleged history of broken promises and harm to public health.
CAPPA in a statement signed by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, accused Coca-Cola of attempting to “whitewash” its image despite multiple dishonest trade practices and regulatory infractions.
This is in reaction to Coca-Cola’s recent visit to President Bola Tinubu, during which the corporation announced a $1 billion investment pledge to Nigeria over five years.
“The Coca-Cola System has been part of Nigerian communities for over 70 years and believes in the strength and continued potential of the market. We are excited to announce this investment, which demonstrates our dedication to fostering economic growth and creating job opportunities in the country,” Zoran Bogdanovic, the chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, told Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
“Our investment goes beyond business growth; it’s about contributing to the well-being of the communities we call home. We foresee significant social and economic advancements, which is why we continue to invest in our business operations and community programs in Nigeria,” he added.
However, according to CAPPA, Coca-Cola’s latest pledge is a recycled commitment made three years ago during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which the company failed to deliver.
The presidency had, however, clarified in a statement last week that the corporation halted the previous investment due to the “challenging business environment” prevailing in the country then.
But CAPPA criticised the government for defending Coca-Cola despite its alleged “persistent onslaught against public health and regulatory infractions than anything else.”
The group accused the beverage manufacturer of regulatory infractions, negative impact on public health, and recent investigations by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In 2017, a Lagos High Court issued a judgement against the company, revealing that its products were unfit for consumption as they contain high levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid.
High levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid, according to European and American food and drug agencies, can form the carcinogen benzene when combined with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).
“On this ground, the court mandated the company to place warning labels on its beverages, advising consumers against combining their intake with Vitamin C. But to this day, the corporation has refused to comply with this directive.
“This contempt and disregard for public health and judicial authority should ordinarily disqualify the company from receiving any form of state endorsement, let alone at the highest level of government,” the CAPPA statement read.
Recently, the FCCPC found Coca-Cola guilty of deceptive trade practices. The Commission’s investigation which began in 2019, revealed that the company had consistently engaged in deceptive product packaging and inconsistent pricing strategies that misled consumers.
“Sadly, by endorsing Coca-Cola’s shady investment only months after the FCCPC indicted it, the Nigerian government is not only setting itself up as an image launderer for a dirty corporation but also unbelievably, undermining and embarrassing its own regulatory authority,’’ the CAPPA statement said.
Public health concerns
The statement also quoted CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, as emphasising that Coca-Cola’s products contribute to Nigeria’s public health crisis, particularly non-communicable diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
The statement further reads in part: “The question the Nigerian government must ask itself in light of all this is what truly it stands to gain by endorsing a multinational corporation with a dark history of non-compliance, and whose products are even actively contributing to a public health crisis in the country?
“Sugar-sweetened beverages, like many of Coca-Cola’s products under such category, are well known and documented contributors to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease and other associated health conditions that are already straining Nigeria’s healthcare system and economy.
“As such, while the company’s promises of an economic investment may sound appealing, the potential gains pale in comparison to the long-term public health costs and injury that the consumption of its products inflicts on the Nigerian population as with elsewhere across the world’’.
The organisation further warned that the government’s cozy relationship with Coca-Cola could jeopardise the implementation of Nigeria’s sugar-sweetened beverages tax, aimed at reducing consumption and tackling rising NCDs.
“We, therefore, call on the Nigerian government to prioritise the interests of Nigerians by shunning questionable associations with corporate lawbreakers and adversaries of public health. We urge the state to defend public health without scruples and consider genuine ethical investments that rank the well-being of Nigerians over empty promises and profit-driven deception,” it added.
[Premium Times]
Fred Amata, the ace actor, has called out Agatha, his ex-wife, for walking Stephanie, their daughter, down the aisle while he is still alive.
The couple got divorced in 2005 due to irreconcilable differences.
On Wednesday, Agatha shared pictures of Stephanie’s wedding and a video of her walking her daughter down the aisle — a ritual usually carried out by the bride’s father.
Fred was also noticeably absent at the ceremony.
Reacting in a lengthy rant on Facebook, the actor described Agatha’s action as an “abomination”, adding that it was a “challenge to tradition”.
He questioned why the wedding date and time were hidden from him, despite his prior blessing.
Fred also spoke about his failed marriage and recounted his contributions to Agatha’s success, specifically creating the talk show ‘Inside-Out with Agatha,’ which he claimed made her a household name.
The actor also alleged that Agatha exploited his name, reputation, and intellectual property for personal gain.
Read the full post below:
For over 20 years I kept silent, and desisted from any comments on my failed marriage, allowing the ‘good wife’, hoping the wounds will heal and a reconciliation possible. But for 20 years the ‘good wife’ pounded me, rubbished my reputation, belittling my achievements, exploiting my name for her selfish benefits.
It was over 25 years ago that I came up with the unique idea of Inside-Out with Agatha, a talk show with six informed and opposing points of view represented by a person with oratorial skills, now male now female. We had gone to see a talk show by Regina Askia, and Agatha wanted to be a talk show host. I told her not to worry ‘I will come up with something, it will make you be like Oprah Winfrey’.
And I did. Ingeniously. I was the dedicated creator, throwing in flesh blood and sweat to create and deliver a concept that had never before been done in Nigeria, save for a similar perhaps less engaging 6 episodes of a program called MEE to you, or something like that, by the late May Ellen Ezekiel, who was married to RMD. A program that could stand the test of time and put bread on the table of the young marriage.
A program, so versatile, it is still relevant today. Inside-Out with Agatha was an instant hit, the genius of the angle the production values the directorial approach the lighting and production design were so engaging, it was irresistible. I was at the height of my directorial rendezvous, and I gathered a production crew of the best technical hands in what is now early Nollywood and TV soaps were the biggest things because we dared to stand out from the emerging crowd of Nollywood directors.
Kingsley Ogoro my friend brother and nemesis would lead a high. I co-opted Nollywood greats Zack Orji, Okey Bakassi, Sunny Mcdon, Francis Onwochei, Emeka Ossai, Zik Zulu Okafor, Francis Duru, Prince Jide Kosoko and numerous friends who looked up to me and I asked their support for the first episodes, and soon everybody who was anybody wanted to be part of Inside Out.
I staked every resource, friends, favours, loyalties, family, extended family wife and links, I involved the creme de la creme of the big production, studios. Tunde Kelani, Wale Fanu, Tade Ogidan, Tunde Oloyede, Pat Nebo, Uzor Okpeche, Simi Opeoluwa, Opa Williams, the late Chico Ejiro and numerous others to ensure no failure of the program. I staked even my first attempt to be president of DGN. Don Pedro Obaseki and Matthias Obahiagbon will attest.
With the influence it wielded and the contacts and connections it gathered, ‘The Good Wife’ soon built an empire with no emperor. She employed maligning my name to acquire favours and contracts. Inside Out is the source of all the Good Wife’s wealth. My genius, my sweat, my vision, and for 20 years, I swallowed it. My reputation diminished as the Good Wife’s gathered momentum. So today, the Good Wife, using my brainchild, has become a billionaire—no credit to me.
No compensation, no royalty. But the good wife is good; let raising the children be my royalty. Buoyed by her success without recourse to the creator, the Ebu Delta State-born Good Wife has gathered a litany of resentment. She has registered a new company to own the programme, discarding the company we set up. She has sued for and obtained a divorce, and 20 years on, she still carries bitterness and will go to extremes to tarnish my image.
But understand this, ‘good wife’ Agatha: everything you have ever owned and will ever own is because of ‘Inside Out’. It is my brainchild, my intellectual property. You have yet to put a nail to a coffin to bury me for being silent, taking no heed of the billions you have harvested, carefree of your stupendous assets. The ‘good wife’ will dare tradition.
Challenge abomination, embrace taboo, stare Africa in the eyes to manipulate my daughter and her husband, hoodwink the lovebirds, and walk my daughter down the aisle to give Stephanie away to a husband. I can’t keep quiet anymore. It’s time to speak up. This is an abomination. This is taboo. Nowhere in the world, nowhere in Africa, nowhere in Delta State and the lands where we come from can a woman give away her child in marriage especially where the father is alive.
Especially when the father is willing and able. Worse when the father is in the same city. What malice would drive a woman in an attempt to rubbish her ex to lead his daughter to marriage? What manipulation would warrant concealing the date and time from a father who has already given his blessing? Even if the daughter forgets when father and daughter are in the same city of London. Is it not the place of ‘The Good Wife’?
Good people, netizens, well-wishers, haters, and influencers. What options are left to this heartbroken father? How do you throw away the baby with the bathwater? Do you cast away the ones you will forever love because a ‘good wife’ has been blinded by wealth and fury to jeopardise the father’s blessings on his daughter? They came to me in London; Aaron brought drinks as kola to me, the father, as the pictures show. What kind of ‘good wife’ does a thing like this simply to make a man look bad?
As of the time of this report, Agatha has not responded to her ex-husband’s allegations.
[TheCable]